Tuscany & Umbria

Tuscany & Umbria

WALKING & HIKING TUSCANY & UMBRIA PREMIERE INNS Tuscany must be experienced up close. Taste the Brunello. See the bread toasted in a stone fireplace, glistening with freshly pressed olive oil. Stroll through vineyards and hilltop towns. Let your eyes linger on ancient villas. Imagine the possibilities. There is no better— or closer—way to experience Tuscany. 17WTSIR1i 1/4/2017 NEVER SUBCONTRACTED We operate our own trips around the globe. That way we control the quality—and we're fully responsible for your great experience. TWO SUPPORT VANS We provide two support vans on all of our trips* so you can count on One of the very best trips my wife and I us to be there when you need us, regardless of the route you take. have ever taken. I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to THREE LEADERS see the Tuscany region in a wonderful Our trips have three leaders*, for an average 6:1 guest-to-leader ratio. active way. Guests consistently score our leaders 9.7 out of 10, telling us they make William Miller ‐ Fort Collins, CO all the difference. Click HERE to read more guest reviews THOUGHTFUL TRIP DESIGN We know how to create exceptional travel experiences, ensuring that you get the most from your trip as it unfolds. MULTIPLE DAILY ROUTES Being able to choose among several expertly designed routes each day gives you the freedom to enjoy the best of a region at your own pace. WE CELEBRATE MIXED ABILITIES To accommodate varied activity levels, you need three leaders, two vans, multiple route options, detailed directions, a rating system showing if shuttles are required, and plenty of well-matched riding/hiking companions. *Over 95% of Backroads guests on scheduled trips travel with three Backroads trip leaders or support staff, and two or more vehicles. We even add a fourth leader for meet and move days on some of our most logistically complex trips with the most guests to ensure everyone enjoys the best possible support. On less than 5% of scheduled trips, the number of guests is small enough that we can maintain our trademark high service standards with just two leaders and one van. 6 DAYS, 5 NIGHTS Click HERE to learn more about the Backroads Quality Guide Click HERE for departure dates and pricing details ROUTE RATING LEVELS 1–4 See below for details TO RESERVE YOUR TRIP Sign up online HERE or call 800‐GO‐ACTIVE (462‐2848) or 510‐527‐1555 Open daily 6 a.m.–6 p.m. Pacific time Day 1 On the first day of the trip, meet your Backroads Trip Leaders (the folks in Backroads T‐shirts) at 9:30 a.m. in front of the Arezzo train station in Tuscany, Italy. Please arrive dressed in your hiking clothes and bring your luggage and a daypack with your rain gear and anything else you may want for today's hike (your luggage will be transported to our first night's accommodations). If you choose to change into your gear following our shuttle, please be aware that a proper changing area may not be available. Shuttle to Bevagna 1¾ Hours Walking & Hiking Options: Sagrantino Route: 3.1 Miles* (500' elevation gain) Montefalco Route: 5.3 Miles (900') Day 2 Shuttle to Eremo delle Carceri 45 Minutes *with shuttle Walking & Hiking Options: Benvenuti in Italia! After meeting, our journey begins Assisi Direct Route: 3 Miles (200' elevation gain) with a shuttle to the expansive Topino river valley at Subasio Route: 5.5 Miles (2,500') the base of Assisi and Mount Subasio. Before we head out on foot, explore medieval Bevagna, a perfectly Shuttle to Cortona 1 Hour preserved Umbrian village. Be sure to check out the main piazza which features a central fountain with This morning we shuttle to the Camino di Assisi trail potable water—a perfect spot to cool down on a hot on the flanks of Monte Subasio. We set out from 13th‐ summer day. Following valley paths among vineyards, century Eremo delle Caceri, originally a remote we stop for a picnic lunch at a in the heart of the hermitage that St. Francis of Assisi regularly visited Sagrantino wine region en route to the town of during his lifetime to pray and meditate. Other friars Montefalco, easily identified by its solitary hilltop eventually joined him and over time the site grew to position in the valley. include other buildings and eventually became the larger complex that exists today. Our hike ends in the Piazza del Comune in the heart of Montefalco where you can explore the charming town Emerging from the oak grove that shrouds the center, where medieval architecture mixes with chic hermitage, we follow the trail downhill, walking in restaurants and wine‐tasting rooms. In addition to the the footsteps of St. Francis toward the World Heritage stunning panoramic views