Today you arrive in Italy. From Pisa airport the little town of Follonica is an easy 1 hour train journey south. We’ll collect you from the station and transfer you to your accommodation, the delightful Hotel Prategiano, set high in the Maremma hills of Tuscany.

The walks that follow can be swapped around to suit your mood, with the free days also moved as you decide. All are graded as Mild, so should be well-within the ability of any reasonably fit person.

To start we transfer to Chiusdino, 11 km from Montieri and the start of your walk. Today you’ll walk through meadows with fantastic views to hilltop villages, visit the Abbey of San Galgano and the chapel of Monte Siepe.

During the Middle Ages a strong flow of travellers followed the road linking Siena to Maremma and as a consequence parish churches, hospitals, lodging houses etc. were built all along it. The foundation of the great abbey complex of San Galgano by Cistercian monks in the 13th century is linked to this important line of communication and it became the economic and cultural centre of the region, but was abandoned after the plague epidemic and the following economic crisis of the 14th and 15th century.

This wonderful first day of walking takes you through the heart of this historic region letting you soak up the history and views at your own, gentle pace.
12km and with 300m of ascent as you walk on local trails (9km) and backroads (2km).

At the end of the walk you’ll be picked up at San Galgano for the transfer back to the hotel.

A wonderful walk that takes you along a remote valley following the springs of the river Cecina and includes a visit to the medieval village of Travale.

There is some proof that Travale has been in existence since at least 1135. The original town wall is by now only partially visible (at the travertine gateway with its rounded arch) and nearby in a round stone tower. At the highest part of the village there is the 14th century church, which houses a beautiful 14th -century sculptured crucifix.

10km and with 400m of ascent as you walk on local trails (9km) and backroads (1km).

The first of two free days. Today you can relax and enjoy the hotel pool with a book, or maybe head to Siena an hour away – easy to reach by public transport at around Euro 8/person. Alternatively why not head to Massa Marittima today? Described as a mini-Siena it has a 13th century Duomo, the Palazzo Pretorio housing an archaeological museum and several interesting churches along with a wealth of narrow streets to explore. Transport can either be by public bus or our private minibus (both at extra cost).

A third days of walking as you transfer to Gerfalco and enjoy fantastic views, a visit to the medieval village of Gerfalco, the chance to picnic at a local silver mines.

In Gerfalco you can discover a well-preserved circular defence tower, the Florentine gate with its round arch and a church built on the remains of a 12th century foundations.

Also included are the "Cornate and Fosini" Natural Reserve contains Fosini Castle, the red ammonite quarries famous for having provided the material for the construction of Siena cathedral and the remains of a 12th century silver mine. Le Cornate is a mountainous massif made of sheer limestone cliffs reaching a height of 1060m and is considered to be one of the best spots in the area from which to observe the stars and night sky due to its low level of light pollution.

9km and with 450m of ascent as you walk on local trails (7km) and backroads (2km).

Today head out uphill in front of the hotel and follow trail no 25 which starts at the community park "Il Piano". Leaving the park on your left, follow the winding forested path towards the east side of the Poggio di Montieri and the trail passes Il Pozzo del Beat, the medieval remains of a mine. This is a pleasant walk today with great views of the Poggio di Montieri and a fitting end to the walks this week.

Sadly today your tour ends after breakfast with a transfer back to Follonica.