Monte Amiata from the Val d'Orcia'

This walking tour in Tuscany can be personalised to meet your interests and travel dates.

You’ll be picked up at the beginning and dropped off at the end at the Chiusi railway station (on the Rome/Florence line). To visit Mount Amiata is to discover some of Tuscany's minor masterpieces: the pristine forests and breath-taking views of the mountain; the medieval tranquillity of San Quirico; Medici thermal baths; awesome medieval fortresses; the terraced botanical gardens; the magnificent 8th century abbey of San Salvadore; and 'la cucina amiatina', the wonderful mountain food, based on seasonal forest ingredients.

Completely covered in oak, chestnut, beech and pine forests, Mount Amiata is one of central Italy's great natural resources. Rising nearly two thousand metres above the surrounding valleys to the east and the coastal plains of the Maremma to the west, its benign blue form serves as a backdrop for much of southern Tuscany. Amiata was believed to have been sacred by the Etruscans and the Romans, as well as the later Lombard invaders, who founded the magnificent abbey of San Salvadore near its peak in the 8th century.

The small settlements that grew around the castles ringing the mountain to protect the abbey today have become picturesque villages, while the paths that linked them (recently revitalised as clearly marked walking tracks that criss-cross the forests) provide you with a unique opportunity to explore one of Tuscany's hidden treasures.

What's included in this walk?

• Seven nights accommodation
• all breakfasts and dinners
• recommendations for lunch
• reading lists and historical and cultural notes
• maps and detailed walking instructions
• daily transfers of baggage between hotels; pick-up and drop-off from Chuisi railway station (on the Rome/Florence line)
• 24 hour backup from local manager

How hard are the walks?

What's the accommodation like?

Tour Cost:

AUD $2,050 per person(single supplement for a double room for single use $250) (approx US $ 1845, SS $180 - subject to daily exchange rates)

Abbey of San Salvadore, Mount Amiata	Forests near Seggiano, Mount Amiata
A walk near Vivo d'Orcia, Mount Amiata
Martino, Vivo d’Orcia	Rocca d’Orcia

Tuscany 2 Walking Tour Itinerary

Day		You will be picked up from Chiusi station on the Rome/Florence line and transferred to San Quirico d'Orcia. A staging point on the medieval pilgrim route to Rome and once the seat of the Imperial representative to Papal Rome, the quiet streets of San Quirico are rich with the evidence of the town's important past, including two marvellous Romanesque churches, a number of Renaissance palaces and the beautiful Italianate Leonini gardens.
Day		The first walk follows a gravel country road along a ridge with views across the Orcia River valley, then continues down to thermal springs that have been used since Etruscan times, its unusual piazza (a vast thermal pool) dominated by a palazzo built by Lorenzo de Medici. Crossing the river, the walk finishes at the overlooking village. (9 kms, 3.5 hrs)
Day		Following more gravel roads, you continue up the side of Amiata through wheat and sunflower fields before joining a medieval pathway that takes you past a Renaissance fortress and an abandoned 12th century monastery and into the first of the mountain villages, surrounded by one of the two remaining stands of Amiata beech trees. (13 kms, 4.15 hours)
Day		Today's walk is dedicated to the forest, following paths that skirt around the northern side of the mountain, via a 10th century hermitage, to another small village, where you’ll spend the night. It is well known for its olive oil and pecorino cheese and its botanical gardens, just outside the village (16 hectares of terraces dotted with almost 50 contemporary sculptures) that you can visit in the afternoon. (12 kms, 4.15 hrs)
Day		Continuing through the forests, today's walk takes you through one of the most interesting towns of the mountain, with breath-taking views across the valleys of the Ombrone and Orcia rivers. The final stage of the walk takes you through a magnificent forest of huge, ancient chestnut trees. (15 kms, 5 hrs)
Day		Today your walk continues around the western side of the mountain, via the Amiata Fauna Park, which has exceptional views in all directions, and finishing at a spring-fed lake with 18th century gardens surrounded by trees and gurgling brooks at the foot of your destination, a village whose craggy position drew an admiring observation from Dante for its impregnable castle, the seat of the Aldobrandeschi, the great feudal power of the region. (10 kms, 4 hrs)
Day		The last walk takes you into the heart of the mountain, climbing up through grand forests of oak, chestnut and pines, before descending into Abbadia San Salvadore, the capital of the mountain, grown up around its magnificent 8th century abbey, a fitting finale to your visit. (16 kms, 6 hrs) Please note that this walk is quite a demanding walk. As an alternative for those who don’t wish to do the walk we will organize a private car to take you on a morning drive through the forests to the peak of the mountain, then to Abbadia San Salvatore for a visit to the town and its famous abbey and lunch, before driving you back to your accommodation in the afternoon.
Day		Transfer from Abbaddia San Salvadore to Chiusi Railway station (on the Rome/Florence line).

For more information on this tour or to make a booking, please get in touch with us.