| Golf & Bike
Do you know a better way to explore the Tuscan countryside than by bike? And besides being a biker, it happens you are a golfer, too: could you imagine a better vacation in Italy?
GOLFING & BIKING in Tuscany in the area of the Chianti and Brunello wine's areas, biking gentle hills in the shade of the cypresses! Wow!
Combine the following BIKE TOURS with your golf stay in Tuscany. And don't worry for the bike. You can rent the one you prefer: hybrid, mountain, road, electric, gravel.
SAN GIMIGNANO
Half-day – Level: active rider
Daily bike tour to discover San Gimignano, small walled medieval hill top town. San Gimignano has 13 unique and perfectly preserved tower houses which create a stunning hilltop skyline. For this reason, San Gimignano is also called “The Town of fine Towers”.
The tour will lead you also to discover the "Via Francigena", old way that was for centuries the route followed by pilgrims of central and northern Europe to reach Rome.
After the stop in San Gimignano you'll visit a local winery where Vernaccia di San Gimignano white wine is produced, here you can taste 3 wines with bruschette and cheese.
SIENA
Half-day – Level: Occasional rider
The bike tour in Siena allow you to see and discover its beautiful city center, monuments and its main historical and artistic sites. The Siena bike tour will lead you to visit the most important places from north to south of the city, we will dive into the wonderful tangle of narrow streets, towers and and hidden squares that make the city of Siena unique.
The center of Siena, surrounded by ancient walls, is free from vehicular traffic and is possible to ride in for the largest part of the streets, for this reason is suggested also for beginners and also for families with children.
The tour begins at the Fortezza Medicea, where you will have a first overview of the city, continue on Via di Città up to the Duomo, the Gothic architectural jewel that contains the famous works of Michelangelo, Donatello and Bernini. Leaving on the back the Duomo and the Santa Maria della Scala we cycle to the monumental Piazza del Campo, the beating heart of Siena's culture where twice a year takes place the famous Palio di Siena.
The tour continues to the south part of the city to the Basilica of Santa Maria dei Servi and then back to the north, where we will visit the Church of Santa Maria di Provenzano.
During the tour we will visit the museum of one of the 17 "Contrade", where inside are welle preserved the heritage of the Contrada, historical clothes and Palios won.
L’EROICA
Half-day – Level: Active rider
With the bike tour on the white roads of L'Eroica you will have the opportunity to know some parts of the most famous vintage race in the world.
Guided by the Eroica Travel staff you can ride in different points of the route, even based on where you will stay, and discover the most beautiful routes of Terre di Siena.
The start of the bike tour on the Eroica routes could be on request from Gaiole in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Siena, Buonconvento and Asciano, and the length of the tour will be from 30 km to 60 km, depending on your physical preparation. For advanced cyclist we will be able to offer longer routes or why not, complete the 209 km of the Eroica long route!
For beginners it is mandatory the use of the electric bike.
BRUNELLO
Half-day – Level: All the type of cyclist
The bike tour in the wine region of Brunello starts in Montalcino, riding on paved and unpaved roads, through vineyards and woods.
Along the route we'll visit the abbey of Sant'Antimo, the most significant architectural monuments of Romanesque style and wonderful example of monastic building of the early twelfth century.
During the bike tour we'll stop in a local winery where the Brunello wine making process is explained (harvest, fermentation, bottling, storage). Visit and wine tasting last approximately 1h 30 min and the tasting includes 3 wines.
CHIANTI BIKE TOUR FROM FLORENCE
Full-day – Level: Active rider
Bike tour to discover the hills around Florence and the beautiful area of Chianti Colli Fiorentini.
The tour can start from Piazzale Michelangelo or outside the city center, after a short drive with a private transfer, and will lead you to Impruneta and Strada in Chianti.
During the tour you can visit a Medici Villa, historic private family estate surrounded by 70 hectares of vineyards and olive groves, otherwise a tour and tasting in a Chianti winery.
At the end of the tour you can taste a full lunch in a winery or local restaurant.
CHIANTI BIKE TOUR
Full-day – Level: All the type of cyclist
One day bike tour to discover the Chianti region, one of the most important wine area in the world, for the quality of wine and beauty of landscapes. Chianti offers a unique landscape: gentle hills covered by vineyards and olive groves, small stone villages and farm houses. We'll start biking in the hearth of Chianti Classico, only 20 minutes from Siena, during the bike tour we will visit the Castle of Brolio with the 12th century castle gardens, the family’s private chapel and the unique museum. After this visit to the past, we will stop in a local winery for a private wine tour and tasting of 3 wines. You can decide to add a lunch in a typical tuscan restaurant or some appetizers during the wine tasting.
