ROUTES in CHIANTI
LEGEND
red drops ▼ indicate cities
brown drops ▼ points of historical / artistic / cultural interest
green drops ▼ environmental points of interest
1. PANZANO RING IN CHIANTI - VOLPAIA
a new way to experience Tuscany
Ring: Panzano in Chianti (FI) - Volpaia in Chianti (SI)
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Distance: 24 km
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Travel time by bike: 2 hours
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Walking time: 5 hours
Route for more than 70% on a dirt road passing through points of naturalistic and monumental interest. The circular route differs in all its parts with the exception of the last stretch in common.
Starting from the square of Panzano in Chianti, go up following the signs to Montemaggio, continue along via XX Luglio until you reach the dirt road. Continue straight, also passing through a votive capital and a picnic area with tables, until you reach the first fork (the one for the Eremo delle Stinche). Follow the signs to Montemaggio up to the junction that separates the road to Volpaia from that to Lamole, then take the road to Volpaia. Shortly after there is another crossroads that separates Radda in Chianti from Volpaia, take direction Volpaia. The next fork will be indicated with red and white wooden signs. Take right and the next step is Volpaia, a fraction of the Italian municipality of Radda in Chianti, a fortified village of medieval origin. It is highly recommended to get lost in the narrow streets of the village, enjoying every single suggestive and well-kept corner. Once you arrive in front of the church inside the square, take the provincial road that leaves the town. It is a scenic road often bordered by tall cypress trees. Once you reach the junction to Radda in Chianti and Lucarelli, turn right, a few meters after the junction, you will find Volpaia Lake, a bathing lake, also equipped with barbecue stations. Continuing, on the left, there is the Pieve di S. Maria Novella, one of the most notable examples of Romanesque architecture in the Florentine countryside. It contains all the characters that form the expressive, structural and formal language of 12th century Romanesque art. Always stay on the provincial road until a new dirt road begins, delimited in several sections by stone ridges. At the crossroads follow to Panzano. From this point on, retrace the path in reverse up to Panzano in Chianti.
** Detour to the Eremo delle Stinche (850 m)
At the crossroads turn right following the sign "Eremo delle Stinche", continue towards the same indication as far as the hermitage, a small fourteenth-century church located on the right of the path, consisting of a single nave. Founder of the hermitage is the famous priest Giovanni Vannucci.
2. PANZANO IN CHIANTI RING - GREVE IN CHIANTI
a new way to experience Tuscany
Panzano in Chianti (FI) - Greve in Chianti (FI) ring
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Distance: 14 km
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Journey time by bike: 1 hour and 15 minutes
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Walking time: 3 hours
Route, half on a dirt road and half on a paved road, connecting two neighboring villages: Panzano and Greve in Chianti. Ideal path for those who do not want to go entirely on busy roads, taking advantage of paths as much as possible immersed in greenery, from which to enjoy a beautiful view of the surrounding hills.
Starting from the square of Panzano in Chianti, follow the sign for Mercatale and the historic center, in the direction of the upper part of the town. You reach the church, then always following the road on the left, you reach the castle of Panzano. Following it, you turn up on the provincial road towards Mercatale. Follow this road for about 2 km, until you reach the entrance to a dirt road on the right. The road in question is an ancient Roman road. Follow along the path that in a stretch runs alongside a Tuscan stone quarry. The route in this section is not very busy and passes through oak and holm oak woods. It will be possible in several places to enjoy unprecedented views of the village of Montefioralle.
At a certain point there are stretches of asphalted road, which gradually descends towards Greve in Chianti; continue downhill until you reach the town. At the end of the road, turn left into via Maestro da Greve, where you can see Greve in Chianti from above.
Finally, we arrive in Piazza Matteotti where it will be possible to refresh ourselves before resuming the return journey. Leaving the square, follow the Chianti road (SR 222) towards Panzano in Chianti, a very busy road, where you need to be careful.
Follow the Chianti for 2 km, passing along a tree-lined avenue at the end of which there is a bridge, from here the road begins to climb towards Panzano. At a certain point on the right there is a dirt road bordered with centenary cypresses, which cuts through the Chianti area and leads to the gates of Panzano.
Crossing this path between vineyards and olive groves, it will be possible to enjoy beautiful views of the surroundings of the town. Thus you come out on the Chianti area, turn right and reach the square of Panzano.
Route by Yara del Mastio - Podere Felceto
3. THE SECRET TRAILS OF GREVE IN CHIANTI
a new way to experience Tuscany
Ring
Distance: 14 km
Journey time by bike: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Walking time: 3 hours
Ideal route for those who want to combine air and discover a different landscape made of magical woods, placid streams, fragrant herbs of the Mediterranean scrub and come into contact with animals and with the history of the place. More than 90% of the route is on a dirt road which in some places is more like a forest path. It is a path marked with wooden CAI signs or by red and white bands on trees and stones, so it is easy to follow in its entirety.
You can comfortably leave your car in the parking lot marked on the map, which is located in a street perpendicular to the Chianti area, to the right of the second traffic light that you encounter when crossing Greve and heading towards Florence. Go in the opposite direction to the Chianti area along via Allende, at the madonnina turn left, then immediately turn right and follow the CAI signs for Uzzano. A few meters after the crossroads the road becomes a dirt road. Follow the main road straight on until you reach a new asphalted stretch just before the Uzzano Castle.
Go straight on until you reach a crossroads. If you want to walk on a path that runs along the walls of the ancient Castle of Uzzano, turn left, otherwise continue on the asphalt. The two above-mentioned roads join further on, defining a path that enters the wood, kept well-kept and well-cleaned by the estate. The path winds through this magical forest, whose silence is broken only by the chirping of birds and the sound of a stream. Always following the red and white CAI signs for Caselle, you reach this farm with various farmyard animals such as geese, sheep and cows of the Chianina breed, which you can admire inside their enclosures. At this stage you will find new signs; follow for the Covertoie - Greve.
With its ups and downs, the road finally reaches a small crossroads that are difficult to identify (a stretch not present in the common maps and marked with a thin line on the one provided).
A steep road descends towards a stream, above which you can admire the remains of an ancient Roman bridge, closed because it is unsafe. Go down this road and cross the stream at the foot of the bridge. You come out on a road that leads into the middle of the Covertoie farmyard, follow it until you come out on the provincial “Chianti Valdarno”. Turn right towards Greve in Chianti, take a short stretch along this often busy road, and then take a shortcut to the right towards Greve (CAI signs). This road, which is also unpaved, reaches the gates of the town, more precisely next to the Town Hall building. Now all that remains is to follow right for the Chianti area and return to the parking lot where you left the car.
Route by Yara del Mastio - Podere Felceto