PISAN COUNTRYSIDE
Sunday: Arrival at the “agriturismo” (farmhouse) in the afternoon. You will receive all the documents and your bike. At dinner (which is included in the price) we will have the chance to start knowing each others.

Monday: Ponsacco-Casciana Terme (24Km)
After breakfast we start out our tour into the Pisan countryside. Enjoying the beautiful landscape around us, we make for Lari, a small delightful village where we will be able to see the mediceo castle (rebuilt in 1230) and visit the market, poking about among the many objects shown under the “Loggia”, built in 1559. We will continue our way to Casciana where we will have the chance to “refresh” ourselves with its mineral spring water.

Tuesday: Ponsacco- Volterra (38Km)
Once left Ponsacco, cycling slowly, we make our way south. We travel through the Val d’Era and we pass through some villages, full of history and traditions. Keeping on cycling in a fairy-tale landscape, we start seeing the beautiful hills around Volterra, which is famous to be the capital of Alabaster and where we’ll stop for a visit.

Wednesday: Ponsacco-San Miniato (29Km)
Left the farmhouse, we head for Camugliano which we pass and, pedalling in the countryside, immersed in the iridescent colours of the hills, we go past Forcoli and La Sterza to reach the little village of San Miniato on the top of the hill. After lunch we have time to visit this wonderful and full of history Etruscan-Roman village and its monastery which was founded, in 1211, by San Francesco d’Assisi.

Thursday: Ponsacco-Pisa (26Km)
Cycling on minor roads, we will ride through the valley of Arno. Once arrived in Pisa, we will visit the historical centre, the Piazza dei Miracoli (Fields of Miracles) and the Leaning Tower. We continue our wonderful ride along the river Arno, as far as Santa Caterina, where the mini-van is waiting for us, ready to take us back to Ponsacco.

Friday: Ponsacco-Lucca (34Km)
Today, cycling easily, we will go through the valley of Arno. Always riding on minor and asphalted road we will run alongside the slopes of Mount Serra (800 metres high), which dominates all the Pisan plain. Left behind Gello, Fornacette, Bientina, Cascine di Buti, we will arrive in Lucca to have a “taste” of what it means to be in the “Middle Age”. During the age of the city-states Lucca was an important centre for trades and business, in particular for the trade of the silk. During this time many of the buildings, palaces, towers, churches and monuments of the city were built. Everything now is very well conserved inside the fortified walls, which surrender the old town centre.

Saturday: end of the tour

After breakfast (which is included in the price) it will be time to say goodbye. That’s the end of our short but intense adventure in the Pisan countryside.