CRETE SENESI SIENA CLAYS
Half-day – Level: All the type of cyclist
A unique naturalistic experience, riding on gravel and paved road through Crete Senesi region. The tour will lead you to the beautiful towns of San Giovanni d'Asso and Chiusure before reaching Monte Oliveto, Benedictine abbey located on a hill covered by cypress trees, in a strategic position in the middle of Accona desert. Monte Oliveto is one of the most important religious sites in Tuscany, for territorial and historical importance.
The standard tour includes a lunch in a local restaurant not so far from the abbey.
You can decide to change the lunch with the truffle hunting activities, where you can first discover the secret of the truffle then, accompanied by the "tartufaio" and the trained dogs, you'll head to search for these precious underground product.
After the truffle hunting you can taste or have a full lunch with truffle.
GRAVEL BIKE TOUR
Full-day – Level: Active rider
Daily guided bike tour with gravel bikes where you can ride along the nicest gravel roads in Terre di Siena and Tuscany.
The bike tour start from Buonconvento, small medieval village located very close the Val d'Orcia and Montalcino regions, and will lead you with our Bianchi gravel bikes to ride the nicest part of the Via Francigena, Eroica and Strade Bianche gravel roads.
You can choose between 3 routes:
- Short: 40 km (32 km on gravel)
- Medium: 55 km (44 km on gravel)
- Long with Castiglion del Bosco and Montalcino: 68 km (50 km on gravel)
Tuscany is located in central Italy and stretches from the Apennines to the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Its landscape, artistic heritage and stand-out cities - first among them Florence - make Tuscany an unquestioned protagonist of international tourism. In this region, nature has many different facets, starting from the coast that alternates long and sandy beaches, like the Versilia beach, with rocky cliffs and steep headlands. The islands of the Tuscan Archipelago, surrounded by Mediterranean vegetation, a crystal-clear sea and rich seabeds, are peerless.
You can admire sceneries of uncontaminated nature in the Apuan Alps and in several protected areas, such as the Orbetello Lagoon, home to many species of migrant birds, including pink egrets.
However, the most typical sceneries of the region are those that merge the beauty of nature with the millenary work of man. The amazing Gulf of Baratti and the sites of Vetulonia, Vulci and Pitigliano guard necropoli and vestiges of the Etruscan civilization, while Roselle and Cosa evoke memories from the Roman Age.
Medieval villages, historical towns, castles and defense systems, country churches (the so-called pievi) and beautiful abbeys, like the one of Sant'Antimo, are scattered all over the territory and their profiles stand out in the landscapes of the Crete Senesi, Orcia Valley, Garfagnana, Chianti and the Maremma.
Finally, Tuscany is full of spas: Montecatini, Saturnia, Montepulciano, Monsummano and Bagno Vignoni, which offer relaxing holidays thanks to their thermal waters and well-equipped facilities for all types of treatments.
The provinces of the region are: Florence (regional capital), Arezzo, Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena.
FLORENCE
Situated in northeast Tuscany, the Province of Florence covers areas with different geographical and environmental characteristics, including Mugello, Montagna Fiorentina, Valdarno, part of Chianti and Empolese-Valdelsa.
At the Province's center, in a basin crossed by the Arno River, stands the magnificent City of Florence, one of the most beautiful cities in Europe, filled with historical relics and artistic masterpieces by the greatest masters of Humanism and the Renaissance. These creative geniuses made an indelible mark on the world’s architecture and art: Giotto and Brunelleschi, Michelangelo and Vasari, Michelozzo and Leon Battista Alberti, just to mention a few.
Every year, Florence, unanimously recognized as the cradle of the Renaissance, attracts crowds of Italian and foreign tourists to admire the marvelous churches, sumptuous buildings, and museums that make it so unique.
The city’s charm also extends to its territories, beginning with the natural amphitheatre created by the hills surrounding Florence, where unique places such as the small towns of Fiesole and Certosa del Galluzzo stand.
The whole area is made up of stunning landscapes such as the Chianti Valley, where visitors can follow numerous art or wine and food itineraries, and other areas, from Mugello to Valdarno, that hold a wide variety of surprises: ancient castles, Medieval rural churches, and villas.
Wherever one turns, historical towns and art treasures make this province absolutely unique, a place where nature and culture intertwine as in a dream. Each and every town, with its own particular features, is a world to be discovered: Empoli with its rich cultural heritage contained within 15th-Century city walls; Sesto Fiorentino with the famous “La Montagnola” Etruscan tomb; Impruneta, with its terra-cotta production; or Borgo San Lorenzo, with the remains of its 14th-Century fortifications and a magnificent church; and Castelfiorentino and Barberino Val d’Elsa, among many others.
