Understanding come arrivare a zerba is the first step to discovering one of the most hidden and authentic villages in the Piacenza Apennines. We are in the upper Val Trebbia, at over 800 metres above sea level, in a corner of Emilia where time seems to have stood still. Zerba is the smallest municipality in the province of Piacenza — just a few dozen residents, a handful of stone houses, beech woods and silence as far as the ear can reach. Getting there requires a bit of planning, but the journey itself is already part of the experience. Roads that climb through deep valleys, bends that offer breathtaking panoramas, the growing feeling of leaving the hectic world behind. Here is everything you need to know to organise your visit.
The car is without doubt the most convenient and flexible way to reach Zerba. The village is not directly served by motorways, but the provincial roads connecting it to the plain are among the most beautiful in the Emilian Apennines — especially if you enjoy driving through hairpin bends and mountain landscapes.
If you are coming from Milan, Turin or Bologna, take the A21 motorway (Turin–Brescia) and exit at the Piacenza Ovest toll booth. From here, join the SS45 della Val Trebbia heading towards Bobbio–Genoa. It is one of the most scenic roads in Italy — Ernest Hemingway called it “the most beautiful valley in the world”, and once you drive it you will understand why. After roughly 70 km, past Bobbio and then Marsaglia, follow the signs for Ottone and finally for Zerba. The last stretch runs along a narrow, panoramic provincial road. Allow approximately 1 hour and 45 minutes from Piacenza.
If you are arriving from the south, from the A7 motorway (Milan–Genoa), exit at Busalla or Ronco Scrivia and head up towards the Passo della Scoffera or the Passo del Brallo, then follow the signs for Ottone and Zerba along the SP62. Alternatively, from the A12 you can exit at Chiavari and climb through the Val Fontanabuona. The routes from Liguria are fascinating but winding: allow around 2 hours from Genoa and drive carefully, especially in winter when icy patches are possible.
Zerba is a tiny village, and that is part of its charm. You will find a few free parking areas along the main road and near the centre of the village. There are no paid car parks or multi-storey structures — we are in the mountains, not in a city. In the summer months and during the rare patron saint festivals, spaces can fill up quickly, so it is advisable to arrive early in the morning if you are visiting on an August weekend. For the rest of the year, parking will never be an issue.
Let us say it straight away: Zerba does not have a railway station, and public transport connections are limited. But with a little planning it is still possible to get there without a car.
The nearest railway station is Piacenza, well connected by regional and high-speed services from Milan, Bologna, Parma and Turin. From Piacenza you will need to continue by bus or by hiring a car. Alternatively, the station at Voghera (on the Milan–Genoa line) can serve as a starting point for those arriving from western Lombardy, from where you can continue by car over the Passo del Brallo. You can check timetables and connections on the Trenitalia website.
The SETA company (now merged into the Emilia-Romagna regional transport services) operates a few routes linking Piacenza to the municipalities of the upper Val Trebbia, but services to Zerba are very limited, often restricted to one or two daily runs on weekdays, with virtually no service on Sundays. The advice is to check updated timetables in advance on the regional public transport portal and always have a plan B. For the most isolated villages of the Apennines, a car — even a rental — remains the most practical choice.
Zerba is a perfect starting point for exploring one of the least touristy and most fascinating areas of the northern Apennines. The surroundings offer a rare combination of historic villages, wild nature and mountain traditions that are still very much alive.
Just a few kilometres away, climbing towards the Apennine ridge, you will find Cerignale, another micro-village in the Val Trebbia with very few inhabitants. It is a place of absolute silence, perfect for woodland hikes and for anyone seeking a total immersion in nature. The landscape is rugged and beautiful, with trails leading towards Monte Alfeo and the Ligurian border.
Heading down the valley you will come to Ottone, the most important centre in the area, where you can find essential services, a few trattorias serving traditional Piacenza cuisine, and a medieval village that deserves a stroll. Several hiking trails marked by the CAI depart from Ottone.
Continuing down the valley for about 30 km, you reach Bobbio, one of the most celebrated villages in Emilia-Romagna. Its Ponte Gobbo (also known as the Devil’s Bridge) is a landscape icon, and the historic centre houses the ancient Abbey of San Colombano, founded in 614. Bobbio is listed among the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy and represents the ideal cultural stop to pair with a visit to Zerba.
Moving eastward, crossing the ridges that separate the Val Trebbia from the Val d’Arda, you reach Morfasso, a village set in a hilly and mountainous landscape that feels completely different. The area is ideal for trekking, mountain biking and for visiting the striking zone of Monte Moria and its calanchi badlands.
If your return journey takes you towards the Piacenza plain, it is well worth stopping at San Pietro in Cerro, a small village with an elegant fifteenth-century castle that today houses the MIM — Italian Museum of Mining and a contemporary art collection. A fascinating contrast with the mountain ruggedness of Zerba.
The best time to visit Zerba is from May to October. In summer the village offers a cool refuge from the sweltering Po Valley heat, with temperatures that rarely exceed 25 °C. Autumn delivers extraordinary colours — the beech and chestnut woods blaze with gold and red, and the trails are wrapped in an almost fairy-tale atmosphere. Winter is evocative but demanding: snowfalls can be heavy and some roads may be temporarily closed. Spring is the season of blossoms and nature’s reawakening, perfect for hikers.
Zerba is a place that cannot easily be put into words — it must be lived, walked, breathed. You reach it almost out of sheer determination, along roads that discourage the absent-minded and reward the curious. Once there, the silence, the grey stone of the houses and the outline of the mountains all around tell a story that is worth the journey. If you are planning your visit, consult the complete guide to the village of Zerba on Villages Italy: you will find all the information on history, attractions and traditions to make the most of your day in the upper Val Trebbia. Pack your rucksack, load your offline maps and set off: Zerba awaits you in silence, just as it should.
