Maremma T
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CYCLING HOLIDAY
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MAREMMA, PEDALLING ACROSS A GREAT LAND
Salty westerly winds play with the rough and wild surface of a genuine land. Maremma opens onto the sea, dances on its own endless hills and awaits the eastern light behind its own mountains. Maremma is the protected heart of a Tuscany made of land and sky, restless and full of life like the sound of receding waves, strong and withdrawn like its boars, charged with an inborn elegance and eager for freedom like its horses. Wide expanses and the possibility to take all the time one needs are the ideal prerequisites for travelling outdoor, in keeping with a land where the boundaries of one’s journey meet man’s pace. The bicycle is the ideal means to come to understand Maremma’s nature. One cycles along winding roads through an always varying land, roads carrying on for hundreds of kilometres weaving through the thick maquis, turning into tree-lined paths or steering on sight to solitary cypresses, following unexpected tracks through olive groves and vineyards, playing hide and seek with the hills while chasing the misteries of the Etruscan people. So many roads for so many journeys. Even a one day trip has the fascination of a longer journey. A few kilometres are enough to go a long way in the discovery of this
great land. From the metalliferous hills with the noble stones of Massa Marittima to the intimacy of the inland areas of the Grosseto Province, strongly scented with Morellino, Monteregio and Montecucco, to the Manciano pastures where one can smell the essence of a legendary pecorino-cheese; from the woods rich in chestnut trees of Monte Amiata to the towns carved out of tuff, to the transparencies of Costa d’Argeto and the green area of the Maremma Regional Park. As far as nature and man are concerned, to cycle in Maremma is to take a trip in stages into one’s inner world. Each trip, each thrust on the pedal is a different story. A valued invitation and a great opportunity for all those fond of cycling and of good life. Families with their children, trained bicycle riders as well as Sunday riders, hikers and lovers of slow motion are all welcome. And if it is true, as it has been stated, that “a cyclist’s head is whirling with more thoughts during a cycling trip than those existing in a whole library” then Maremma seems to be the ideal land to keep ideas going around by thrusting on the pedals. Freely and lightly.
MAREMMA BY BICYCLE
Roads for every bicycle and every cyclist. Maremma is a land devised by Mother Nature with those in mind, who are keen on discovering the territory by bike. Suffice it to say that Grosseto is the second largest province in Italy as far as size is concerned, while recording one of the lowest density rate of population. The number of roads and paths is plentiful, it is therefore easy to realize that Maremma is a byword for ideal cycling. The bicycle is not the only backup one needs to be able to enjoy the ride: sparsely busy and safe roads as well as, where necessary, protected lanes are also essential. In Maremma nothing is missing. Furthermore, if one adds to that the fact that the balance existing between man and nature offers intact areas and favourable weather patterns nearly the whole year through, it is not difficult to
realize that we are facing an absolutely privileged situation. Maremma is not a flat land. It offers easy and good for cycling on routes but a great part of the region has hilly and wavy outlines requiring trained legs. All this sums up the description of an extremely varied and lively landscape without dullness. When cycling, time acquires a human dimension. At 15 kilometres per hour one luxuriates in places seen and people met; one travels across a varied landscape and comes to know the different moods belonging to Maremma, a cycling experience of many different moments, many stages, having the taste of an altogether Italian experience: from the coffee drunk at a square cafe to the glass of wine in a tavern as well as to the enjoyable bike rides among olive groves and vineyards or along dirt tracks fringed with pines and cypresses.
THE MULTI-FACETED MAREMMA
A few kilometres are enough to discover the lively complexity of this land having a strong identity and a well defined character. Each road is an opportunity for getting to know each different side of Maremma. Pedalling through this multi-faceted landscape one gets the impression of finding oneself inside a subtly coloured impressionist picture, able to convey strong feelings.
