A tiny stretch of clear and perennial water placidly nestled along the ridge that separates the Tyrrhenian Sea from the Po Valley. It is Lake Scaffaiolo, among which many peculiarities, with its 1785 meters of altitude, there is also that of being the highest natural basin of the entire Apennine chain. This small body of water offers a breathtaking sight and can be reached on foot both in summer and in winter, walking with snowshoes.

Near the lake is the Duca degli Abruzzi refuge where you can taste typical mountain foods and stay overnight in the magical setting of the mountains.
This is the oldest mountain refuge in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines: it was inaugurated on June 30, 1887.

Unlike other lakes in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, Scaffaiolo lake is not a lake of glacial origin, but owes its origin to actions of chemical and physical alteration, with consequent weathering of the boulder, and to the action of snow and winds. It seems to be fed by rainwater, by the melting of snow and by a stratum located under Mount Cupolino (this fact explains the impermeability of the soil). The origin of its feed, considered mysterious and still discussed in past centuries, has been studied since 1700.

A series of truly unique features which, accompanied by the absolute lack of fish and plants, have created an aura of mystery and legend around this place.