Walking holidays are becoming increasingly popular. More and more people are rediscovering walking as a means of relaxation, challenge, escape and also healing.
Walking is the most natural thing in the world, like breathing and talking. But walking holidays have become a real important phenomenon especially in the last 10 years. Walking holidays actually hide multiple meanings and can positively influence our lives.
Walking reveals the secrets of putting one foot in front of the other to complete a journey without necessarily having a specific purpose. The beauty of walking holidays lies in the act itself. It also lies in the way in which body and soul communicate, in a different dimension from everyday life. A daily life that often makes us sick, because it is stressful, crowded, polluted, sedentary and so on. So the journey represents an escape and at the same time a “healing” from this model of sick life.
Undoubtedly that of Santiago both from the Portuguese and the French side remains the most famous walk in the world. However, there are many who from all over the world choose Italy as a destination for important walking tours. In Italy the most important is without doubt the Via Francigena . This 1800 km long route starts from Canterbury in England and arrives in Rome. In an ancient variant, it leads to the bottom of Puglia at the very tip of the heel of the boot. From here the pilgrims embarked for Jerusalem touching the ports of Corfu, Crete, Rhodes, Cyprus and Haifa.
Mugello & Tuscany takes care of Tuscany thus it seems just fair to mention the Tuscan section of the Via Francigena. According to many it is by far the most beautiful stretch from a landscape and artistic point of view with almost 400 km of absolute beauty. From this point of view it is far superior even to the Camino de Santiago.
In Tuscany there are 16 stages all of rare beauty of the Via Francigena with breathtaking views and varied landscapes. There are numerous famous villages crossed by the Tuscan Francigena. The most beautiful are Pontremoli, Aulla, Massa and Camaiore in the northern part. For the center-south we mention San Miniato, San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Ponte d’Arbia, San Quirico d’Orcia, Bagno Vignoni and Radicofani.
It should be remembered that Lucca and Siena are also included in the Tuscan Francigena. For both we strongly recommend that you budget an extra day. If you want to enjoy the beauty of the Tuscan countryside as protagonists, make at least 2 sections of Francigena. For us at Mugello & Tuscany the best of the Via Francigena is the one that runs through the province of Siena. True pole of attraction for pilgrims thirsting for spirituality, places of art, uncontaminated nature and inns where to sleep and eat in peace and simplicity.
The Via Francigena climbs the wooded “Montagnola”, touches the vineyards of the “Chianti” and goes into the desertic “Crete”, passing near abbeys, hermitages, castles and medieval villages of amazing beauty. In the Middle Ages they developed right along the axis of the Francigena and today they resisted the fury of the time to present themselves to the traveler even more beautiful and enthralling.
Mugello & Tuscany also organises walking and cycling holidays and will direct you to the best accommodations along the way. Please don’t hesitate to contact us.