Florence Sightseeing

With clients arriving at different times of day this will be a non riding day. Most will want to visit the tourist attractions of Florence and city sightseeing is best done on foot.

Florence is a facinating and busteling city. Each person will have differing interests whether that be visiting places of worship, museums, markets and shops or just wanting to absorbe the architecture Florence will have something that shall appeal to each and everyone.

The hotel is located to about two miles from central Florence which makes it ideal to escape by bike into the surrounding Tuscan countryside. There is a bus stop at the door and the journey into town can take about 20 minutes at the busier times. Those interested in walking can reach the historic centre in under an hour and for a more scenic walk you can stick to parkland and the riverside which adds about a further 15 minutes to the journey.

Popular tourist attractions in Florence include; The Historic Centre with it's Piazzas (Piazzale Michelangelo, Piazza della Signoria, Piazza del Duomo etc.) famous statues (Statue of David, Perseus Statue etc.) and art galleries such as the Uffizi, places of learning (Galleria dell'Accademia, Bargello Museum) beautiful churches (The Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, Duomo Cathedral of Santa Maria dei Fiore) and an abundance of lovely buildings such as the Cupola del Brunelleschi. So, there will be no shortage of things to do and see. Some of the highlighs are marked on the map.

Florence, Fiesole, Poppi, Leccio - 152km (around 95 miles and 4 hours riding)

This is intended as an easy day trip to allow riders time to adjust to Italian riding and those who arrived late on the first day and oportunity to visit the sights in Florence.

Departing our hotel, we first make our way to Fiesole where there are outstanding views across Florence. There are also Roman Ruins including an amphitheatre and baths, Etruscan walls and the hilltop where Leonardo da Vinci first experimented with the concept of flight. There is also a rather odd museum that houses Egyptian and Oriental artefacts. So, whilst a mere 30 minutes from the hotel there is rather a lot to see in such a small town.

After seeing some of the sights in Fiesole we shall make our way to Poppi which is dominated by Castello dei Conti Guidi but there is a lot of other pretty spots to see in the town. It is a charming town and the castle setting commands great views of the surrounding countryside. We shall take a refreshment break here and then continue our circuit.

The return trip brings us through a protected natural area that is woodland in parts and some quaint villages. The road just twists and turns mile after mile but being single track and with the occasional logging lorry we will be travelling at a relaxed pace. We take a refreshment stop at Leccio where there is a mall with designer outlet shops, so, if anyone wants to pick up some gifts this might be a convenient location.

The final leg of this route brings us back to Florence on the southern side on the Amo river. We shall pass some of the features including the Piazzale Michelangelo and Abbazia de San Miniato al Monte where riders can stop to take pictures before we return to the hotel. Once back at the hotel you can travel into the city by public transport to see other primary sights of Florence.

Florence, Vinci, Ponte a Cappiano, Lucca - 110km (about 61 miles and 4 hours riding)

As we move hotels today we shall depart Florence a little later and make our way across country to Vinci. As the you might guess from the name this is the birthplace of Leardino da Vinci. We stop at his former home dating from 1427 and the Museum dedicated to his life.

We continue our journey making a brief stop at the ancient bridge at Ponte a Cappiano where the Usciana channel joins the river Arno. This bridge dates back to around AD100 albeit the current hostel that straddles the bridge is medieval. As we traverse the narrow crossing that passes under the hostel look out for the stone plaque on the wall to your right as we pass under the first arch. A little further of we stop at La Voletta, a Restaurant / Pizzeria, which sits at the edge of a sport fishing pond (the service might be slow if the fish aren’t biting!). This is a convenient place to stop for lunch and the food is great.

The largely single track road we take over the hills to Lucca winds its way through heavily forested landscape but where the tree line breaks you get great views of the surrounding country including a glimpse of Pisa in the distance as we near the highest point on the road. We then descend to Lucca where we shall be staying in a 4 star hotel about 1.5km from the ancient walls of the city. After settling into the hotel we can walk or take the bus into town to see the old city of Lucca.

Luca, Collodi, Bagni, Abetone, Porretta Terme - 230km (about 145 miles and 6 hours riding)

Exiting our hotel in Lucca we head east making our first stop about 30 minutes later at Collodi the birth place of Carlo Lorenzini who is better known by his pen name Carlo Collodi and as the author of Pinocchio. The village of 12th century origin cascades down its hillside and is a well-preserved example of medieval architecture. The grand villa that dominates the lower section on the old town is in a somewhat dilapidated state. When I last visited (June ’17) it was for sale for €19m! Now it does have 38 bedrooms and 12 hectares of landscaped gardens, but needless to say, it is not selling very fast. Please note that we cannot ride up to the old town so be prepared for a steep climb if you want to view the old town.

The next hour of the journey continues over a mountain road the early part of which has a papermill. The road is narrow and large trucks travel up and down to the mill so added care must be taken on the bends. Beyond the mill the roads are relatively traffic free and especially good views await you as we near Bagni where we shall take a brief refreshment break.

The route progresses into the mountains to the Ski resort of Albetone and a little further on we break for lunch at a bar on Monte Simone just across the boundary between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna with great views all around.

