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Cycling in Tuscany: The 7 Most Beautiful Routes and Tips
Cycling in Tuscany: The Most Beautiful Routes and Tips
Tuscany is perhaps one of the most beautiful regions in the world to explore by bike. From the rolling hills of Chianti to the coast, Elba, and the mountains above Lucca. Whether you’re riding a gravel bike, a mountain bike, a road bike, or an e-bike, this is a great place to explore.
The Strade Bianche in Chianti is a famous race held every March. Of course, you can also easily ride this beautiful route on your own, at your own pace. It’s wonderful to stay overnight at an agriturismo and explore the surrounding area by bike or mountain bike from there. Read below to find out which routes we think are the most beautiful for cycling, as well as a few mountain bike routes we’ve tested ourselves (including a map).
1. Cycling in Tuscany:the Strade Bianche
The ultimate ride in Tuscany to tackle on a road bike—or better yet, on a gravel bike or mountain bike—is the Strade Bianche. The entire route is about 200 kilometers, but it can, of course, be broken down into sections. It’s actually two loops. It’s a challenging ride, but you’ll pass through the most beautiful landscapes of the Crete Senesi (the hills near Siena) and unforgettable villages where you can also enjoy excellent food. Aside from the Crete Senesi, the most beautiful section is the northernmost part between Gaiole in Chianti and Pianella.
We drove it in 3 days:
Day 1: From Gaiole in Chianti to Montalcino, with a stop in Siena; mostly unpaved roads with plenty of climbs and descents. Approx. 90 kilometers
Day 2: From Montalcino to Castelnuovo Berardenga, with the first part of the descent on paved roads and then on strade bianche. About 80 kilometers.
Day 3: From Castelnuovo Berardenga to Gaiole in Chianti. Past Castello di Brolio and via Radda in Chianti back to Gaiole in Chianti. About 50 kilometers.
You can ride this route year-round. The total elevation gain is about 3,800 meters. Every October, the“Eroica” takes place here—a vintage road bike is required. The route is also sometimes done on a Vespa, but what could be better than tackling this heroic route under your own power?
2. Cycling along the Tuscan coast of Versilia: past lotus flowers and along the Puccini Bike Path
A bike path has been built for most of the route north from the seaside resort of Viareggio. In some places, you’ll have to get off your bike. This mostly flat route is suitable for riders of all skill levels.
The “Pista fiori di Loto”—the lotus flower trail along elevated wooden walkways from Massarosa to Bozzano—is particularly beautiful.
Finally, starting from Lucca, there’s the Giacomo Puccini Bike Path toward the Versilia coast. It’s a route of about 50 km through the Serchio Valley and along the Serchio River. The bike path is dedicated to the maestro, who was born in Lucca and was himself an avid cyclist.
It’s a beautiful and fairly flat bike path through the valley and countryside around Lucca, ending at the Lipu Nature Reserve on Lake Massaciuccoli. This protected nature reserve is home to more than 300 bird species and is also very popular with birdwatchers. You can cycle back along the same route or continue on to Torre del Lago on the coast, where you can visit Villa Puccini. Along the way, you can use QR codes to listen to various pieces of music by Puccini or check out the Puccini playlist on Spotify.
3. Cycling in Tuscany: A Loop Along the City Walls of Lucca
You can explore Lucca beautifully by bike along the city’s walled perimeter. It’s a flat loop of about 5 km, and there are plenty of bike rental shops in the city. Outside Lucca, heading toward Garfagnana, you can really let loose if you’re an experienced cyclist. The route toward Garfagnana is great for both road bikes and mountain bikes. It’s a mountainous area!
4. Cycling in Tuscany:From Cortona to Lake Trasimeno
The entire route, which includes a full loop around Lake Trasimeno in Umbria, is about 85 km, but it can, of course, be shortened. Highlights: Cortona and Castiglione del Lago on Lake Trasimeno in Umbria.
5. A bike ride from Radda in Chianti to Castello di Brolio
This is a challenging 60-km mountain bike route. You’ll pass many scenic spots and vineyards in the Chianti region. This is the first loop of the Strade Bianche. Of course, you can also ride just part of it. A beautiful trail along the Eroica and the castle offers a great opportunity to take a break after a steep climb. From Gaiole in Chianti, there are also some less challenging routes to Castello di Brolio.
6. Cycling on Elba
Elba is perfect for exploring by bike. While there are some challenging climbs here and there, there are countless options for road bikes, mountain bikes, or regular (e-)bikes. It’s no wonder the Giro d’Italia once passed through here. Cycling all the way around the island on a road bike is a beautiful, varied route covering over 100 kilometers. Here you’ll find more information about bike rentals and any organized guided bike tours.
7. Cycling on Monte Amiata
The somewhat mountainous area around Monte Amiata is a slightly more challenging place to cycle, but no less beautiful. The roads are in good condition, though they do have many curves and inclines. You’ll also find plenty of off-road challenges here. Read more about Monte Amiata here.
Tip: Three mountain bike trails in Tuscany on a map
There are countless opportunities for mountain biking in Tuscany. We tested these three beautiful mountain bike routes. For our other cycling tips and routes, click here. Read more about the most beautiful driving routes through Tuscany here.
