Via dei Frati, stage 6: from Gangi to Geraci Siculo

The sixth stage of the Via dei Frati goes from Gangi to Geraci Siculo: about 13 km and 4 hours of walking without stops, with about 610 metres of ascent according to the Madonie Park. It is a medium stage, on old mule tracks and drove roads among pastures, with a stone bridge at its lowest point. You finish beneath the Ventimiglia castle.

You start in a Borgo dei Borghi and finish in one of the Borghi più belli d’Italia.

Why walk this stage

To walk on a piece of old road that linked two mountain villages. The Park describes a narrow path with traces of mule track and a stone bridge: the way people travelled on foot or by mule before the main roads.

And for the arrival. Geraci Siculo sits on a rock spur above 1,000 metres, and you watch it grow ahead of you for the whole second half of the stage.

What you see along the stage

From the cathedral of Gangi you go down Via Madrice, Via Anteria and Via Porta di Conte to the main road. After the octagonal trough you leave the road and walk towards the San Giovanni area.

From here the finest part begins: a narrow path, with stretches of mule track, dropping to a stone bridge. Then you climb towards Geraci among cattle pastures and small fields. In spring broom flowers along the drove road.

You arrive on the main road near the Bevaio della Trinità. Below the castle spur you climb Via Biscucco, Via Cervo and Via Roma to the Chiesa Madre of Geraci Siculo.

Who it is for and when to go

For anyone who walks 4 hours comfortably. The surface is mixed, with mule-track stretches where you need to watch your step. No technical passages.

The best period is April to June, when the pastures are green, and autumn. In summer start early: the climb to Geraci is in the sun. Check the weather in Gangi and in Geraci Siculo.

Geraci Siculo’s festivals

Geraci is a village of festivals. At the end of May there is the Transhumance Festival, with the herds passing through. On the first weekend of August the Giostra dei Ventimiglia, on the second Sunday of August the feast of San Giacomo. The Geraci Siculo page covers the castle and the centre.

Sleeping and eating

Geraci Siculo is small: book a bed before you set off. See where to stay in Geraci Siculo and where to eat in Geraci Siculo. For the night before, in Gangi, there is where to stay in Gangi.

The Amici della Via dei Frati association lists on its website the places that host walkers.

Tips

• Fill your bottles in Gangi: do not count on fountains along the stage.
• In the pastures close the gates you open and keep away from cows with calves.
• Save energy for the uphill streets of Geraci: the real finish is at the Chiesa Madre.

The previous stage is stage 5 from Petralia Sottana to Gangi. The next one, stage 7 from Geraci Siculo to Castelbuono, descends more than 1,100 metres.