The Metalliferous Hills are the bashful heart of a Maremma that entices those travellers with pioneering instinct looking for new grounds to break. Starting from the stone towns like Montieri and Gerfalco, ancient gateways to Siena and its territories, as far as the historic nobility of Massa Marittima overlooking the blue fringed coast. The strong and true character does not disappear when reaching the Inland Hills surrounding Campagnatico, Cinigiano and Paganico. Stupendous roads, old custom posts as well as the paths, followed by flocks and herds during their seasonal migration, wind through a graceful country, like poetry, genuine like its quality wine Montecucco linking together the Metalliferous Hills, the Amiata spurs and the Grosseto territory. Through its continuity Maremma conveys all its human genuineness by way of its wavy ground, scented with Morellino, that from Scansano rolls down into the Grosseto plain and towards the wide scenery of blue sky and sea, to be seen
from Castiglione della Pescaia, to the Maremma Regional Park where a fragile ecosystem coexists with the Butteri’s way of life. Getting back inland the hills grow to mountains. Besides monumental chestnut trees and boundless beech groves, on the slopes of Monte Amiata cling the roots of a Tuscany that is forceful like the ancient extinct volcano and adverse to any standardization. In the shadow of the mountain Maremma writes its own history and misteries in the tuff stone: thousand-yearold tracks, necropolis and towns blend with the volcanic stone carved by time. Hot waters and well-being are the means by which “volcanic” Maremma cuddles legs, bodies and spirits of the travellers and cyclists. Two thrusts on the pedals are enough to bring one back to the seemingly never ending hills and to find oneself once more among pastures and vineyards giving onto Costa d’Argento with its Mediterranean light, distinguished by its peaceful corners, breathtaking landscapes and easy roads for light-hearted cyclists.
WHICH ROADS?
The road network spreading over Maremma offers an amazing variety of routes. Tarred
the imagination and the legs of the bikers. To the cycling tourists belong solitary and quiet
roads suited to the thin and sensitive tyres of “very special” roadsters, dirt byroads for more versatile bicycles and tracks for bikers looking for wild itineraries through the thick maquis. To the more exacting cyclists the extensive Grosseto province offers cues and occasions of great technical content.
people, cheerful parties of friends, committed pedallers, fun-loving people looking for taverns as well as families with children preferring active holidays. Everyone of them can find in Maremma enough outdoor space to make their own cycling dreams come true.
In Maremma one can find all, absolutely all conditions to train and enjoy cycling with the commitment which marks the amateur as well as the professional. It’s no accident that in wintertime many teams of professional cyclists choose this area for their training getting ready for the following season. Many kilometres across the plain to train crosscountry cycling, wavy roads to train on quality and changes of the pace, long and demanding ascent for the climbers on the slopes of Monte Amiata, a veritable training ground for road-racing cyclists and mountain bikers. Besides the technical features, an amazing environment invite the cyclists to explore the territory by slow movement, that is the philosophy that inspires
The lovers of MTB ride along lanes and paths which disappear deep into the maquis and follow the unpredictable tracks left by “king boar”, the “chosen” by Mother Nature to represent the strong temper of this land. Well, tarred roads, dirt tracks and paths represent the network used by cyclists to draw a web of routes on the soil of this Tuscany seemingly invented to be discovered by bicycle. Soft and invisible trails playing with unexpected tracks and with the force of gravity. Roads for every cyclist and for every bike.
BICYCLE TOURING IN MAREMMA
The project Bicycle Touring worked out by the Maremma Tourism Board and by the Grosseto Province has its main aim in rendering enticing what the territory has to offer to those who travel and spend their holidays by cycling.
This means locating the more interesting routes in Maremma from the touristic and cycling
are on dirt roads) or roadsters (variants are planned excluding all dirt roads).
point of view keeping in mind the different types among the cyclists as far as technique (road, hybrid or MTB), skill, level of training and kind of holiday are concerned. The main route, that is the Grand Tour of Maremma, is a real journey to discover all the features of this land, starting from the Metalliferous Hills to the Tuff Area by way of Amiata, from the hills surrounding Manciano to the Costa d’Argento and the Grosseto countryside riding then back by way of the coast to Castiglione della Pescaia and up to the Metalliferous Hills.
