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A Flavour of Tuscany

Enjoy quintessential Tuscan landscapes of rolling hills, olive groves and vineyards as you follow this circular route, beginning and ending with the Renaissance grandeur of magnificent Siena. Savour the winning combination of Tuscan regional cooking and world-class Chianti and Brunello wines.

Nights: 4
Grade: 1-2, occasional uphill sections
Terrain: panoramic winding roads, wooded hills
Hotels: three 4-star hotels; one 3-star hotel
Meals: breakfast each day
Climate: average temperatures of this warm, sunny region range from 17°C in May to 25°C in July and August.

Starting point: Hotel Garden (4*), Siena. Created from the former summer home of an aristocratic family, the Hotel Garden stands on a hill to the north-west of the old town within its own attractive, shady gardens (complete with outdoor pool) and is surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Breakfast only is included.

Day 1: you begin by cycling north-west across a gentle landscape of vineyards and cypresses, passing from the Chianti region into the Elsa Valley via fortified Monteriggioni. Formerly Siena’s northernmost bastion during the wars with Florence, it sits like a hill-top crown with 14 towers and a neat circle of walls. You continue along quiet lanes to Colle Val d’Elsa, a little-visited town dating from pre-Roman times with an atmospheric walled upper town which stretches along a ridge with its one long street lined with medieval mansions. (28km)

Accommodation: Relais della Rovere (4*), Colle Val d’Elsa. The hotel has been stylishly converted from an 11th-century abbey, and is now a handsome and beautifully decorated stone building with many original features. There is a sense of refinement, too, in the large attractive gardens where you can relax by the swimming pool and admire the views over to the town. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis, leaving you free to take your pick of the local restaurants.

Day 2: today’s route passes from the Elsa Valley into one of Tuscany’s least-known areas, the Merse Valley, crossing wide-open spaces and the ancient wooded hills of Montagnola. There are plenty of small villages and hamlets to discover along the way, such as Scorgiano – where it is possible to pre-arrange wine-tasting from a small local producer – and Pievescola. The day ends with a descent onto the plain to reach Stigliano. (40km)

Accommodation: Borgo di Stigliano (3*), Stigliano. A stylishly renovated country house with a swimming pool set in picturesque countryside. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis and can dine at the nearby village restaurant (closed Monday when a short taxi transfer is required to another nearby restaurant – pay locally).

Day 3: discover changing scenery dotted with small yet captivating medieval hamlets as you leave the Merse Valley behind. The panoramic roads afford idyllic Tuscan views on the return to the Gothic cityscape of Siena. You can either deposit your bike on the outskirts of the city and take a taxi to your hotel (pay locally) or ride all the way into the centre. (22.5km or 26km)

Accommodation: Palazzo Ravizza (4*), Siena. This elegant former Renaissance palace stands in a quiet area within Siena’s historic heart, and is now a charming hotel with lovely rooms, a high-quality restaurant (pay locally if you choose to dine here) and a beautiful garden overlooking the Tuscan hills.

Prices & travel 2008

Start: any day
*Cycle price includes: return rail/taxi from Pisa airport (out/home 2h35)
Recommended destination airport: Pisa
Latest flight arrival time: 1630
Earliest flight departure time: 1400
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