There exist places that one looks at and others that one lives, step by step, until becoming part of them. Tuscany by bicycle belongs to this second category. Here the journey is never a simple line drawn on a map, but a sequence of sensations thanks to the colors of the vineyards and the countryside, to the rustle of the tires on the dirt surface that accompanies thoughts, where time slows down until finding a natural rhythm, almost forgotten.
Pedaling in this land means choosing roads that are in no hurry. It is something simple, yet powerful, and adds density to the space, which opens in a curve between us and an unexpected village, or a tree-lined road toward a solitary church. A network of Tuscan cycling routes, an authentic geography that connects the blue of the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apennine ridges that invite a curious look and a will for encounter.
Charter of Values: A vision for the future of cycle tourism
The true novelty of this season is not only in the trails, but also in the very spirit of hospitality. Together with the operators of the tourism ecosystem, Toscana Promozione Turistica has co-designed and sanctioned the Charter of Values of tourism by bicycle. Not a simple list of services, but a formal commitment to generate perfect harmony between hosts and visitors.
The charter is based on seven pillars that constitute the “Tuscan lifestyle” on two wheels:
- Authenticity: Operators act as guardians and narrators of the territory, respecting the seasonality and the truth of local stories.
- Hospitality: The focus is on the person, not just on the vehicle. A smile and expert advice count as much as an equipped cycle-workshop.
- Humanism: The bicycle as a place of conversation and true relationship, transforming the journey into an experience of contemplation.
- Competence: Constant training to guarantee the cycle-tourist safety and qualified support in every phase.
- Attention to Beauty: Quality in every piece, from the accommodation facility to the enhancement of the short food and wine supply chain.
- The Art of Slowness: The right to slow down, where the route assumes the same value as the destination.
- Sustainability: An act of love to preserve biodiversity and guarantee that the wonder of today is accessible also tomorrow.
By signing this Charter, Tuscany and its facilities declare that the cycle-tourist is not a passing guest, but is a friend in the protection of the harmony and peace of nature, history, and the future.
Bike Therapy: the Wellness of the soul
In Tuscany, pedaling is a gesture of mental balance. We call it Biciterapia: an approach where quiet roads and open landscapes become the tool to reconnect with oneself. The constant rhythm of the pedaling helps to “clean” the mind, slows down frantic thoughts, and reopens the space of listening. It is an exercise in harmony that allows one to find their own inner center of gravity, immersed in a pervasive beauty that regenerates the spirit.
The infinite horizon of the Crete Senesi and the Val d’Orcia. Here bike-therapy is essentiality. Pedaling among the sinuous curves that lead from Asciano to Pienza forces the gaze to stretch out in a naked and clean landscape that acts as a cognitive “reset.” Without the visual noise of the city. In the forests of the Apennines, bike-therapy becomes introspection. The deep green and the oxygen-charged air of the secular woods of the Casentino act on the nervous system like a natural sedative. Here the rhythm is dictated by the climb. Physical fatigue becomes a tool to fight stress, while the trees offer a sense of welcome. Along the coast or on the panoramic roads of the Isle of Elba, bike-therapy is opening. When the blue of the horizon merges with the sky, the sense of constriction vanishes. Getting off the pedals at Baratti or along the coast of Castiglione della Pescaia to look at the sea allows one to “discharge” accumulated tensions to the ground.
On the tracks of Pinocchio: the Bicentenary of Collodi
In 2026 falls the Bicentenary of the birth of Carlo Lorenzini (Collodi), and there is no better way to celebrate the author of the most translated fairy tale in the world than to get in the saddle.
The Grand Tour Strade di Lucca
For those seeking total immersion, this permanent loop of 169 km embraces the Plain of Lucca. It is a route that challenges the legs with the “Cima Coppi” at the Church of San Bartolomeo in Pizzorna (979 m), only to then descend toward the valley of the Pescia and arrive triumphantly at Collodi, dominated by the majestic Villa Garzoni.
Il Quercione: between history and legend
For a day excursion, the trail of Il Quercione (Capannori) is unmissable. It is 2.8 km of white road (dirt road) that leads to the millennial tree that is said to have inspired the episode of the Cat and the Fox.
Pinocchio Gravel: the appointment not to be missed
One more occasion to celebrate will be September 6, 2026 with the Pinocchio Gravel. A collective ritual among dust, DOC hills of Montecarlo, and the iconic passage under the Nottolini Aqueduct. A way to demonstrate that, after two hundred years, the story of Pinocchio still runs fast, pushed by the desire to explore beyond the horizon.
