Welcome in Tuscany, jewel of art and nature

   
Hiking & Tasting with Silvia and Francesco
 
YOU'D NEVER ENJOYED your day BETTER THAN WITH US !
  

OUR PATHS
 12 different tours to discovery most characteristic spots in the heart of Tuscany.
For pices and more informations send us a mail.
 

 First group


Tours around Florence lasting half day  with three-four hours hiking stops included
 


The historical Florence hills from Fiesole to Settignano.
Meeting place and starting point: newspaper stand in Mino’s square. (at the “capolinea” of Ataf  route # 7) From Fiesole we take the same route of  ancient stonecutters and we will visit the “pietra serena”- “serene stone”caves. Crossing a wonderfull countryside, we will arrive at Vincigliata Castle and then Settignano village.
 


From Piazzale Michelangelo to Arcetri, walking along the ancient Florentine walls.
Meeting place and starting point: Michelangelo’s statue in Piazzale Michelangelo. (Ataf  routes #12 and #13). From San Miniato church we will reach the famous Arcetri hills. Continuing to “Pian dei Giullari”, the street skirts ancient villas which have hosted famous characters in the past. We finish with a walk to Porta San Niccolò and its view on the Arno.
  


The Medicee Villas.
Meeting place and starting point: “capolinea” of Ataf route #14C in  Piazza di Careggi.

 


The Careggi hills.
Meeting place and starting point: “capolinea” of Ataf route #14C in  Piazza di Careggi. From Piazza di Careggi we will see some of the most important and the most beautifull villas of Florentine history, like Villa di Careggi, Villa Petraia, Villa Corsini.  We will go along a typical “muri a secco” road with special views of the Florentine hills.
 

 Second group
Half day tours outside of Florence: two-four hour hikes, with stops. Return suggested after lunch at a restaurant of your choice near the end of the hike.
*These are not loop tours, so it must be arranged a place where meet, pick up and reaccompany the guide at the end of the tour .
 


From Impruneta to Certosa del Galluzzo.*
From Piazza Buondelmonti in Impruneta, world famous for its precious earthenwares, we walk across hilltops toward Certosa, with a beautiful scene of the Florentine countryside.
 


From Panzano to Volpaia.*
In the heart of the Chianti region, this tour follows a typical gravel road with views of famous farms and sweet hills between Florence and Siena. The tour finishes at Borgo di Volpaia, an important castle during the Middle Ages, where fights and sieges took place. Nowdays it is an oasis of peace and serenity.
   


 The Badia a Passignano loop tour.
We walk crossing one of the most gorgeous landscapes of the Chianti region. We will see beautiful abandoned farm, farms converted in luxurious estates, ancient vineyards and a very old abbey during our hiking.
 


The Sambre stream descent.*
This wonderful walk close to Florence is slightly more challenging and immersed in a natural ambient almost untouched by man.  From Settignano we first pass Castello di Vincigliata and then the Castello di Poggio.  Next we will arrive at an ancient water mill on the Sambre stream with its clear water. At the top of the hill, there are beautifull meadows. We will continue toward Compiobbi village with a view of the Pratomagno Mountains and the hills of  Florence.
 


Birdwatching at the marshland of Fucecchio.
This hike tours the largest marsh in Tuscany.  Here we discover a delicate and natural ecosystem and how this ecosystem has been exploited over time by man. It is an area of hunting and fishing and it was an important means for communication in the past. Its importance in the past justifies the present efforts to defend and preserve it.
 

 Third group


Full day tours: four hour walks, with breaks and travel time from Florence to the locations.
 


La Verna and the Monte Penna.
From Chiusi della Verna we’ll climb up to the ancient entrance of the sanctuary walking on a very nice paved path in the shade of a forest. Nowadays it’s no more in use but once it was the only way to reach the sanctuary. At La Verna we’ll visit the places where St. Francis lived, including the spot where he received the stigmata. Then we’ll walk again through an old fir-tree forest to arrive at the top of Monte Penna from where we’ll enjoy very wide landscapes in the Arno and Tiber valleys.
 


From Certaldo to San Gimignano.
This itinerary links two towns which are best evidence of medieval Tuscan towns and of the richness they received with their position along Via Francigena. The beautiful town of Certaldo is our starting point; following a creek we’ll climb up the hill to reach the little village of Pancole and its sanctuary. Then traveling the Via Francigena we’ll approach the San Gimignano towers slowly, as old pilgrims did.
 


Monte Falterona.
At the border between Tuscany and Romagna stands Monte Falterona, one of the most important mountains in Tuscany. In the age of Etruscans it was considered to be the house of the Gods and also today it well deserves our respect  because it hosts a rich fauna and flora (being located in the Casentinesi Forest National Park) and because it is the source of the Arno River. From the Calla Pass we’ll reach the top of  Falco Mountain first and then the Falterona Mountain walking through great beech woods with panoramic views of Casentino, Mugello and Romagna.
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