San Paolo in Alpe
Lon. 11.799109 ; Lat. 43.876913
San Paolo in Alpe is located in the municipality of Santa Sofia (province of Forlì-Cesena). The plateau, situated at an altitude of about 1,000 meters, lies along the ridge that divides the Bidente of Corniolo-Campigna from the Ridracoli valley, in the heart of the Foreste Casentinesi.
This unique location allows you to reach the plateu from many different points including Corniolo, Campigna, Lama, Ridracoli, Biserno and Berleta. Despite this, the bivouac cannot be reached by car; in fact, the closest road ends about 2 km from San Paolo. This road can be taken near the locality of Corniolino, turning off State Road 310 (Statale 310) to the left if you are going up from Corniolo towards Campigna, or to the right if you are traveling in the opposite direction (signs for Sant’Agostino).
How to reach the structure
The main access road
The trail is suitable for: hiking and mountain biking
Length (one way): 2 Km
Altitude: 980 m above sea level (at the start) - 1030 m above sea level (at arrival)
Once past the village of Corniolo and having reached the locality of Lago, continue along State Road no. 310 (Statale 310) towards Campigna. After about 1 km, leave the state road by turning left at 'San Paolo' sign. The road becomes unpaved after a short distance. Continuing for about 6.5 km, you will arrive near Case Fiumari where the road forks: to the right you reach Sant'Agostino, while to go up to San Paolo you need to continue to the left, passing an equipped picnic area at Fonte della Miseria until you reach a barrier gate. At this point, it is possible to park and then continue on foot along the forest road. After about 250m you will find the first and only intersection; here you must continue to the left, as indicated by the sign. The route develops entirely on a gravel-surfaced forest road until reaching the bivouac, with a pleasant series of ups and downs where stretches in the shade of beech trees alternate with panoramic viewpoints that allow you to admire the Ridracoli and Corniolo valleys, the Apennine ridge and the the Integral Nature Reserve of Sasso Fratino, a UNESCO heritage site since 2017.
This is the easiest and shortest option to reach the bivouac. However, the forest road leading up to the barrier gate is not passable by car in all seasons; for instance, in winter, it is not constantly cleared in the event of snowfall.
Ristefani route
The trail is suitable for: trekking
Length (one way): 3,7 km
Altitude: 657 m above sea level (at the start) - 1030 m above sea level (at arrival)
Once past the village of Corniolo and having reached the locality of Lago, continue along State Road no. 310 (Statale 310) towards Campigna. After about 1 km, leave the state road by turning left at 'San Paolo' sign. The road becomes unpaved after a short distance. Continuing for about 6.5 km, you will arrive near Case Fiumari where the road forks, continuing to the left, after a hundred meters you will see the sign indicating the start of the trail and, immediately after, a few parking spaces. Once parked, take the trail down to the stream until you reach a junction. At this point, follow the CAI trail 283 (to the left), which will first take you past the remains of the house called Ristefani, and then, proceeding up a fairly steep climb, will lead you to the gravel forest road that connects Biserno to San Paolo. Once you reach the road, proceeding to the right, you will almost immediately reach a panoramic viewpoint that opens up the view of San Paolo, the Apennine ridge, and the Integral Nature Reserve of Sasso Fratino
The trail is challenging and not suitable for everyone, it encompasses both open and mixed woodland stretches and it is almost entirely uphill.
Campodonato route
The trail is suitable for: trekking
Length (one way): 3 km
Altitude: 657 m above sea level (at the start) - 1030 m above sea level (at arrival)
Once past the village of Corniolo and having reached the locality of Lago, continue along State Road no. 310 (Statale 310) towards Campigna. After about 1 km, leave the state road by turning left at 'San Paolo' sign. The road becomes unpaved after a short distance. Continuing for about 6.5 km, you will arrive near Case Fiumari where the road forks, continuing to the left, after a hundred meters you will see the sign indicating the start of the trail and, immediately after, a few parking spaces. Once parked, take the trail down to the stream until you reach a junction. At this point, follow the CAI trail 255 (to the right), which will first take you past the remains of the house called Campodonato. After a steep and rocky climb, you will reach the cemetery of San Paolo and eventually the plateau where you will be first greeted by remains of the church of Sant'Agostino.
The trail is challenging and not suitable for everyone. It develops almost constantly uphill with many sunny stretches and few shaded areas; for this reason, it is essential to hike it with a good supply of water. Some sections are difficult to traverse and lack safety barriers; furthermore, the presence of loose stones, boulders, and small landslides requires caution.
Cerrete route
The trail is suitable for: trekking
Length (one way): 5 km
Altitude: 550 m above sea level (at the start) - 1030 m above sea level (at arrival)
The CAI trail 257 starts in the locality of Corniolo, approximately at the junction for Passo Braccina/Fiumicello. The first section of about 300 meters descends to the Bidente river, and then begins to climb without pause until reaching San Paolo and the bivouac. The only exception is the last stretch of forest road, which you reach once the climb is over. From here, continuing to the right, you will arrive at your destination in about 1.5 km. The route develops almost entirely within a mixed forest of Turkey oak, chestnut, and maple, and then becomes a beech-dominated forest in the upper part.
The trail is challenging and not suitable for everyone, given the length and the the steep elevation. We discourage its use during winter time. the route develops for a large part near a watercourse and is rendered particularly slippery in the event of rain, snow, or ice.