It’s time to explore Tuscany ENG It’s time to explore Tuscany Thinking about Tuscany, our imagination conjures up arty cities, villages sprinkled in the rolling countryside, swathes of scenery and specialities that seduce and beguile. When we look closer at the region’s geography realization dawns that other elements exist, which promise to whisk away travellers for unexpected and enthralling experiences. Im- pressive mountain ranges whose streams and river flow down to the valley, vast nature reserves, leafy forests with an ancient past and a gloriously long coastline that ex- tends among Mediterranean shrub and across seven sub- lime islands. These natural resources are fully enjoyed by Tuscans and they are inspiring places for people from all over the world who are drawn to a lifestyle based on out- door experiences. Opportunities are ripe for a new explo- ration of Tuscany, one that’s different, active and sustain- able. It’s the start of a timeless adventure where time is a thing of the past. Follow the seasons for experiences that change dramatically with the weather. After all, there’s no such thing as an inclement time of year in Tuscany, where adventure is available year-round and every day is awash in possibilities, from tasting local specialities to visiting a museum, from the city to the countryside. There’s more to the region than the art and beauty of “tra- ditional” Tuscany. We urge you to expand your horizons. Although you won’t need to venture too far as, in Tuscany, adventure is always just around the corner. On the footpaths of Mount Gennaio, in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, Pistoia. Photo • Claudine Co INDICE 04 Trekking & Mountain 32 Water Sports 18 Cycling 04 Trekking & Mountain 46 Ski & Snow 06 On hiking trails 48 Alps and Apennines, high-altitude excitement 08 A passion for rocks 10 Running in the wilderness 52 Skiing all around 12 Hiking all around 66 Natural Exploration 14 Ancient Roads 54 Parco Regionale di San Rossore 16 Parco Nazionale Appennino Tosco-Emiliano 55 Parco Regionale della Maremma 18 Cycling 56 Air Sports Ski & Snow 20 Off road Tuscany 58 An airborne adventure 46 22 In the Land of glorious cycling 60 Hanging in the air of another time 24 Pedalling through Tuscany’s scenery 62 Flying all around 26 Cycling all around 28 Parco Nazionale Foreste Casentinesi 64 Parco delle Colline Metallifere 30 Parco Regionale delle Alpi Apuane AUTHORS Mattia Bianco, Giancarlo Brunelli, Margherita Moretti, Benedetta Perissi, Andrea Vismara. PHOTOGRAPHERS 32 Water Sports 66 Natural Exploration Mario Llorca, Daniele Bettazzi, Michele Ortolano, Daniele Paolini, Roberto Ridi, Matteo Dunchi, The thrill of the river Journeying through nature on horseback 34 68 Matteo Oltrabella, Claudine Co, 36 Explore the coast, on the wings 70 Oases and horizons, where Mauro Macarelli, Luca Lombardi, of the wind to go birdwatching Emanuele Lotti, Federico Corbinelli, On the trail of the Etruscans Yari Ghidone, Alex Boyce, David 38 In Tuscany’s blue gold 72 and Romans Bonaventuri, Paolo Martelli, 40 The Tyrrhenian discovered by sailboat Costantina Pozzi, Filippo Franceschi, 74 Unexpected geothermal charm 42 Diving all around Alessandro Ghedina, Antonietta 76 Adventure all around Carboni, Andrea Bidossi, Edoardo Air Sports Benelli, Enrico Caracciolo, Marco 44 Parco Nazionale 78 Parchi della Val di Cornia 56 Porciani, Jack Arnott, Melissa Toledo, Arcipelago Toscano Roy Corsini. TREKKING & MOUNTAIN Trekking | Mountain Hiking | Climbing | Caving | Trail Running | Orienteering Travel, discover, savour. Experience nature, explore it in all its The ascent upps the pulse by taking on trail running and forms and let yourself be swayed by its ancestral beauty and becomes even rockier, in all meanings of the word, beside high pure outdoor spirit. The best way to do it is by striking a rhythm cliff faces halfway between sky and land.Climbing is a sport between your soul and feet while wearing a backpack. and a lifestyle, a way of ascending crags of varying difficulty, always down to the last handhold and foothold, in touch with Far from the usual tourism routes, going trekking means the wildest of nature, inside and out. Even more immaculate discovering while walking a wide variety of natural and wild is the impassable nature in underground caves and grottoes. landscapes, unexpected scenery and hidden historic treasures. Caving lures hikers who nurse an ardent desire to explore It’s also a way of scaling the heights of the world. Step by step the bowels of the earth, armed with a helmet, in discovery of and with a difference in uphill gradient,mountain hiking leads subterranean worlds. to the conquering of summits, high-altitude viewpoints and A high-octane outdoor world in a single region, Tuscany, where new perspectives. mountaineering is life. TREKKING | MOUNTAIN HIKING Tuscany is a region for trekking and