The Trekkingbike team has researched three tour suggestions, between ore hills, hot springs, vineyards and chestnut forests.
Tour tips
Tour 1:
"Through the Colli Metallifere" - easy to moderately difficult, 60 km, mostly little-used side roads
Massa Marittima - Ghirlanda - Niccioleta - Prata - Tatti - Collacchia - Lago dell'Accesa - Capanne - Massa Marittima
Tour 2:
"Around Monte Argentario" - moderately difficult, 40 km, mostly little-used but partly steep island roads, some kilometres on gravel
Orbetello - (possible detour to the beach at Bocca dell'Albegna) - Porto Santo Stefano - Punta Lividonia - Porto Ercole - Orbetello
Tour 3:
"South Tuscany Highlights" - easy to moderately difficult, 45 km (stitch tour; better spread over two days as a round trip), little to moderately busy country roads
Saturnia - Poggio Capanne - Catabbio - San Martino sul Fiora - Sovana - Sorano - Pitigliano
Best time to travel
May/June and September/October. In midsummer it is too hot for long cycle tours.
Arrival
By car via the Brenner Pass or through Switzerland to Modena, from there via the A1 motorway to Bologna and Florence. Take the toll-free Firenze-Siena motorway to the Poggibonsi exit, then continue on country roads 541, 73 and 441 to Massa Marittima.
By train from Munich via Florence to Grosseto takes 12 to 14 hours with two changes.
Accommodation
Albergo Podere Massa Vecchia, Ernesto Hutmacher, I-58024 Massa Marittima (GR), Tel. 0039-0566/903885, Fax 0039-0566/901838, http://www.massavecchia.it
Very friendly cyclists' hotel with pool and bike workshop on the outskirts of town (excellent cuisine!), plus a small branch in the old town.
Literature/Maps
Bikeline "Radatlas Toscana", cycle tour book and map 1:100,000, 180 p., 14.50 euros.
Kompass hiking and biking map no. 651 "Maremma, Argentario, Grosseto, Isola del Giglio" 1:50,000, 6.95 euros.
The best guide for general travel information: Michael Müller "Südtoscana", 256 p., 15.90 euros.
Information
Italian National Tourist Office (ENIT), Kaiserstr. 65, 60329 Frankfurt/Main, Tel. 00800/00482542, Fax 069/232894, further offices in Munich and Berlin, http://www.enit.it, http://www.toscanapromozione.it