The Florentine territory provides a surprising number of itineraries, making a vacation here an ideal occasion to explore this enchanting area.
SIENA
Situated in central-southern Tuscany, the Province of Siena extends over some of the most famous and fascinating Tuscan territories, e.g. the southern hills of Chianti, Val d’Elsa and Val di Merse, Val d'Arbia, Val di Chiana and Val d'Orcia, right up to the slopes of Mount Amiata.
The Province’s Capital, Siena, is a magnificent city of art with characteristic alleys, wards (rioni) and towers, artisan shops and buildings that make it a not-to-be-missed touristic destination for Italians and foreigners. Moving through Siena’s lands and immersing yourself in this atmosphere is a magical adventure, a trip through many landscapes, from dense woodlands to old farms, from clay hills to stupendous paths.
Furthermore, the territory preserves numerous remains from the Middle Ages, springing out along the Via Francigena, the great pilgrimage road to Rome that crossed Val d’Elsa, the city of Siena and Val d’Orcia.
Walking through this countryside, you can admire impressive abbeys such as Sant’ Antimo, Romanesque parishes (pievi) and characteristic small towns (borghi) such as San Quirico d’Orcia or San Gimignano, which preserve their original appearance to this day.
The Chianti area, home to the famous wine, is also an enchanting part of Tuscany that hosts tucked-away towns such as Castellina, and dense vineyards, such as those of Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti or Castelnuovo Berardegna, as well as delicious enogastronomic itineraries.
The landscape south of Siena leading towards the Medieval center of Asciano is dominated by the typical Crete, clay lands where erosion has created crevices, openings and cracks. It is an impressive area where the imposing Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore stands out. Val d’Elsa is also very impressive with its characteristic towns Colle di Val d’Elsa, Poggibonsi and San Gimignano, that boasts inestimable artistic heritage.
Val di Merse is constituted of solitary but fascinating places, including the ruins of the San Galgano Abbey that date back to the 13th Century. Val di Chiana provokes emotion and offers its visitors elevated health and well-being, thanks to its thermal spa centers in Chianciano Terme, Montepulciano and San Casciano dei Bagni.
Hills and gullies, Tuscan cypress trees, the river, olive groves and vineyards: this is the landscape animating Val d’Orcia, protected by UNESCO. Here magnificent towns abide, from Pienza and San Quirico to Montalcino and Castiglione; in the west lie Mount Amiata and the solitary Rocca di Radicofani.
GROSSETO
The Province of Grosseto lies in southern Tuscany and reaches from the slopes of the Colline Metallifere (Metalliferous Hills) to the border with Lazio, comprising the multifarious landscapes of the Maremma.
The coastline between the Gulf of Follonica and the mouth of the Chiarone River offers sceneries of singular beauty dominated by pine forests and crystal-clear waters. It is home to famous resorts such as Marina di Grosseto, Principina a Mare, Castiglione della Pescaia, Punta Ala and Punta Talamone.
Tourist destinations of international renown include Porto Santo Stefano and Porto Ercole, the two pearls of Monte Argentario - the green promontory stretching out to the sea and surrounded by a high and rocky coastline. It is connected to the mainland by the long sandy beaches of Giannella and Feniglia, nicknamed “the necks”. Pristine landscapes and magnificent views are the characterizing features of the Islands of Giglio, Giannutri and Formiche di Grosseto, favorite diving spots thanks to the population of colorful seabed flora.
The hinterland is also rich in possibilities. In the Monterondo Marittimo area of the wild Colline Metallifere, the Biancane Natural Park is just waiting to be discovered. An area noted for the emission of hot, white steam from the depths of the earth, it boasts extraordinary landscapes and a surreal atmosphere.
Another typical environment here is Maremma Grossetana, where the wide plains of Ombrone, Fiora and Albegna intersperse with hills.
The Maremma is the land of the buttero (the typical local cowboy), of authentic local products, of rural traditions handed down over the centuries, and of pure, wild nature.
Numerous protected zones thrive in this area, including the Parco Naturale della Maremma e Monti dell’Uccellina; the Natural Reserve of the Lagoon of Orbetello, an immense mirror of water that welcomes many species of birds every season; and Burano Lake, a magnificent coastal saltwater lake and WWF Oasis.
In the southeastern corner of the Province, the so-called “Tufo area” is characterized by erosive phenomena, beautiful villages and very important Etruscan necropolises.
Apart from its natural beauty and the variety of its environments, the Province of Grosseto is home to considerable artistic heritage, art settlements, small and fascinating centers impressed by the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and archaeological sites that conserve Roman and Etruscan finds.
A rich gastronomic tradition and the excellent local wines add an extra touch of magic to this fascinating land.