The walking trail of the Rufina stream

The Water Trail is a walking route that takes around three hours to complete. It follows the course of the Rufina stream and is lined with information boards that explain the history, geography and natural features of the area, guiding hikers on a journey of discovery through a landscape that has shaped the life of the local community for centuries.
The Rufina stream starts near the Consuma and flows into the Sieve, passing through the village of Rufina. The Water Trail runs through a narrow stretch of the valley where the vegetation and wildlife still thrive in their natural state, whilst also concealing a past worth remembering. 

The Water Trail follows a recently constructed path where environmental and tourism considerations intersect with the equally important aspect of hydrogeological monitoring.

The route starts in the village of Rufina, following the road that runs along the valley floor of the Rufina stream as far as the bridge at Casi. Here, you leave the road and the actual walking route along the river begins.  It is clear from the outset that the power of the water has been harnessed for centuries to drive various mills for grinding grain, traces of which can be found on the map of the Regional Historical Land Registry.

After about 2 km along the path, you reach one of the route’s most distinctive features: the Carvelli fish ladder. It is said that this fish ladder was built in the early 1900s to serve a small hydroelectric power station for the village of Rufina. A small but ingenious piece of engineering that looked to the future. 

Unfortunately, all trace of that structure has been lost, but the memories remain, as does the fish ladder; we can imagine that the flat section upstream was the plant’s intake basin
The path continues with further crossings of the stream and reaches a recently fenced-off vineyard, which you enter and exit through gates that must be carefully closed behind you. The path, climbing steadily, finally arrives at the Mulino de’ Pesci, where the walk ends. The site is distinctive in that the mill was abandoned relatively recently, and the old structures are still visible on the opposite side of the arrival point. The bridge that would have allowed you to cross the stream is not accessible, so you can only see the old mill structures, which are unfortunately now overgrown with wild vegetation but still recognisable.. 

You can return either by following the same route as on the way there or by car.

The project is funded by Publiacqua, in collaboration with the Consorzio di Bonifica and the Ecomuseo Montagna Fiorentina.