After leaving Fiano behind, the trail heads northeast through increasingly shaded chestnut woods until reaching the small village of Fondagno, from where a road descends to meet Provincial Road 32 and the banks of the Pedogna stream. From there, the route continues cautiously along the edge of the provincial road for about one kilometer, until reaching the uphill turn toward Gello, which is left shortly afterward to follow the path known as the “Cammino di Giacomo,” running alongside a dense bamboo grove.

From here the route reaches Celle Puccini, a hamlet home to the Puccini Museum of Celle dei Puccini, located in the house of the grandparents of the composer Giacomo Puccini. The musician spent several summers here during childhood and later returned as an adult for short stays. The trail continues uphill, opening onto wide panoramic views over the Serchio valley floor, until a tall brick arch marks the entrance to Gello, where the structure of an ancient and important mill can still be seen.

Heading north, the path re-enters the forest, offering glimpses of the Apuan Alps, with short but protected exposed sections and crossings through clearings dotted with centuries-old chestnut trees. This stretch is fittingly called the “Chestnut Trail” and leads to Colognora, where visitors can explore the Museum of the Chestnut, dedicated to the fruit that played a fundamental role in the life and economy of the Apuan populations, providing food, timber, and shelter. The village is characterized by stone houses connected by long vaulted passages dating back to the 16th century, and it is also the birthplace of the composer Alfredo Catalani. Colognora also entered the international cinematic imagination when the American director Spike Lee chose it as the principal setting for his film Miracle at St. Anna.

A little farther on lies Vetriano, where it is worth discovering a curious and enchanting place: the Teatrino di Vetriano. Created in 1890 from the conversion of an old hayloft, it measures only 71 square meters and is recognized as the smallest historic public theater in the world. Continuing on through oak and manna ash woods, the trail skirts the slopes of Monte Bargiglio until meeting the Via Pacifica at Foce di Luco. Farther ahead, near a pine grove, a beautiful panoramic viewpoint also serves as a popular paragliding launch site.

The next section coincides with the Sentiero Colline Lucchesi (SCL), which passes through several abandoned hamlets before reaching the village of Cune. Walking among olive groves along a cart track bordered by dry-stone walls, the route finally descends toward the floor of the Serchio River valley. This leads to Borgo a Mozzano, especially famous for the Ponte della Maddalena, with its great asymmetrical arch and universally known as the “Devil’s Bridge,” thanks to the legend of a pact in which the devil was deceived with a dog and a loaf of bread. At the end of the stage, visitors can also explore the Gothic Line Museum and discover the various fortifications — bunkers and anti-tank walls — built here by the German army during the war.