Day 1
Pisa, the city with the world-famous Leaning Tower, is the starting point of this tour. The first day will be an excellent start of the bike tour as most of the time we will cycle on flat ground. From the Leaning Tower we head for the river Arno and follow the river for a long time. A detour (track 2) leads to the village of Vinci, the birth place of Leonardo da Vinci, and will give a good outlook of the hilly routes on the following days. In Montelupo Fiorentino we leave the river valley and have to cross some small hills until Florence is in sight. Florence is worth a longer rest as you can visit for example the Ponte Vecchio, the Piazza del Signoria and the Duomo. But take care, in the city center you better have to walk then to cycle as it will be very crowded. From the city it is not a long ride to our first accommodation, an ancient pilgrims hostel, the Ostello Il Bigallo, just some kilometers south of Florence, but with a quiet challenging climb for the last couple of meters. The view from the garden towards Florence is worth each effort at the climb.
Day 2
Today we head into the Chianti area, where the famous red wine is produced. This area is spread with green hills, very lovely but also many ups and downs on our way. The first interesting village is Greve with its triangle place, worth a coffee stop. In Poggibonsi the tracks split. The more interesting, but also more challenging route will lead to the gorgeous walled medieval village of San Gimignano, famous for its tower houses and known as 'medieval Manhattan'. The village of Monteriggioni, surrounded by complete city walls, is an interesting place to another stop. From here it is not far to Siena, where you can explore the historic center, which has been delared as UNESCO world heritage site. Interesting places to see are the cathedral, the shell-shaped Piazza del Campo, where the famous horse race Palio is held, or the Palazzo Publico with its imposant tower.
Day 3
Not far from Siena we will reach the ancient abbey of San Galgano. The roofless church is an interesting touristic spot. The next significant site is the city of Massa Marittima, which is - how could it be different - located on a hill, but nevertheless worth a visit. Now the most difficult climbings are nearly done, in the distance you may see the Tyrrhenian Sea. The destination of the day is a beautiful holiday resort near Piombino with all the convenience you may think of, in particular a large 50 m swimming pool.
Day 4
The first part of the last day is almost flat. We will cycle along the coast towards the city of Cecina and Vada. The lovely beaches along the route may invite you to plunge into the water or drink a café at one of the numerous beach bars. Track 1a leads through large pine forests, whereas track 1b will follow the main road. In Vada we turn our bikes towards the coastal hills and will see some picturesque villages like Rosignano Marittimo. From here the route will continuously decline slightly until we reach the end of our Tuscany cycling tour in Pisa.