adventures little and large. See, smell, listen and touch, slow down and linger; every slice is worth savouring TREKKING & MOUNTAIN Rolling landscapes alternating with rugged panoramas, Tuscany is and the best way to do the land of the Alps and the Apennines, and just stepping outside the towns, a legacy of nature is waiting to be discovered: hectare that is by walking. after hectare of wild nature, ready to be explored thanks to a dense network of hiking trails that offer memorable experiences. CYCLING Mother Nature in Tuscany always puts in the Sasso Fratino nature reserve, now on the best show of itself, ensuring that a UNESCO World Heritage site. On the the dialogue between man and nature nearby slopes of Pratomagno, the massif is continuously harmonious; landscapes that divides the Casentino from the Upper with perfectly ordered cultivated fields, Valdarno whose summit affords all-round lush forests, peaks to conquer with views, nature protects record-breaking breath-taking views, spectacular coasts giants like the Douglas fir that stands 62 SPORTS WATER dotted with promontories that overlook metres high in the Vallombrosa forest, the crystal-clear sea. This variety of land- the tallest tree in Italy. scapes is home to rich biodiversity and When we talk about mountain hiking in unspoiled nature waiting to be discov- Tuscany it’s impossible not to think about ered on two feet. The entire territory is the rocky Apuan Alps, the mountain sprinkled with hiking itineraries that wind range by the coast with its rugged peaks through mountain trails, mule tracks and reminiscent of the Dolomites in North- ON HIKING TRAILS ancient roads, offering an array of oppor- eastern Italy. tunities for a day of trekking, no matter If you have a craving for trekking but your tastes or skill level. you prefer the sea to the mountains, the SKI & SNOW A natural watershed with the neighbour- Maremma will fulfil your urge for hiking ing regions, the Apennines and its sinu- boots and brackish breezes with hiking ous landscape of peaks that reach as high routes in the Mediterranean shrub, tall as 2,000 metres above sea level is per- cliffs and trails that lead to the beach. En- meated with crisp air and ups and downs joy the all-round sea views on Elba Island that make for proper mountain hiking. due to the unexpected hikes provided From the ski lifts on the Abetone and by the Grande Traversata Elbana (GTE), the Doganaccia, you can head out for in- which rises as high as the top of Mon- credible high-altitude hiking, while mov- te Capanne, boasting unbeatable vistas ing downhill just a little, you can explore over the other islands in the Tuscan Ar- AIR SPORTS the Svizzera Pesciatina, walking along chipelago. Trekking is equally gratifying the ring route of Monte Battifolle before for body, eyes and spirit, even more so resting at the thermal baths in Montecati- when the taste buds are added into the ni. The Apennines become “Florentine” mix. The hills of Siena, from Chianti to the once you get to the Mugello, a verdant Crete, Valdelsa and Val d’Orcia, combine hiking network that’s enviable by all and to conjure up an exciting day of hiking suitable for everyone, especially lovers among verdant hills, expanses of oak for- of the peaceful quietude of the forest. ests and centuries-old villages, with tasty PHOTOS The Casentino is perfect for trekkers who locally made snacks and wine along the Above: on the Vandelli footpath in view of the Conti shelter, like to take on ridges and forests. The way. Monte Amiata rises up to the south Apuan Alps. Photo by Alessandro Ghedina routes can be walked over several days in the distance of this hilly landscape: try Side: view over Lake Scaffaiolo, accessible from Doganaccia. to quench a thirst for adventure, even the 30-kilometre trekking route that runs Top Right: trekking paths along the Apuan Alps towards Pania della Croce. Photos by David Bonaventuri encountering the age-old beechwoods around this ancient volcano. NATURAL EXPLORATION NATURAL 8 9 CLIMBING | CAVING Crags are the preferred habitat for climb- phenomena have given rise to count- ers, their heartbeat quickening between less caves that can be visited during easy sheer cliff faces. caving excursions or caving that requires Tuscany sets the pulse racing. From technique and expertise. It’s a little north to south, the geography consists known subterranean treasure trove, at of rocky ridges and canyons, the perfect the centre of a natural triangle with Sie- places for vertical adventures. na, San Gimignano and Volterra forming The Apuan Alps are among the wildest its corners. Further south, an impassable, For climbing and potholing lovers, Tuscany is lined with crags TREKKING & MOUNTAIN halfway between sky and land, as well as caves that lead into environments in Tuscany and a favourite hidden world shaped by water, consisting the bowels of the earth.