When you think about cycling in Tuscany, a few things come to mind: small medieval villages on top of Tuscany’s hills, lines of tall and slender Cypress trees along the roads and outlining rolling hills, and the Renaissance beauty that touches you when you arrive.
Then, I bet, your mind goes to Tuscany’s great wines that make this region famous: Morellino di Scansano, Brunello di Montalcino, Sangiovese, Suvereto, Chianti and Montepulciano that are also beautiful villages to explore. With or without the bike!
And, what about fresh homemade pasta served with ragù di cinghiale (wild boar stew)? Or Acqua Cotta soup, Baccalà all’Aretina, or braised beef in Brunello di Montalcino wine?
Even a simple bruschetta dressed with the world known olive oil is a treat.
Biking in Tuscany is for sure one of the most unforgettable bike experiences you may have because biking connects the dots! On the bike you really absorb the region and its personality. The routes, often ask you to push on the pedals and maybe, even this, is why we like Tuscany. The reward of the ride is always guaranteed, when you immerse in the hills and the open views with outstanding landscapes.
Bikers say “no pain, no gain” referring to the benefit of cycling uphill. We may disagree how true this is individually, however most of us agree that once you get to the top the views are usually spectacular and you feel the power of “conquering” that medieval town… that is a true reward. Even better if you stop for a while and enjoy a good espresso!
Tuscany is a sort of iconic place of Italy a “must” go. The reasons are connected to movies and books that beautifully capture the beautiful region over time. In fact, no other province in Italy has had more impact on international culture than Tuscany. Its gorgeous small country villages, art-rich cities as well as its old olive groves and truffle fields were often used as idyllic scenes for Italian movies. All of these ingredients together built over time, the ideal Italy! Tuscany has attracted the most famous Italian and international film directors. Franco Zeffirelli, Roberto Benigni, Bernardo Bertolucci, Paolo and Vittorio Taviani, Jane Campion, Andrey Tarkovsky and Alice Rohrwachter, among many others.
Tuscany also has secrets, places not known to most tourists. Marble is one of these treasures. The Massa Carrara white marble quarry is one of the most underrated destinations in Italy and is for sure worth more than great bike rides. This region of Tuscany is a mecca of marble: Colonnata known for its speciality “Lardo di Colonnata.” There is also Pietrasanta the place many sculptors request their marble. Even today there are studios of the local artists that pass down tips from the old masters. You can easily find full-sized reproductions of the Renaissance masters including ancient Roman athletes, busts of royalty, and countless other treasures.
Since we are talking about rock, let’s conclude with Tuscany’s southern villages of Maremma that are carved into the tufa rock. The iconic Etruscan villages of Sovana, Sorano, Pitigliano are like marble masterpieces worth discovering on an epic bike ride. Tuscany is full of known or unknown places, It has a strong personality marked with beautiful place waiting to be discovered by bike.
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