Excursions and tastings in the Florentine hills

Guided walks and hikes that combine nature, art, and history. Your guide will provide you with information about the area and its geography, and also about any historical and artistic monuments you visit.

All nature walks are planned according to your physical fitness and abilities and are then adapted to your wishes.

Half-day hikes last from 3 to 4 hours and cover about 6 to 8 km (3 to 4 miles) of trails.

Full-day hikes last 6 to 8 hours, with a nature lunch break, and cover a distance of about 10 to 12 km (5 to 6 miles).

 

At the end of our excursions and walks, we will have lunch together in typical and authentic trattorias or a bottega, chosen for their cuisine and special atmosphere. Alternatively, the excursion may end at a winery, with a visit to the cellars and a tasting of their wines accompanied by typical regional dishes.

Depending on the distance, the return trip can be arranged by cab.

Here are some of the excursions that can be customized according to the time available:

 

1. MEDIEVAL CASTLES OF VILLAMAGNA and ROMAJOLO DA VINCI BRIDGE – 3 hours

In the municipal area of Bagno a Ripoli discovering historical places and monuments that are not mentioned in any guidebook.

They are easily reached in a few minutes from the center of Florence and in no time you will find yourself in the authentic countryside and in a dimension which is unexpected for being so close to the city.

Florence will still remain visible in the valley floor with breathtaking views throughout your excursion to discover the beauty of the hills around the city.

The walk, if in the afternoon, allows glimpses with spectacular sunsets over the city.

Together with your expert local guide who is a resident of the area, you will walk along easy paths through pine, cypress and holm-oak forests and through fields of olive groves with the incredible landscapes of the surrounding hills and the city in the Arno valley below.

You will approach castles in the area that date back to Lombard settlements, given their strategic hillside location at the gates of the city. After the territorial expansion of the Florentine Republic they were transformed into farmsteads and country villas, while retaining some of their characteristics of the original medieval fortresses.

The approximately 4-mile itinerary can be covered in about 2 hours.

It starts from the village of Villamagna and will take you to the castles, now private residences, of Belforte, Nutrici, Monte Acuto and Rignalla, which you can admire from the outside.

In Rignalla, your guide will introduce you to the medieval bridge of Romajolo, which Leonardo Da Vinci dealt with in his studies of the Arno River trail. It has recently been restored and cleared of the vegetation that had hidden it for decades.

On the way back, after exploring the most scenic corners of this hill called Vallina, we will return to Villamagna, where on the square next to the Romanesque church, you will be welcomed in the small Dispensa di Villamagna – a country grocery store – to taste real homemade Tuscan ham, soft fennel finocchiona, wild boar sausages, Tuscan pecorino cheese and some bruschetta topped with olive oil and herbs from the area accompanied by a liter of local wine.

Your guide will assist you in your walk by choosing the most characteristic and scenic route and showing you the monuments of the places visited.

Prices starting from 65 Euro per person, minimum 2 people.

Available every day, all year round.

 

1. PANORAMIC WALK above RIMAGGIO through olive groves with LUNCH at ALIMENTARI INNOCENTI with fresh and tasty local seasonal dishes – 3 hours

This easy 4.5 km walk along the slopes of the sunny hills overlooking the city of Florence and the Arno River below, takes you on marked trails through olive groves, past impressive historic villas and farmhouses.

You will discover an exclusive residential area in the countryside on the edge of Florence, yet very authentic and unspoiled.

At the end of the tour, at Alimentari Innocenti in Candeli, you will finally get to taste the dishes of Matteo, who is a true master of the local culinary art and pastry making capable of transforming the fresh ingredients of traditional Tuscan cuisine into creative flavor combinations.

Your three-course lunch includes dessert and will be accompanied by a glass of local wine.

Available Monday through Saturday, year-round except August.

Prices starting at 80 Euro per person, minimum 2 people.

 

1. EXCURSION from VILLA MEDICEA DI LILLIANO into the surrounding hills to discover hidden historical and contemporary artistic treasures: SASSO SCRITTO, PALAZZACCIO DI MARCIGNANO, PARCO FONTE SANTA and its sculptures. WINE TASTING with TUSCAN MERENDA and visit to the Villa of Lilliano – easy – 3 hours/6 km

You will walk on the sunny and gentle hillsides beyond the vineyards of the historic Villa Medicea of Lilliano reaching the most characteristic points of this area, also favored by the Medici, where they owned two other villas besides Lilliano: Lapeggi and Mondeggi.

The panoramic view of the Arno valley with the city of Florence in the distance will accompany you with beautiful glimpses all along the way.

By starting to walk from there on the almost flat paved roads through its vineyards will take about 1.5 hours more.

Otherwise, your guide can drive you a little higher up, where the trail begins and will immediately lead you to the first attractions: the Palazzaccio di Marcignano, the stone ruins of a large villa from the 1400s, and next to it the Campo degli Apostoli, with its monolithic sculptures surrounded by fields of olive trees.

From there we will reach the highest elevation of the hike where Fonte Santa Park is located, a large meadow in a panoramic position near a fresh water spring with more monolithic stone statues.

Climbing a few more steps, your guide will take you to see an exceptional Etruscan inscription on a large stone block half-hidden by vegetation, dating back more than 2,000 years.

Descending back to the starting point we will approach Podere Gavignano, an ancient stone farmhouse isolated on the top of a hill with breathtaking views all around.

At the end of the walk the Malenchini family will welcome you to their historic estate Villa Medicea di Lilliano.

It belonged to the Medici family back in the 1600s for a while and was transformed by them from a farm to a villa. You will visit the historic wine aging cellars and oil storage orciaia, the garden and then the family kitchen. There you will taste the best home-made Chianti Colli Fiorentini wines and their extra virgin olive oil along with Tuscan salami, prosciutto, finocchiona, pecorino cheese and schiacciata.

Available every day of the year

Price per person 135 Euro, minimum 2 people.

 

1. WALK to the fortified hamlet of MONTISONI with OIL TASTING and TASTING at the FRANTOIO RETO – easy 3 hours

Easy walk of about 2 hours/ 5 km on the western hillsides above Antella, with beautiful panoramic views of the countryside and town that will accompany you throughout the walk.

This will be followed by a unique extra virgin olive oil experience of excellent quality at Frantoio Reto.

We will meet directly at the Frantoio Reto oil mill in Montisoni (7/8 min drive from Antella), to begin walking up through sunny olive groves and old farmhouses to the scenic medieval fortified village of Montisoni.

The elevation gain will be about 180 m along unpaved, stone-paved and paved roads.

Upon reaching the village, which is just at the highest point of the route, we will then descend through a forest and then through olive groves owned by Andrea Fiani.

The harvested olives are pressed in his own small mill, which he does not share with other producers and only uses for his own varieties.

Andrea will give a brief introduction on the production of his oil – you can even visit the mill – while you will taste two types of his excellent oil, which has had notable accolades and excellent reviews in several specialized press reviews and moreover multiple winner of the Primolio di Bagno a Ripoli.

This will be followed by food tastings in combination with the oil, which will be served outdoors in the sunny forecourt or in the tasting room.

Prices starting at 70 euros per person, minimum of 2 people.

Available daily, morning or afternoon, year-round.

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