Another directrix through this territory is the “Maremma” section of the Ciclopista del Sole, the bike way crossing the Peninsula from Brenner to Sicily in the Eurovelo road network. It is not a bike way in the strict sense of the word but rather a route signalled to the cycling tourists, who want to cross Italy from North to South, looking for a way out of the difficult (for those by bicycle) national road network.
The Grand Tour of Maremma is a wonderful cycling tour of about 366 kilometres exploring the heart of Maremma, its countryside, solitary roads, mediaeval towns and sea horizons. It is a directrix suited to each kind of travel: for self-sufficient cycling tourists, for those tourists preferring to take the car for longer travels with the bike in tow to enjoy pedalling lightly along the different area of Maremma, for those cyclists using all-terrain bikes (a few stretches
The Ciclopista del Sole favours the coastal area and the immediate inland of Maremma developing for about a hundred kilometres. From Follonica it heads to the inland taking a turn in Marina di Grosseto and crossing the provincial capital to reach Magliano in Toscana. From here there are two possibilities: to ride on to Capalbio or to return to the coast reaching the Orbetello area. In addition to the long routes suited to the touring holiday in Maremma there are more than 30 daily round tours covering nearly the whole wide Grosseto province. These are itineraries of
CYCLING HOLIDAY
varying difficulty, from a level acceptable to families with children and obviously without altitude difficulties as well as with a reduced distance in kilometres, to more demanding routes that satisfy the requirements of cycling tourists and bike lovers looking for proposals that combine the beauty of the landscape with technical contents thus having the chance to tackle the ride with a sporting spirit as well. Some of these itineraries are on tarred roads, others on hybrid roadbeds with stretches of dirt tracks. Therefore the offer is exhaustive and stimulating for those who ride roadsters or all-terrain bikes. And for those bikers who love paths, single tracks and adventurous routes made of dust and mud? Maremma is a real paradise for those keen on MTB with double schock absorbers. The thick maquis, the coastal pine woods and the woods covering
the inland hills and the Amiata slopes offer endless routes. Other than the road routes these tours imply a perfect knowledge of the territory, otherwise they can turn into mazes without a way out. On these grounds the best way to explore the “boar” tracks is that of engaging the services of authorized guides and qualified staff, singularly or in groups selected on the basis of their training level and technique.
ITINERARIES IN MAREMMA 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18.
Maremma of Stone Metalliferous Hills The Gateway to Siena and its Territory Unspoiled Nature and Stone Villages Journey into the Middle Ages A Balcony on Maremma The Ring of Massa Marittima Etruscans and the Sea Castel di Pietra The Leopoldina Road The lower Ombrone Valley The Wine Road of Montecucco The Scent of Morellino Wine The Heart of Maremma The Road to the Termal Baths Poggio Foco Cala Violina Along the routes of the Champions
19. The Three Steps 20. Towards the Albegna Springs 21. The Maremma Park 22. The Slopes of the Amiata Mountain in the Grosseto Province 23. From Amiata to the Plain and Back 24. The Pigelleto Sanctuary and Monte Penna 25. The Upper Fiora Valley 26. The Fiora Valley and the Tuffaceous Towns 27. Tuffaceous Towns 28. The Hills of Manciano and Capalbio 29. On the Way to the Tarocchi Garden 30. The Coast, The Burano Lake and the Pedemontana 31. The Tour of the Eastern Lagoon 32. The Tour of Monte Argentario 33. The Lower Albegna Plain 34. Ciclopista del Sole 35. Gran tour of Maremma
WHICH KIND OF HOLIDAY?
