I just love the Alta Val Trebbia, with it's deep valley and amazing vegetation. The road is really up at the top, and the river is not easily accessible. So it's never crowded down at the bottom even in the full of summer. At each of the river bends, the river form a natural pool (we call them "buconi", litterally "big holes") where it's estremely pleasant to swim in the summer. Fish (trouts, cavedani and other kinds) used to be abudant, although I'm not sure if the still are. This part of the valley is now protected from fishing and hunting. On the hills, wild boars, deers, hares and lots of kind of birds are very common. Mushrooms also grow profusely, and in particular the Porcini mushrooms, one of the best delicacy of Italian cousine. It was not uncommon in my youth, to collect 4 or 5 kg of Porcini in one outing. I remember fondly those days, where we would go out at 3 or 4 in the morning to be in the forest by sunrise. The places were mushroom would grow year after year, were (and I'm sure they still are) one of the best kept secret. After spending the morning in the forest, we would end up in a nice and cozy trattoria for a hearty meal.