Tuscan Roads

Il Vichiaccio is situated between Florence and Siena and it is in a  very good position to start a tour up on the hills
of Chianti or the Appennini's Passes.

Here you can find some of our suggestions, but of course we are at your disposal for individual customized itinerary.

The via Cassia SS2
One of the most important roads in Tuscany is the SS2 via Cassia. It connects Rome to Florence passing through Siena. It is a great road to ride. It is very scenic and some parts through the Val d'Orcia has some good twisties but it also has a lot of traffic. From Siena to Rome it's approximately 230km and this will take you about 4 hours. From Siena to Florence you have a dual carriage way which will bring you to Florence in 45min or you can stay on the SS2 through Poggibonsi and Barberino Val d'Elsa (!!!Speed cameras on entry!!). Worth it as you loose all the heavy traffic which is heading to the A1 in Florence from Siena.

At any point on the SS2 you can do interesting loop rides

Bagno Vignoni - S. Antimo - Montalcino - S. Quirico d'Orcia.  An excellent ride and three very interesting places to visit. Bagno Vignoni (pubblic bath square), the church of S.Antimo and Montalcino (famous for fortress and the Brunello wine)!

A very nice ride is the one that off the SS2 Cassia runs through Pienza, Montepulciano, Chianciano, Sarteano, to Radicofani on the SS478 and then rejoins the SS2.  On this loop there is plenty to see and to ride for a whole day. All of the towns mentioned are worth a stroll through, especially Pienza, which has wonderful buildings and an incredible view over the Val d'Orcia. The SS478 is a fantastic ride! Wtach out on the SS146 from Montepulciano to S. Quirico d'Orcia is quite slippery. You will recognise the slippery parts because they're a shiny bright colour!

Another exceptional loop is to leave the Cassia SS2 at Buonconvento and ride up the SS451 to the Abbazia of Monte Oliveto Maggiore. It's an Abbey immersed in olive trees and with a wonderful frescoed cloister. Then ride on to Asciano and then to Siena. The scenery is breathtaking as you ride on the crest and have the full view over the Crete.

Just north of Siena lies Chianti. Not only one of the most famous wine producing areas in the world, but also some of the finest scenery and roads.

The SS222 (Siena - Florence) and SS429 (Poggibonsi - Gaiole in Chianti) are just one corner after the other.  But also the side roads, that you see in white on the map, provide excellent views and riding.

It's just a fantastic region to explore in every direction!

click below for wine information

Southern Maremma

Maremma was the wild west of Italy. Now it's hilly fertile agricultural land with wide open spaces and few inhabitants ... so very little traffic!

Crossing the border from Lazio into Tuscany just west of Lake Bolsena you will have a very pleasent ride towards the sea. Pitigliano is worth a stop and a walk about. White wine here is very good. The SS74 takes you all the way to the Argentario peninsula which is  very interesting. It's a rock in the sea connected by three strips of land and a lagune in the middle. Worth a ride all around the perimiter and up to the top of Monte Telegrafo at 635mt. Be prepared to ride some light gravel but worth the effort for the views.

The SS322 from Manciano to Grosseto is a great ride and takes you to the border with the Colline Metallifere. Before we talk about that area let mention the SS323. After Scansano the forst section to Roccalbegna is very entertaining and its' rythm just wants you to lean that bike over more and more til grind the pegs. Once you pass Roccalbegna you have the option to ride back to Pitigliano or head north to Monte Amiata and then into Val d'Orcia on the other side.

Colline Metallifere and Isola d'Elba

The Colline Metallifere are the hills of Maremma north of Grosseto up to Volterra. Plenty of forrests and  steeper inclines and more accentuated valleys as opposed to the previous section. Lots to ride around here as you head up to Volterra, a truely magnificent old etruscan town.

An excellent road is the SS73 to Roccastrada and Monticiano. Just after Monticiano I reccommend to turn left on the  SS441. A few km after the junction signs for S. Galgano will take you to the ancient Abbey. Click on the sword for a link. 

Massa Marittima is worth visiting but then backtrack and ride to Volterra on the SS439 through Larderello and Pomarance. In Larderello you will be able to visit the National Geothermical Museum by Enel (book on tel. 0588 67724, entrance free!). You will notice as you ride along the huge steel tubes that cross over the road and are everywhere to be sean around. The area is volcanic and presents many hot gas emissions. Most of them are conveyed to the power plant to generate energy. It's an interesting scenery.

Elba Island - Napoleon's First Exhilum.

A very interesting island. Best visited with a road enduro bike such as the Aprilia Pegaso or BMW GS series as there are many easy gravel tracks which take you to some truely stunning places, such as Monte Calamita (South East Corner).

