3 day biking holiday – difficulty: *** demanding tour
Day 1: you will be picked up at Siena and taken to your hotel in Castel del Piano. You hire a mountain bike and begin your tour by following a gravel country road descending towards the Valley of the Orcia. You bike very close to the well-known vinejards of Brunello and finally you reach Montalcino. You can stop here for a brief wine-tasting tour or have a short walk around the outside of the town’s walls. You will be taken to your hotel by bus.
Day 2: from Castel del Piano you follow the road towards Arcidosso where you can visit the Nature reserve of Monte Labro. You bike under the shadow of huge chestnut trees throw a fairy-tale landscape before reaching Santa Fiora and then Piancastagniaio. After that you ride on the way to Abbadia San Salvatore heading to the summit of the mountain. Finally you go downhills throw Prato Macinaie and stop in Castel del Piano.
Day 3: your last day is dedicated to gardens and wellness. From Castel del Piano you ride northwards and reach Seggiano, where you can visit the “Garden of Daniel Spoerri”. It is a park which hosts 87 bronze sculptures spread around a surface of 16 hectars, giving birth to an amazing art&nature trail. You continue southwards: the other stop-off-point is Santa Fiora. Here you can truly relax emerging yourself in the thermal springs of the little but cosy modern spa and enjoy the benefits of the hydro-massage. It invigorates the senses. You can came back by bike or by bus (you will collect your bicycle at the hotel).
3 day sport-based holiday - Difficulty: **
Day 1: the summit is accessible by road. In July and August there is a bus from Abbadia San Salvatore, at other time hitching should be possible. Some bars at the summit rent out mountain bike to explore the lower slopes. Away from the top, the lower slopes’ greenery hosts deers and wild-boars; the mix of fresh mountain air and unspoiled natural sceneries makes the territory a great walking place. You join a friendly wildlife outing in the well- marked “Anello della Montagna”, a path which circles the mountain between 900 and 1300 m. The circuit is 29 km long, in theory walkable in a day. Those who cannot stand this tiring tour, can walk half the route and then take a bus back from Santa Fiora or Arcidosso.
Day 2: You will be take to Alberese where you can practice every kind of activity: horseback riding in the Nature Park of Maremma (you can also do it with the Butteri, the guardians of horse or cattle herds), biking throughout the Mediterrean vegetation, hiking on wild paths, bird-watching, picnicking, windsurfing, diving… Archaeology lovers can visit also Roselle, an important Etruscan site which hosts an archaeological park. Here you can admire the amphitheater, the forum and the private buildings, and promenade along the roman paved road which leads to the city. Everything is surrounded by oaks and olive trees.
Day 3: you hire a mountain-bike and ride towards Cinigiano throughout scenic mountain roads. You visit the Castle of Porrona and then the “Tenuta di Monte Cuccu”, where the wine of the same name is produced. Finally you can visit “Castiglioncello Bandini”, a castle who lies near Cinigiano and the Natural Reserve of Poggio all’Olmo. Moreover the 1st Sunday of October the Grape Festival takes place here : the town roads get alive with visitors and the wine cellars are open.
3 day wellness-based holiday - Difficulty: *
1st July : You hire car and drive to Saturnia. Its spas are well-known for the curative properties of the waters, for the pleasant massages and the wide range of first-class cosmetic products. You can bath in the warm pools or ask the high-qualified staff member for any beauty treatments. There is also the chance to visit the Falls of Gorello. Here the thermal waters form a stream that meanders around the unspoiled countryside, giving birth to white little falls. In alternative, history lovers can visit Saturnia and the necropolis of the closest towns.
2nd July : You explore the wine cellar in Castel del Piano and the nearby hill towns. You are provided also with the opportunity to visit the Wine Museum in Castel del Piano and take part to a wine tasting tour. You saunter around the historical town and save your energy for tomorrow.
3rd July : You participate in the so called “Ride through the mountain”. It is a tour which leads from Castel del Piano to Mount Amiata and allows you to penetrate into the forests and meet local people by having lunch altogether. In this way you can really discover Mount Amiata.
