Cycling in Southern Tuscany

Cycling in Southern Tuscany a week’s easy-going tour.

This tour is designed for those who are not used to cycling and for varying levels of general fitness. You will be followed by a support vehicle, which will be on hand to help anybody in need of assistance. Tables will be set for you up out in the open, taking advantage of delightful spots for picnics. Every day you will be offered different traditional dishes accompanied by white or red wine from the areas we have passed through. Wine and water will be well chilled, even in the summer.

Bicycles will be equipped with saddle bags. Guests will be looked after by qualified local guides, who are well-versed in the countryside and able to deal with any technical problems you may encounter with the bicycles.

As the title suggests, this is an easygoing tour and suitable for cyclists travelling on their own.

Detailed maps are available.

Day 1 – Arrival Day

Arrival at the hotel in the late afternoon and enjoy a welcome cocktail.

Dinner with traditional local dishes matched with fine wines from Montalcino, Montecucco, Scansano and Montepulciano.

Day 2 – Tour of Montecucco; 42 km

In the morning meet your guide who will allocate the bicycles according to each individual’s height and size, and give you a familiarisation debriefing before setting off on the first day’s trip.

We leave the Hotel and begin our tour, starting with a beautiful ride through incredible beech woods. After a brief halt in a medieval village, we continue along a steeply undulating road. In another village we’ll stop for a beer and a refill of water before visiting a museum where you can witness what living conditions were like for rural people a century or so ago.

We head on towards Cinigiano, about 10km away, entering the area of Montecucco DOC. It is typically hilly country with cultivated fields, olive groves and vineyards, interspersed with oak woods. After a few kilometres we’ll reach a castle that is well worth visiting. We continue on, but before our return journey, we’ll take a break in one of the vast rolling fields with a view that spans the lower part of the Val d’Orcia.

Refreshed, we can tackle the short climb and country roads to the slopes of a medieval village. The brief haul up can be tiring, but worth the effort! Having arrived at the top, we can take a moment to rest in the park and enjoy the spectacular views over the Val D’Orcia and the Maremma. Here we will visit a wine estate where we can taste and, if you like, purchase some of their fine wines.

Return to the hotel for dinner.

Day 3 – Tour of Monte Amiata; 32km

Today we’ll take in some of the countryside close by.

From the Hotel we head down toward the valley. The first part of the route is tarmac, passing through beech and then chestnut forests. We then take a wooded track to a village famous for its mushroom festival, which takes place every year in the autumn. We ride on a few more kilometres – still all downhill – to a beautiful medieval village, the pearl of the Amiata, and visit the old part of the town, its church renowned for a display of della Robbia glazed terracotta, and the grand and fascinating medieval fishpond.

From there, a short climb takes us to the Tibetan centre of Merigar and, after enjoying a walk around the centre, a short ride will transport us further down the valley, where an array of local produce will be waiting for us to taste in the old village cellars. We’ll sample the wines of Montecucco, olive oil and cheese from Seggiano,as well as salami, sausages and prosciutto.

The last part of the tour leads to another old village, where we will stop to visit the historic centre.

We’ll have lunch with our hosts before our return to the hotel in the afternoon

Day 4 – Tour of the Val D’Orcia; 40 km

We leave the Hotel and after a brief descent we’ll reach the oldest village of the area.

We’ll visit the old part of the town and its Abbey, then set off on a fairly level road, part of the extraordinary landscape overlooking the Val D’Orcia, with its characteristic villages perched on hilltops. The route follows the ridge which divides the two sides of the Val d’Orcia.

Here lunch will be served in the shade of an ancient oak tree. Afterwards, a short bike-ride to the hot springs where a thermal bath brings the day to a relaxing close.

Return to the hotel for dinner.

Day 5 – Free day to explore Amiata

The fifth day will exclude cycling commitments. Guests are free to visit places not yet included in the itineraries. A taxi service will be available to take guests to places of interest. A picnic lunch is also on request.

The hotel reception desk can supply information and maps.

The following places may be of interest:

• The old medieval villages and their churches and castles
• Parks and nature reserves
• Hot springs

Farms and estates with local traditional produce

Day 6 – Etruscans’ Tour; 50 km

Today is a day for discovering the Etruscans, who inhabited the area bordering Monte Amiata from the eighth century B.C.

We leave the Hotel and through undulating roads between beautiful castles and villages we’ll find our selves in Etruscan lands.

In a medieval village we’ll enjoy a picnic in the park overlooking the village. After the visit, having crossed to the other side of the valley and tackling a short climb uphill, we’ll reach another village, famous not only for its Etruscan past, but also for its excellent white wine.

And finally, on a road which cuts through the sandstone, we’ll arrive at Sovana where we will visit the old medieval village with its famous square and cathedral.

Return to the hotel in late afternoon.

Day 7 – Tour of the Hot Springs; 46 km

From the hotel we descend the mountain.

After about a kilometre – gently uphill – we’ll find ourselves on the side of the valley of the river Fiora with a magnificent view of the Monte Amiata massif and the valley which stretches to the north of Lazio.

Pedalling easily, we’ll take the road through these foothills, leaving the Fiora river to look out over the valley; on a clear day it is possible to make out the Tuscan islands to the west. As we ride, with the change of valley comes a change of scenery that, as we go along, gradually assumes the characteristics of the northern Maremma: olive groves, vineyards and wide wheat fields. We’ll pass a castle and continue on through the medieval villages of the area.

After a pitstop for a picnic we’ll continue in the direction of the thermal springs and a rapid descent that will take us to the cascades of the old mill, where a dip in the hot sulphurous water is sure to soothe every trace of exhaustion.

After the bath, return to the hotel for dinner

Day 8 – Departure Day

Departure after breakfast.

For groups starting from 6 people.
Also suitable for cyclists travelling on their own.
Available all year long