Check out this link. It has much useful information on how to get there, where to stay and what to see.

http://www.infoelba.com/

Appennino passes into Emilia Romagna

In the shape of a fan with centre in Florence start at least a dozen 100km passes over the Appenini into Emilia Romagna. We'll devide them into two categories. East and West devided by the A1 Firenze - Bologna Autostrada.
This section of Tuscany is best ridden from May to September. During autumn and winter these passes can be closed for snow or extremely unpleasent and slippery so best avoided. During the summer they offer a welcome refreshment when you reach the peaks at 1500/1800 mts.

The Eastern Passes:
Passo della Futa   and Passo della Raticosa  are on the same road, the SS65. Recently come to the attention of the world through the Multistrada presentation by Ducati who alledgedly developed the bike with this pass in mind, these two passes connect Florence to Bologna over the mountains. It's a neverending sequence of corners.

Giogo di Scarperia.  It's a short loop off the SS65 and back to the Mugello circuit.

Passo della Colla. Connects Borgo San Lorenzo to Faenza and runs through the town of Marradi, famous for its' Marroni Chestnuts, and Brisighella. The road goes up to 1000mt and runs through tight cliffs on the southern side and then along the valley of the river Lamone after Marradi where the road opens up. From the top of this pass you can run a loop on the Passo del Sambuca  to Palazzuolo and then on the SS306 to Marradi. On one of the hairmins coming down from the Sambuca pass you will be able to see San marino and the sea if it's a clear day.

Passo del Muraglione. The most famous motorcycle pass in Italy and arguably the best! If you are riding this region you can't miss it. The climb from Dicomano is tight and technical. Once you get to the top you have to stop at the Muraglione Bar for a coffee. Whilst you enjoy the view and a rest you'll see all sorts of bikes come and go, even in winter!
The SS67 takes you all the way to Forlì if you want but in our opinion you should turn at Rocca San Casciano towards Galeata over the Passo Centoforche  and then back south on the SS310 over the Passo della Calla  to Stia. It's a fantastic road which has just been resurfaced! On top of the pass you will find a tiny restaurant with no more than 4 tables. The people are very friendly and will serve you a delightful dish of tagliatelle with ragù!

When you arrive in Stia you can ride up Passo Fornace (SS556) towards Borgo San Lorenzo. Like most of the passes it is a great one and one where you should particularly watch out for wild life. Once you join the SS67 ride down to Pontassieve then back East on the Passo della Consuma. Worth a visit is the Abbey of Vallombrosa just off the SS70 into some fantastic woods for about 10km. 

Once you reach Poppi you have another very exciting loop ride:

You can choose to ride up to the Eremo of Camaldoli or take the SS71 over the Passo dei Mandrioli  to Bagno di Romagna. The second option is the one I would certainly suggest if you don't have much time to spend in the region. It's a great ride and just resurfaced with fresh tarmac! A stop in Bagno di Romagna is interesting. It's a Thermal station. A good place to stop if you feel like getting a good massage and enjoying some traditional food of Romagna.
From here you can climb to Monte Fumaiolo and visit the sources of the Tiber (Tevere) and then pick up the E45 superstrada until Pieve S.to Stefano where you pick up the SS208 Passo La Verna. A favorite of supersports. Fast flowing sweepers and and constant radius wide switchbacks. A real treat!

The Western Passes

The most famous one is the Passo dell'Abetone. At its' peak you will be at 1388mt and will be surrounded by peaks the highest of which is the Monte Cimone with a height of 2165mt. It's a pass for the summer as it frequently snows here during the winter and sometimes even in spring and fall. The Abetone pass connects Lucca and or Pistoia to Modena. The road is just pure riding joy for a total of just over 100km. If you approach the pass from Lucca you will be able to see the devil's bridge (click on photo). And if you ride all the way north towards Modena you won't be able to miss Maranello, home of Ferrari!

At Pievepelago you cross the SS324. To the East this will lead you to Sestola and then on the SS64 over the Passo Collina  down to Pistoia. To the West the SS324 takes you to the Passo Radici  and down to Castelnuovo in Garfagnana, in the heart of the Alpi Apuane.

Two more passes are a must when in this area. Passo del Cerreto  and the Passo della Cisa.. From Aulla the Cerreto pass runs (SS63) up to 1261 mt and then dives down to Reggio nell' Emilia passing by the Pietra di Bismantova. The Passo della Cisa also starts from Aulla and runs parallel to the Autostrada to Parma. As a result of this it is free of any heavy traffic and it's a fantastic ride.
In this reagions there are other minor passes which should not be disregarded. The Passo del Pradarena  connects the Passo del Cerreto   with the SS445 which runs out of Castelnuovo in Garfagnana to the west before you reach the Passo Carpinelli   towards Aulla.

The Passo del Lagastrello  and the Passo del Sillara  will then take you across from the Regional Park of the Gigante to the Cisa Pass.