Hills of olive groves and vineyards, fascinating routes crossing countryside, cities, villages, castles: the treasures of Cycling holidays in Tuscany.
It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, because you have to sweat over the hills and freewheel down the slopes. In this way you remember them as they really are, whereas in a car you are only left with the highest hills, and you don't have as accurate a memory of the country you have passed through in a car as you do when you cycle through it.
Is Tuscany the destination of your next trip? Choose to visit it by bicycle. Bike tours in Tuscany will allow you to feel in contact with nature at your own pace, stopping wherever you like to admire a rural panorama or a glimpse of the alleys of a village. Cycling holidays is a healthy activity that combines the beauty of the visit with a total absence of stress, it is a virtuous and environmentally friendly choice.
With cycling holidays you can alternate visits, between iconic destinations such as the Tower of Pisa and the Florence cathedral with Brunelleschi's dome, up to the extraordinary scenery of the Tuscan countryside, made up of gentle slopes and hills with orderly rows of olive trees and vineyards. At the end of the day, you will bring back with you just a little healthy physical tiredness which will add flavor to your meals and relaxation to your sleep.
Cycling holidays in Tuscany: 5 fabulous bike tours to discover
Every time I see an adult on a bicycle I think there is still hope for the human race
5. Tour of Florence by bike
Florence is unquestionably the most famous Tuscan city in the world. It really has a lot to offer and it's not easy to choose what to see. An intelligent method to visit Florence quickly, without having to give up anything, is by bicycle. The bike eliminates the stress of traffic and allows us not to have to rely on public transport timetables, being able to freely choose how to move, when to move, without limitations. Florence is ideal for bike tours, its cycle paths extend for over 100 km, embrace the area surrounding the historic center and have various branches.
Most of the cycle routes are located along the Arno River (away from Ponte Vecchio). The best served area is probably Campo di Marte. With, for example, the cycle path that goes from Viale Don Minzoni to Via XX Settembre. By broadening the range of the city's itineraries, you can visit the Cascine Park and the Giro ai Renai, particularly suitable for families with children in tow. If you love challenges and adventure, there are also several extra-urban routes, outside the city.
It is important to know that the municipality of Florence has decided that cyclists can no longer travel on one-way streets in the opposite direction, which is tolerated in many other Italian cities.
Discover the Florence bike tour❯4. La Via degli Dei Tour: from Bologna to Florence by bicycle
A very suggestive route for bike tours in Tuscany is undoubtedly "La Via degli Dei". A route made up of paths, streets and mule tracks that extends for approximately 130 kilometres, from Florence to the city of Bologna, crossing the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. Due to its particularity and beauty, it has been nicknamed by many "The Italian Camino de Santiago", making a clear reference to the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. The route can be traveled on foot or by bicycle.
This second hypothesis is certainly very suggestive and interesting. If you love adventure and want to try a new experience, the Via degli Dei is a concrete certainty. However, the route is not for beginners. The differences in height present throughout the route are challenging, the climbs steep and long, the descents very technical and often bordering on Enduro. The climbs of the Tuscan stretch force you to shoulder your bike and cover kilometers on foot, with the resulting physical effort. So don't face it without training and without a bit of practice. The most suitable bike to tackle this itinerary is undoubtedly a mountain bike, with muscular or assisted pedaling. The Via degli Dei is a spectacular route, which connects two wonderful cities, Bologna and Florence, and which passes through breathtaking landscapes that enter inside you and inspire peace, calm and the desire for freedom.
Take a break and discover the tasting tour at the Bologna market❯A bike ride is an escape from sadness
3. Tour from Paolina beach to the top of Monte Perone, Elba island
If you are an expert or trained biker, bike tours in Tuscany will give you great satisfaction is the route that crosses the Elban hills to the Paolina beach, an area with a very particular morphology, we are in the breathtaking and naturalistic scenery of the island of Elba. The itinerary begins approximately 200 meters after accessing the wonderful Paolina beach, along the provincial road to Marciana Marina, you will arrive in Redinoce, a place from which you can take path number 43.
The route enters a beautiful chestnut, strawberry tree, and holm oak forest. The itinerary is uphill and quite demanding, at times requiring you to carry the bike on your shoulder. At the end of the path you will reach an asphalt road, uphill obviously, which leads to the panoramic area of Monte Perone. Immersed in a cool pine forest you can admire the stretch of coast that goes from Marina di Campo to the Costa dei Gabbiani. From the square of Monte Perone take the downhill road: the route marked with the number 5, which leads to Sant'Ilario. Once you reach the crossroads, turning right, after about half a kilometre, you will reach Monte Castello, on the top of which the remains of an ancient Etruscan fortification are still visible. Continuing the route you will arrive at Redinoce, path marked with the number 43. From there the road will be downhill and will take you to the starting point, next to the beautiful Paolina beach.
2. Pienza: the World Heritage city recognized by UNESCO
If you decide to visit Tuscany by bicycle, you cannot fail to take the time to visit and discover the lands of Senese and Val d'Orcia. Cycle through the perched villages of Montalcino, Pienza and San Quirico d'Orcia. Stop at the public spas of Bagno Vignoni and Bagni San Filippo. The itineraries are varied and for all types of cycle tourists. The routes are not only dirt but there are many asphalted roads which make the tourist tour more pleasant. The city of Pienza is a pearl of Tuscany that deserves to be seen at least once in your life. A small jewel of the Val d'Orcia, known as the city of Pope Pius II, born Enea Silvio Piccolomini, who was born in 1405. Pius II, once he became Pope, wanted to transform his humble hometown, Corsignano, into a treasure urban-architectural. Due to its peculiar characteristics, since 1996, together with the entire Val d'Orcia, Pienza has been recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
A very pleasant itinerary is the one that goes from the city of Pienza to Montepulciano. Pienza is the perfect example of a Renaissance city, but Montepulciano is also worth a visit. In this rather simple and undemanding itinerary, you will be able to visit two of the most beautiful villages in Tuscany, with a stop in Montepulciano where you can taste a good glass of wine. The entire itinerary is on asphalt road and is suitable for everyone. The journey is approximately 30 km with a maximum difference in altitude of 500 meters. A health walk immersed in nature, admiring the Renaissance territories in the heart of Tuscany.
Enjoy a visit to the wonderful Palazzo Piccolomini in Pienza❯1. Bike tour along the Arno River
Cycling holidays in Tuscany: 5 fabulous bike tours to discover
There are several ways to travel. Sometimes you get on a plane and fly halfway around the world. Other times you get on a train or use your car for a road trip to discover more beautiful and hidden places, but there is an even more beautiful way to travel and visit new places: cycling holidays. Using a bicycle to travel offers many advantages, both in economic terms, as it costs little, and in terms of environmental sustainability, as it does not pollute and respects the environment. Visiting a city, a region, a completely new place by bike will allow you to do physical activity, bringing significant benefits to your health, but above all it will restore a freedom that other means of transport do not allow you to have.
If cycling holidays in Italy is an extraordinary way to get to know the most hidden sides of the country, bike tours in Tuscany will give you a holiday to remember, full of adventure and strong emotions. Between a chain ride and a gear change, you can make stops at the nearest farmhouses, tasting local food and good Tuscan wine, enjoying splendid landscapes and the pure air of the countryside. Tuscany awaits you!
