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.