Cammino di San Francesco, tailor-made
In the footsteps of Saint Francis, among Romagna hills, hermitages, and sacred mountains.
The Cammino di San Francesco from Rimini to La Verna is a journey that brings together spirituality, nature, and history. Over five days, you will cross an intimate territory, far from the rhythms of the Riviera, following ancient paths walked many times by Saint Francis of Assisi. It is an itinerary that allows you to connect with silent landscapes, small medieval villages, isolated places of worship, and valleys that still preserve an authentic character.
From the hills that rise quickly behind Rimini, you will enter the Valmarecchia, where parish churches and chapels recall the ancient passages of the Saint. The ridgelines offer wide views as far as San Leo, an extraordinary fortress perched on a rocky outcrop, while the inner Apennines reveal spiritual villages such as Sant’Agata Feltria, a place that seems to exist in a different time.
The walk then climbs into increasingly wild mountain environments: chestnut woods, mule tracks, hermitages hidden in the forests, and the evocative Via Granducale, built in the 19th century to reach these isolated places. The approach to La Verna is one of the most intense sections: high pastures, ancient ridgelines, deep beech forests, and panoramic points where the view stretches far towards Tuscany.
Arriving at the Sanctuary of La Verna, set within the sacred forest where Francis received the stigmata, is a moment that stays with you: a place of great power, where nature and spirituality seem to meet without boundaries.
You will travel independently, with everything in place to walk without worries: we book the accommodation, organise the initial briefing, provide assistance along the route, and take care of luggage transport from one stage to the next. You can devote yourself to walking, listening, and discovering an Apennines that knows how to amaze at every step.
Program
Day 1
We will meet in Rimini, the ideal gateway to the walk, where you will meet one of our representatives for the initial briefing and luggage drop-off. You will leave the city along quiet roads that gradually open towards the inland, as the landscape slows its pace, shaped by cultivated fields and the first gentle slopes.
You will then enter the Marecchia Valley, a territory that already reveals a more intimate and secluded character in the very first kilometres. You will reach Vergiano, where you will discover the chapel linked to the centuries-old cypress of Villa Verucchio, a symbol of the tradition associated with the passage of Saint Francis and a first encounter with the spirituality that will accompany you along this journey.
Day 2
You will set off from Verucchio, heading into the most evocative part of the Valmarecchia, where the landscape becomes harsher, shaped by cliffs and rocky spurs. You will walk along panoramic paths offering wide views over the valley floor and the ancient fortresses that once controlled these lands.
The silhouette of San Leo, imposing and unmistakable, will accompany you for much of the route, drawing ever closer as you approach the spiritual heart of the day.
You will reach the Convent of Sant’Igne, a place of silence and Franciscan memory, before completing the stage in the village of San Leo, defined by its monumental rock and an atmosphere suspended in time.
Day 3
You will leave San Leo by descending towards the valley floor, before taking a gradual climb that will lead you onto a new ridgeline, more secluded and offering views over the Savio Valley. The route crosses woods, clearings, and small rural settlements that highlight the authentic character of this part of the Apennines.
You will continue along a stretch rich in quiet and intimate atmospheres until you reach Sant’Agata Feltria, a village known for its spirituality, historic buildings, and traditions that still make it a fascinating place to end the day.
Day 4
You will set off leaving behind the gentler character of the hills to enter a distinctly mountain environment. The trail becomes more shaded and quieter as you approach the Hermitage of Sant’Alberico, a place rich in charm and linked to the figure of Saint Romuald, who according to tradition was its founder.
You will continue through beech forests, stretches of untouched woodland, and more open areas that anticipate the landscape of the Balze. You will reach the Via Granducale, a splendid stone road commissioned by Grand Duke Leopold II, walking along a section that blends history and nature before arriving in Balze di Verghereto.
Day 5
You will walk towards the borderlands between Romagna and Tuscany, through a landscape of grasslands, clearings, and forests. You will reach Poggio Tre Vescovi, a panoramic viewpoint that once served as a crossroads along ancient medieval routes.
You will continue towards the Passo delle Gualanciole and the Passo delle Pratelle, where the route intersects the Via di Francesco, before descending to the Croce della Calla. A final climb through a luminous beech forest will lead you to the Sanctuary of La Verna, a place steeped in spirituality and the final destination of your journey.
Day 6
You will spend the morning visiting the Sanctuary of La Verna, a place that preserves intact the spiritual atmosphere that inspired Saint Francis in moments of prayer and contemplation. You can take your time exploring the cloisters, chapels, and rocky corridors overlooking the forest, letting yourself be guided by the silence and the light filtering through the trees.
You will have time to explore the Sasso Spicco, the Chapel of the Stigmata, and the panoramic viewpoints overlooking the Apennines, allowing yourself a moment to retrace the stages of the journey inwardly. Before making your independent return, you may linger in the sacred forest or in the convent square, enjoying one last moment of quiet and gratitude in this unique place.
The price includes
- Overnight stay with breakfast
- Welcome and briefing on the day of departure
- Pilgrim Credential
- Map and printed guidebook (1 per group)
- Luggage transport from one accommodation to the next – 1 piece only, max size 55 × 40 × 20 cm
- Booking management fee
The price does not include
- Single room supplement (subject to availability – not available in many accommodations and not always with a private bathroom)
- Dinners, lunches, food, drinks, and extras not specified
- Tourist tax, where applicable, to be paid on site
- Transfers to/from Rimini
- Travel by public transport
- Any transfers to skip a stage
- Cancellation insurance (optional)
- Anything not listed under “What’s included”
How to get there
Rimini railway station is easily reachable by train from major Italian cities: it lies along the Adriatic line and offers frequent connections with Bologna, Ancona, Milan, and other long-distance routes, allowing you to arrive directly in the heart of the city.
Luggage
For luggage transport, we ask you to limit yourself to one piece of luggage only (max 55 × 40 × 20 cm).
Accommodation
For this journey, we have chosen small, locally run accommodation, managed by families and hosts who have kept the tradition of hospitality in the Apennines alive for generations.
Notes
To confirm the booking, a deposit of €150.00 per person is required: €50.00 as a booking management fee (non-refundable) and €100.00 as a deposit towards the trip.
To ensure we can meet your requests, we recommend submitting your booking at least 15 days in advance. This increases to 30 days in June, July, and August, as well as for departures close to public holidays and long weekends.
If the booking is made within 30 days prior to departure, full payment will be required immediately.