walking & adventure holidays

Oh Tuscany.....rolling hills and cypress trees.

More surprisingly Tuscany is more mountainous than you might imagine. The region is divided by two north-south ridges - the Tusco-Emiliano on the east and the Apuane on the west, boasting peaks up to 2053m - Mount Prato.
As you head south the mountains soften into more gentle terrain of the pre Appenines....and into the more familiar "draws" of Lucca and Florence, plus Siena whose founders, Aschius and Senius, sons of Romulus and Remus, helped to elaborate the myth of the wolf.
Arezzo is a small province tucked in the north east corner of Tuscany. Formerly a great rival to its neighbours Florence and Siena, it had its heyday in the 13th Century.
Here you will feel steeped in the past, as well being able to enjoy landscapes reminiscent of the Lake District, Hereford and Lancashire.
The region is chock full of the history of its famous men, Michelangelo among them, and offers both a diverse range of territory and a remarkable lack of visitors.
A trip north takes you through the lush green valley of the Arno, whose source is Monte Falterona (1654m) to enjoy the famous La Verna Franciscan monastry, the delightful villages of Poppi and Bibbiena, before a walk in the Casentino National Park.
Go east to encounter the source of the Tiber, and a wealth of historical villages including Sansepolcro which lies next to the evocatively named "Mountain of the Moon".
Head west over the famous Ponte Buriano, pictured in the Mona Lisa, to enjoy the Val de Chiana and its picturesque villages, Civitella, Monte san Sevino and Lucignano.

Season

Departures to date

2010 : May 24; Sep 18

Pricing

Standard weekly package : £925 -
Full Board

For non-standard periods and programmes, contact us to discuss the options. Read about our flexible way of working.

How to book...

Walking Grades

grade

What's included

Accommodation : Seven nights at Galealpe

Itinerary

• Day 1 Arrive Florence – transfer to Galealpe agriturismo, just outside the hamlet of Pieve san Giovanni. In house dinner cooked by local chefs.
• Day 2 A gentle introductory walk through the fields via Cincelli to Ponte Buriano. This fine bridge over the River Arno is renowned for being in the background of the Mona Lisa. Head east to Castelluccio for a picnic, and a visit to a local café, before heading north again. Dinner at Galealpe.
• Day 3 We head North East to the Casentino National Park, enjoy the splendour of the Franciscan monastery of La Verna, before enjoying a delicious sandwich lunch at a trattoria in Camaldoli, and an afternoon walk in the shadow of Mont Falterona. Evening dinner at the fab 50’s themed - La Corte dell’Oca.
• Day 4 Free day to relax at Galealpe or to explore Arezzo beautiful buildings, and take in some café culture and some gentle shopping. Evening dinner at Galealpe.
• Day 5 A day to the Valtiberina to the east to walk in the valley of the Tiber, beneath the Alpe della Luna – Mountain of the Moon. Rolling countryside, riddled with pathways, where wolf traces can often be seen. Dinner at Galealpe.
• Day 6 We head west across the Arno basin to Val di Chiana, and the small walled village of Civitella. The walk takes a stop in Gargonza, an old castle in land that belonged to a cousin of the King of Italy and is now a 4 Star hotel. Dinner cooked by local chefs.
• Day 7 Poppi and Bibbiena are the two most important centres in the Casentino. After a brief visit to Poppi’s magnificent castle we head west to the lush commune of Ortignano-Raggiolo, a valley rich with chestnut groves and the Chestnut EcoMuseum in the charming village of Raggiolo.
• Day 8 Transfer back to Florence for flight home.

Suitable for

Your welfare & protection

As a small enterprise, it's very important to us that our guests are professionally looked after during their stay with us.
Your protection : our operational base is in France, and our company in France is registered as a tour operator (habilitation touristique) and holds business failure cover and public liability cover.
Your welfare : all our activities are led by fully qualifed local Mountain Guides and International Mountain Leaders (Accompagnateurs), thus ensuring that you receive not only top professional care, but that you will also benefit from their in-depth local knowledge of the regions that we operate in.