When you arrive to the village, you pass through a double-arched Romanesque gate dating back to the 13th-15th centuries—you then find yourself in the main square surrounded by a crown of houses built on the remains of the old 14th-century castle's perimeter walls. The village center has all the shops and amenities you will need during your stay. There are also many other hilltop villages nearby with markets, taverns, and restaurants to explore.

The surrounding slopes bear the signs of ancient chestnut, olive, and grape-vine cultivation which developed with the local terracing techniques introduced in the pre-Roman times. There are many trails to be explored in these fantastical surroundings, not least the renowned Apennine Way—part of the Via Francigena Pilgrimage that dates back to the 13th Century with views of the Lugiana Valley—which runs high along the crest of the mountains.

Studio Panicale is ideally positioned for trips to some of Italy's most beautiful cities and landmarks. Half an hour inland from the Tuscan and Ligurian coast, the eminent villages of the ‘Cinque Terre’ are a scenic 40-minute train ride away, with the vast beaches of the Viareggio and Forte De Marmi 40 minutes away by car. Should you wish to see the centers of Tuscan History and Art, you can travel by train to the towns and cities of Lucca and Florence. Alternatively, you can venture to Turin or Milan, which are only two hours away by car, and are also accessible via the local train station Aulla, which is well connected to many Italian cities.

Italy is renowned for its numerous local festivals, and the towns of the Lunigiana Valley live up to this expectation. The local religious festivals begin with the Festa Della Boffina - celebrating the gifts of the Three Wise Men on the Feast of Epiphany - starting in January and continuing with carnivals at the beginning of lent and easter. The local festivals of the village of Panicale are the Festa Della Madonna, celebrated in early June and early September, as well as choral music evenings, which are held in the piazza during the summer months.

Other traditional festivals of the Lunigiana Valley celebrate the passing of the seasons and their associated harvests: The spring festivals of flowers, the summer festivals of fish and pasta, and the autumn festivals of grapes and chestnuts. Larger villages of the region such as Pontremoli, Fizzizano, Fillateiere, and Sarzana hold other medieval and historical festivals during the summer season—there isn't a single weekend between March and October without some sort of celebration.