dossier

Volterra to San Gimignano Walk

Day 1: Arrive in Volterra
We meet you at Pontedera train station, and take you to our **** hotel (20mins) just outside Volterra’s mediaeval gates.

Day 2: Volterra to Orgiaglia  11km/7mi/4hr
You follow an ancient Etruscan trail as it meanders through archetypal rolling countryside to reach the honey-coloured hilltop hamlet of Mazzolla. Its peaceful piazzais perfect for a relaxing lunch in the shade of the pretty 14C chapel. On through holm oak forest alive with wild boar, deer and fox, you arrive at signor Lazzari’sagriturismoin time for a swim before dinner.

Day 3: At Orgiaglia  
Our agriturismois a real rural retreat, perfect for spending a relaxing day by the panoramic pool. Surrounded by olive groves, the family press their own oil – you can join in! If you feel like building up an appetite for dinner, there are miles of trails leading right from the doorstep.

Day 4: Orgiaglia to Colle di Val d’Elsa  13km/7mi/5hr
A gentle forest trail leads to Casole d’Elsa, a beautiful Etruscan village atop a panoramic ridge. From the vermilion hued 14C castle, views stretch as far as Monte Amiata in the south of Tuscany. After lunch in the mediaeval piazza,an orchid-sprinkled path guides you to Quartaia. We meet you and take you to your stunning **** hotel, a beautifully converted C12 Benedictine Abbey with lovely gardens and panoramic pool.

Day 5: At Colle di Val d’Elsa
Renaissance Florence is just an hour away by local bus. Visit Dante’s birthplace, explore the Uffizi or simply enjoy a long lunch in a trattoria by the Arno and watch the world go by! Or,  it’s just a short stroll to the old town of Colle - explore its cobbled streets, old terracotta churches and hidden piazzas before, perhaps, lunch on one of the roof top trattorias- superb views.

Day 6: Colle di Val d’Elsa to San Donato  14km/8mi/5hr
Today you follow in pilgrims’ footsteps along the Via Francigena. Bright with sunflowers and fragrant apple orchards, this historic path skirts tiny hamlets and lonely chapels towards the lazy Foci river. Perhaps stop for wine-tasting in Montauto, with its fabulous backdrop of San Gimignano’s towers rising beyond the vineyards. Time for a swim in the pool before dinner.

Day 7: At San Donato
Maybe visit San Gimignano’s mystical towers in the morning, built by warring neighbours in the 12C to outdo one another! Or for a longer day out, hop on a local bus to Siena, a perfectly preserved mediaeval gem with a stunning striped 14C Gothic cathedral and beautiful square.

Day 8: San Donato to Volterra 15km/9mi or 20km/12mi
You follow a woodland trail dotted with rock roses and strawberry trees to reach a panoramic  strada bianca, where hawks soar overhead. With open views across cypress studded ochre fields to Monte Voltraio, you pass through Sensano and Ulignano, historic hamlets with 16C villas. Perhaps picnic by the Era valley before ascending an ancient mule track to Volterra.

Day 9: Leave Volterra