of the countryside from its city of Assisi. Hillside churches make up the hilltop setting, this sleepy yet stylish hamlet is also impressive Basilica Papale di San Francesco, which famous today for the production of Sagrantino wine. was built in honor of St. Francis, Assisi local, soon after Once a grape used for sacramental wines, the varietal he was canonized in 1228. Take some time to explore is now used to produce Umbria's finest vino rosso. this lovely Gothic and Romanesque town, stopping for lunch on your own at one of Assisi's excellent A short transfer away, we are welcome at the family‐ restaurants. owned Villa Zuccari. This evening we gather for a welcome reception and aperitivo (cocktail) before Later this afternoon we say arrivederci to Umbria as we heading to an unforgettable dinner at another shuttle to neighboring Tuscany and to our next hotel, fantastic nearby agriturismo (country retreat and Relais La Corte dei Papi, a superbly renovated working farm). Lodging: Villa Zuccari farmhouse situated in the tranquil foothills outside of Cortona. You may want to join us for a guided tour of Cortona before a decadent dinner in town. Lodging: Relais La Corte dei Papi A night in Tuscany wouldn't be complete without a Tuscan wine tasting! Then we sit down for a superb meal at Corte dei Papi's gourmet restaurant. Lodging: Relais La Corte dei Papi Day 4 Shuttle to Monticchiello 1½ Hours Walking & Hiking Options: Il Rigo Route: 4 Miles (200' elevation gain) Pienza Route: 7.3 Miles (1,300') Shuttle to Castelnuovo dell'Abate 40 Minutes Enjoy breakfast at the hotel then hop on the shuttle Day 3 for a ride to quaint Montichiello. Arriving in town, we Walking & Hiking Options: enjoy a caffè at Osteria della Porta, taking in views of Le Celle Route: 2.5 Miles* (500' elevation gain) the Val d'Orcia and the Rocca d'Orcia above Bagno Cortona Route: 4.3 Miles* (900') Vignoni. Monte Amiata—Tuscany's highest point and a Old Roman Basolata Route: 5.7 Miles* (1,200') once‐active volcano responsible for the many curative Pergo Route: 8.4 Miles (1,200') thermal waters in the area—crowns the skyline and provides a picture‐perfect backdrop. *with shuttle Caffeinated and ready to go, we leave Montichiello, After restful sleep and a hearty breakfast at Corte dei descending from one hilltop town and climbing to Papi, we return to ancient Cortona where there's time reach another: Pienza. The way there offers to explore the town and learn of its storied past outstanding 360‐degree views of classic Tuscan before hitting the trail. After the Etruscans, the scenery: standalone stone farmhouses crown sparse Romans thrived here until the Goths destroyed the hilltops and cypress trees line undulating ridges. In settlement. In later years the town lay under the the springtime poppies abound while sunflowers patronage of Siena, then Naples and finally Florence. blanket the fields in fall. Today Cortona is a fascinating place to explore, rich in art and history. You may even recognize the 19th‐ We enter Pienza through its southern gate. The town century theater, Teatro Signorelli—named for painter is a World Heritage site and one of the region's Luca Signorelli—which appeared in Roberto Benigni's architectural gems, thanks to 15th‐century Florentine film La Vita è Bella (Life is Beautiful). architect Bernardo Rossellino, who was chosen by Pope Pius II to transform his birthplace into a town With your legs warmed up, we begin our hike through exemplifying Renaissance ideals. His masterpiece is the hills around Cortona making our way to Eremo Le the Piazza Pio II, with a classically inspired duomo and Celle, where Saint Francis was known to take respite. the Palazzo Piccolomini. (Allegedly Rossellino Along with a few of his followers, he is said to have embezzled the pope's funds during construction and built this hermitage in 1211, starting with nine small spent three times his original budget. The pope, rooms, or cells, giving the spiritual center its name. however, forgave the architect in gratitude for "these Take in the history of the complex before continuing glorious structures which are praised by all except up to the Basilica of Santa Maria, perched above those consumed by envy.") There's time to peruse the Cortona where we'll gather for a picnic lunch. shop‐lined cobblestone streets or do some people‐ watching while enjoying lunch on your own. The afternoon is yours to explore Cortona further or head back to our hotel where you can spend the Continue hiking after lunch to Agriturismo Il Rigo or afternoon poolside or relaxing in the property's rest your legs and hop on the shuttle instead.

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