Tuscany holidays

Tuscany is known for its hill towns – defensively-positioned towns that now command superb views, look fantastic from a distance, and hide restaurant after restaurant – the most famous include San Gimignano, with its many distinctive towers and Montepulciano, with its wonderful wine. Most people can’t come to Tuscany and not visit Florence, it’s beautiful capital. Other cities include Siena and Arezzo. In fact, Tuscany is dotted all over with historic towns and cities containing some of the world’s best art and architecture.

Metropolises these are not. These are historic, museum and monument-strewn places. Whilst they can get very busy with adoring tourists, our holidays strive to take you off the busy trail most travelled. Instead, see the cities as part of a wider tour that also supports rural areas and producers.

Much of Tuscany has been farmed since the Etruscans, who preceded the more famous Romans in the area. Most of what we think of as quintessentially ‘Tuscan’ is agricultural land – like the Chianti hills. The rolling hills offer ideal grape growing conditions. Between them you’ll find a network of ‘white roads’ – traffic free trails once used by farmers and labourers that now make great cycling routes. Tuscany also contains wilder landscapes, too, like the more mountainous Garfagnana area to the north. Head west to the coast – fronted by the Tyrrhenian Sea, or head east and find yourself in quieter, landlocked Umbria, where the landscape is even quieter and greener. Combine Umbria and Tuscany together on one of our cycling holidays and you’ll reach even further into rural Italy.

The rolling farmlands of Tuscany deliver in scenery, but also, of course, in produce. There’s the famous Tuscan bean stew, of course, but this isn’t the be-all and end-all. There’s wine: in the famous chianti classico, then pecorino cheese, prosciutto crudo, biscotti, panzanella, and lovely Florentine steak.

On our holidays you don’t just taste – but try for yourself. Learn the art of pasta making and meet the producers behind the produce, from winemakers to beekeepers, and farmers at Tuscany’s network of ‘Mercatali’ – food markets showcasing seasonal food. Plus, by staying in an agriturismo that is part of the Agriturismo Association you ensure that you are staying somewhere which guarantees that it employs local people and uses local produce.

From the outside, Italian family culture is enviable: children are welcomed in many aspects of daily life, and many restaurants are family friendly. There are sunny climes, fun times and endless menus of pasta, pizza and gelato to be had. In Tuscany, you can have a fantastic family holiday that steers clear of busy cities and enjoys more room to roam.

Book one of our family villas or homestays in the region. These come with on-site olive groves, a map of nearby walking routes, and centuries of history etched into the walls. You can pick vegetables in the garden, feed the chickens and make pizzas in the wood-fired oven. Our properties with renewable energy in Tuscany come with solar panels and operate so as to be as responsible possible, whether they’re served by spring water, or use all-local produce.

Tuscany’s network of villages and towns are close together enough that you can spend satisfying days walking between them on point-to-point trips with luggage transfers, or you can enjoy centre-based walking and explore one area in more detail. Expect rolling hills – which means great views, but some strenuous sections – and, if you go in summer, prepare to walk under a very warm Tuscan sun.

On our walking holidays you could find yourself walking a section of the Via Francigena, an old pilgrimage route which ultimately leads to Rome (though it’s worth dragging your heels and dawdling over its beautiful Tuscan sections). Alternatively, head north to Garfagnana, a more mountainous area of Tuscany that contains the Orechiella National Park, deeper woodland and steeper hills. Tuscany’s cities and towns also encourage ‘urban trekking’ – walking routes to discover their streets, car free and at a slower pace.