With a passion for travel and photography and over 30 years of experience in the travel industry, I love to share my special nature travel tips. Travel is wonderful and important, you meet new people and cultures and it opens your view of the world.
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Peloponnese Hiking Tour
A really beautiful six-day hike from Bologna to Florence. Communication with NatureTravelLab and the local agent was excellent. The information packet was waiting for us at the hotel in Bologna, and the app with the route worked great. Luggage transport was well organized every day, and our bags were waiting for us each time we arrived at our new room! We covered more than 1,400 meters of elevation gain, but unfortunately didn’t always get the views we’d hoped for due to cloud cover and some drizzle. Most days had great hiking weather. It was wonderful to walk into Florence on foot and stay there an extra day.
We experienced the Walk of the Gods as a great adventure. Our start in Bologna didn’t go quite as planned because our app wasn’t working yet and we couldn’t find a single sign for Via degli Dei in the square. Fortunately, we were quickly able to join two young hikers from Florence who were also doing the hike. After a wonderful night’s stay at the beautiful Rio Verde agritourism farm, Day 2 went much better with the help of the hiking app. Along the way, we enjoyed stunning views, met some great fellow hikers, and sampled delicious local dishes. Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t always on our side, and we had a day of heavy rain, which made the trail very slippery and required us to be careful. It’s a real treat when, on the last day, you can already see Florence in the distance and walk into this beautiful city a few hours later. Thank you so much for your quick and friendly responses to all our questions.
We enjoyed the trip. We also made some changes to our itinerary, and the email correspondence went very smoothly. We started in Mantera; the next day, our first and only hike was a really beautiful one. The taxi picked us up right on time. Unfortunately, the second day’s route was almost the same when we cycled to Ostuni. The bikes were well-maintained, including panniers and helmets (these were simply included). You could even bring your own water bottle!!! We found the route very scenic and varied. There were charming little villages where we could stop for lunch or coffee. The app worked great. All the hotels ranged from good to excellent, though we didn’t think the hotel in Leuca was worthy of 4 stars. We followed your advice for the two nights we stayed there. We found Leuca a bit underwhelming for a two-day stay. We would have preferred to stay in Gallipoli or Lecce for two days. We took this trip in April and were very lucky with the weather. It’s still a quiet time of year, but we didn’t mind that. We definitely recommend it!!!
Thanks to a great tip from Nature Travel Lab, we had a wonderful week in Italy. Fattoria di Maiano, just outside Florence, was a beautiful and peaceful place. And the suggested road trips were a great guide for exploring the region. We’ll definitely check here for tips for our next vacation, too. Highly recommended!
We spent a divine week in Italy: we walked the Path of the Gods, from Bologna to Florence—about 135 km spread over 6 days of hiking. Challenging distances and climbs, amazing views, nature, and a warm welcome every time we arrived at the agriturismo or albergo/hotel. All of this was perfectly organized by the Italian company Slow Active Tours, entirely in line with Nature Travel Lab’s itinerary proposal: upon arrival in Bologna, an information packet was waiting for us, complete with a hiking map, a booklet, and passports for the stamps. And the hiking app was very practical for along the way! Our luggage was transported every day and was always waiting for us when we arrived at the next location. Communication was smooth and clear. In short, highly recommended, well worth it, and well-organized.
In September, I walked the Cammino Materano. Communicating with Madelon about the booking was a pleasure. To be honest, I was quite nervous because it was my first time doing a multi-day hike—alone and in a region I wasn’t familiar with—but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The hike to Matera was beautiful, and I was able to complete it without any trouble thanks to the clear on-site signage and the routing and advice provided by the GPS app. The rest of the organization was top-notch as well. My luggage always arrived on time at the right destination, and the hotels and B&Bs were of high quality. In addition, the organizers were easy to reach via WhatsApp if I had any questions. Highly recommended!
Slovenia was absolutely amazing. A beautiful country, friendly people, lovely hiking trails, and truly top-notch hotels. The staff at the local organization were also very easy to reach and helpful. The hiking was manageable. As Dutch people, we’re not used to high altitudes, of course, so it was pretty tough at times. But it was also a lot of fun.
We had a wonderful trip. Everything was well organized. Due to an unfortunate fall, I ended up traveling with my luggage for a day, but that was handled well, too. We really liked all the accommodations. Only the Hotel Hebe in St. Piero a Sieve was a little less impressive, but it was still okay.
Looks fantastic! I'm definitely going to book a trip with this company... they're committed to sustainability and personalized advice. Definitely worth it.
Madelon and her team are true experts. Thanks to their years of experience and passion for travel, they manage to surprise us time and time again.
Beautiful hikes, the most picturesque spots—it’s a real treat.
I highly recommend them!
Nature Travel Lab provided us with very helpful and honest assistance!
If you’re looking for travel itineraries, the most beautiful hikes, and destinations, you can find it all here. You’ll find endless inspiration for your next trip. Beautiful cities are interspersed with nature. You’ll find everything you need to know about practical matters. Plus, there are plenty of tips for sustainable travel. That way, you’ll get the most out of your trip.
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