After lunch, we circle Monte Cimone as we head east to Porretta Terme in the Reno Valley area of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines largely along the SP324 which is a great Alpine road passing through many pretty villages. Porretta Terme has been famed since Roman times for its thermal springs. The town also hosts soul music festivals in the spring and summer months. It is a great spot to stop for a refreshment break.

The final leg of this route descends from the mountains to bring us back down to Luca passing through some lovely scenery and villages along the way.

Lucca, Grotta del Vento, Barga, San Romano In Garfagnana, Aulla, Portovenere 175km (about 110 miles and 5 hours riding)

We depart Lucca and join the SP1 with the Torrente Freddana, a small river, to our left before deviating onto some single track mountain roads with several tight turns and hairpin bends. This first section of the day is a mere 50km but will be challenging to some and so is likely to take at least an hour and a half to reach the Grotta del Vento which is in the centre of Apuan Alps Park. Millennium of weathering have carved the limestone rock to create impressive natural sculptures. We shall allocate an hour to view the caves (you can spend much longer but it is not easy in bike gear) so after the visit we stop for lunch at neighbouring Restorante Il Rondone famed for its local produce.

We continue our journey to Barga heralded as the most Scottish town in Italy due to the large number of Italians who settled in Scotland and returned to Barga for holidays and/or retire. No surprise therefore to see a British Red Telephone box in Via Marconi just outside the old medieval town wall. We continue in a northerly direction through San Romano In Garfagnana to Fortezza di Verrucole. This partially restored medieval fortress is 600 meters above sea level and gives an excellent perspective on medieval life.

Remaining on a fortress theme we shall make our next stop at Fortezza Della Brunella in Aulla. An imposing renaissance structure named after the colour of rock. On this occasion, we only plan to view from the outside when we take a refreshment break.

The final leg of this route brings us to the coast at Portovenere where our accommodation is the four-star Royal Sporting Hotel which shall be our base for the next few days.

Portovenere, Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza, Monterosso al Mare (Cinque Terre boat trip)

Riding is optional today because the Cinque Terra is best viewed and accessed from the sea. If you visit the towns via road you need to park high up the hill and walk down to the towns.

After a walk to inspect the old castle in Portovenere we board a hop on hop off boat to visit the string centuries-old seaside villages that form the Cinque Terra.

Each of the 5 towns has colourful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces. The harbours are filled with fishing boats and trattorias server speciality seafood dishes.

Those feeling more energetic might prefer the Sentiero Azzurro cliffside hiking trail that links the villages and offers sweeping sea vistas or to take the train that connects the coastal towns. Naturally if you prefer to ride betweens the towns of Cinque Terra that too can be arranged.

Portovenere, Massa, Orto Botanico delle Alpi Apuane, Lido di Camaiore, Pisa, Viareggio 177 km (about 110 miles and 5 hours riding)

Departing Portovenere we hug the coast passing La Spezia naval base and continue passing Lerici crossing the Magra to Carrara before moving inland to Massa where we take a short refreshment break. We then enter twisty mountain roads that continue to Orto Botanico delle Alpi Apuane “Pellegrini-Ansaldi” a Botanical Garden established in 1966 to conserve and enhance the flora of the Apuan Alps. It belongs to the Municipality of Massa and it is currently managed by the non-profit association. Best change out of your riding boots if you want to fully explore because it can be a bit of a hike but the mountain views are a great reward for the effort.

We continue on mountain roads are ride through a long tunnel on the Strada Provinciale di Arni which is over 1km long. We drop down from the mountains back to the coast where we stop at Lido di Camaiore for lunch and a paddle in the sea.

As we depart Lido we pass Lago di Massaciuccoli. The composer Puccini lived in the village of Torre del Lago that nestles between he lake and the sea.

We will be staying at the Best Western Grand Hotel Royal Viareggio on the coast about 18 miles west of Lucca. checking in we make a further trip past the lake to arrive at Pisa. The main sites at Pisa such as the Domo and the Tower always have queues so those that wish to see inside the Domo or climb the tower should purchase tickets and book an appointed time. This will minimise wait times and we can wander off to see other parts of Pisa and return at the allotted time.

Viareggio, Certaldo, Siena, Castellina in Chianti, Figline, Florence 230km (circa 143 miles and 5 ½ hours riding)

Heading south from Viareggio we enter Chianti country and make our first stop at the Medieval town of Certaldo Alto. The town is heaving each July during the town festival. The best value for money calzone I’ve ever eaten was at Da Messer Boccaccio in a pretty garden setting within Certaldo. We will stop here for a refreshment break.

We depart Certaldo and continue south to Siena a world heritage site. As one of Italy’s most visited cities the centre is a busy place and can be challenging for a group of bikes to stay close together. We therefore park the bikes outside the city walls and walk the remainder of the journey. We shall take lunch at Bar Il Palio overlooking the Piazza del Campo.

Changing direction and heading back in a northerly direction we next stop at the pretty village of Castellina in Chianti with parts dating back to the Etruscan era. There is a museum within the 14^th c. tower. Outside the town there are four 7th-6th century BC tombs. We shall take a short break here and wander through the old town streets and back alley.

Our journey continues towards Florence making a stop at the town square in Figline Valdarno where we stop at Elmi for an ice cream (you cannot come to Italy and not have an ice cream and Elmi makes a great selection). We complete the day at the Best Western Plus CHC hotel just outside the centre of Florence. This will be our base for the next few days.