There is no lack of itineraries and roads as well as there are several options to choose
undertakes excursions with unladen bicycles, walks or just rests, the so-called “Tuscan
from to organize a holiday by bike: the touring holiday or a stay at a fixed place with daily excursions. The first solution offers the emotions and sensations of a real journey while conveying a feeling of complete freedom, in particular when carried out on one’s own without any backing. It requires a very accurate preparation, both when choosing the itineraries and when preparing the bicycle, adequately equipping it with carriers and bags. To be self-sufficient the bicycle is going to be heavily laden, therefore it is important to remember it when planning the itineraries. By altitude changes and short but steep climbs it will be wiser to plan stages of reduced distance in kilometres in order to avoid a needless tour de force. Through the
delightful idleness”. The second solution is decidedly easier to organize: once decided where to spend the holiday one leaves each day on a round route suited to one’s own skills, in this way performing a “daisy like” number of tours. Of course the bicycle is unladen and this offers better opportunities and allows a certain flexibility in planning. In both cases one can rely on tourist accomodation facilities: from the simple room-to-let facility or bed & breakfast to hotels and farm holidays widespread over the whole territory. In small and historical towns or in the country Maremma offers stopping points and facilities that host tourists and travellers, the perfect settings to come to know the territory and its surrounding environment. A third possibility summing up
slow rhythm of the bicycle the touring holiday spent without the nagging need of performing “impossible” deeds gets enriched by places and people. One of the best planning foresees cycling laps from one place to the other with intervals of “days of rest” during which one only
the other two is the touring holiday by car + bike. One stops two or three days in different places and uses the car to reach one’s destination from where one undertakes one’s “daisy like” number of tours by bike.
WWW.MAREMMABIKE.IT All the up to date information concerning cycling holidays in Maremma are found in the site www.maremmabike.it. Besides a concise introduction to the territory as seen and told to those travelling by bike, it is possible to download descriptions and maps of more than 30 daily itineraries as well as the extremely enticing Grand Tour of Maremma, a real tour in stages. The selection of the itineraries can be made following the criteria relating to the area, to the difficulty level, length, difference in altitude and kind of road. A very useful section is that concerning the accomodation facilities. Here are shown the possibilities on the territory as far as the facilities joining the bicycle touring project of the Maremma Tourist Agency are concerned. These facilities guarantee a number of services specific to those travelling by bike. The site is also the right instrument to learn about the offers and special programmes for the cycling tourists, it also names all the useful contacts like associations and repairs and service points, cycling tourism events as well as other events. Among the services a direct link to the weather forecast in the different areas of the territory and links to other realities operating in the cycling tourism are included. www.maremmabike.it is an instrument of great practical usefulness, the ideal starting point to plan an outing by bike or a real journey into the heart of Maremma. It addresses a wide public: families with children looking for easy routes, more experienced and exacting cyclists looking for technical courses. Besides concisely describing the territory and its roads with the experience of one used to travel by bike, it offers innumerable pieces of information not to be missed in planning holidays on one’s own or organized.
AGENZIA PER IL TURISMO DELLA MAREMMA MAREMMA TOURISM BOARD Viale Monterosa, 206 - 58100 Grosseto - Italy Tel. +39 0564 462611 - Fax +39 0564 454606 www.lamaremma.info - info@lamaremma.info
ASSESSORATO ALLO SPORT ASSESSORATO ALLA CULTURA
All rights reserved © Copyright 2009 APT MAREMMA Pictures: Archiv APT (Enrico Caracciolo) Text: Enrico Caracciolo Translated by: Barzaghi Ornella Printed by: Grafiche Atla - Pitigliano Layout/Design by: 2Bcom
AGENZIA PER IL TURISMO DELLA MAREMMA MAREMMA TOURISM BOARD Viale Monterosa, 206 - 58100 Grosseto - Italy Tel. +39 0564 462611 - Fax +39 0564 454606 www.lamaremma.info - info@lamaremma.info