By May, the green hills and meadows of the Apennines are dappled with red, as the first poppies announce the arrival of spring. South of Piacenza and the river Po, the northern Apennine Mountains of southern Lombardy and western Emilia-Romagna are virtually unknown to foreign travelers. Here, ancient-but-still-vital farming communities are nestled in tranquil valleys, and more rugged mountains soar above swift, meandering rivers. Today the area makes its livelihood mostly from agriculture, but historically it was a center of commercial activity, strategically located on important trade routes connecting the Po River plain with the Mediterranean Sea.

The former wealth of the region can still be seen in its art and architecture, particularly in the town of Bobbio, whose Benedictine Abbey dates from 643 A.D. and was the final resting-place of the Irish missionary St. Colombano. Bobbio lies on the Trebbia River, which extends some 165 km from its source in the mountains of Liguria (not far from the sea) to its outlet at the Po River. The Trebbia River has become something of a weekend destination for Italians, as it is excellent for swimming, canoeing, kayaking and rafting. The region above the Trebbia is also wonderful for walking and biking (mountain and road).