Trail dei Frutti Dimenticati

The Trail dei Frutti Dimenticati (Forgotten Fruits Trail) is a hill trail race around Casola Valsenio, a village in the upper Senio valley in the Romagna Apennines, at the southern tip of the province of Ravenna. Launched in 2026 by the sports club Tè Bota Team together with the local council, the race takes its name from the Festival of Forgotten Fruits, one of the village's big autumn events: every October the streets of the old centre celebrate heritage fruit varieties that have all but vanished from orchards, with markets, tastings and special menus in local restaurants.

There are two options. The competitive route covers 18 km with 850 m of elevation gain, starting at 9:30am from Parco Sandro Pertini on the edge of the village centre. A non-competitive route of around 8.5 km and 400 m of climbing lets participants explore the trails at their own pace, with no timing. The organisers describe the course as mostly runnable, with a few tougher sections. With close to 50 m of climbing per kilometre, the long route still calls for some skill on the ups and downs: it suits regular trail runners looking for a brisk outing as well as road runners keen to try Apennine paths without committing to a long distance.

The race is the final round of the Trittico Valle del Senio, a three-race series run by the same club that also includes the Trail del Poggiolo and the Trail Casola Valsenio, both held in late winter. The overall series standings by age category are announced after this last round, at a prize-giving followed by a pasta party for runners and walkers alike. Entry to the competitive race is online before race day or on site that morning, while the non-competitive route is entered directly at the race office.

The setting is the Senio valley, a landscape of wooded hills, meadows and scattered farmhouses that the river flows through before cutting, further downstream, across the Vena del Gesso Romagnola, a long gypsum ridge protected as a regional park. Casola Valsenio is known as the village of herbs thanks to its Giardino delle Erbe, a botanical garden devoted to medicinal and aromatic plants, and the surroundings include landmarks such as the former Valsenio abbey and the tower on Monte Battaglia, which watches over the ridge between the Senio and Santerno valleys.

Held in October, when the village celebrates its forgotten fruits, the race is a good excuse to spend the rest of the day in the old centre, among producers' stalls and autumn specialities. As the event is still young, its format may change from one year to the next, so it is worth checking the organiser's information before entering, particularly for course details and aid stations.