Even though many campsites in Tuscany are closed during the winter, campervans are now tolerated for one night in the usual beach car parks or on pitches on the outskirts of towns. You can even have pizza delivered straight to your campervan.
Even so, people in Italy naturally prefer to go out for a meal. And that’s the advantage of a cycling trip on the mainland: there are far more restaurants and cafés open here than on an island that’s mainly geared towards summer tourism.
Where the locals are currently digging up new top spots
In any case, the two enduro specialists, Ines Thoma and Max Schumann, have made the most of the wonderfully relaxed winter months in Tuscany to gather routes for their trail guide. In doing so, they cruised along the coast without any motorhome convoys, met locals building trails and, thanks to their route tips, stumbled upon mountain inns serving fresh game and mushroom dishes based on traditional recipes.
They were particularly taken with towns with narrow, winding streets, which you don’t even notice in summer for all the “Where on earth is the ferry terminal?!” shouts. The biggest advantage of this cycling spot, however, is that if the weather does take a turn for the worse, you can simply carry on south along the coastal road. After all, the Apennines, with all their unique cycling spots, stretch right down the length of the Italian ‘boot’.
One thing you really shouldn’t miss, however, is the Rincine trail area near Florence. If you’re up for the challenge of tackling a 5.5-kilometre-long gravel track with 500 metres of elevation gain, you’ll now find a selection of 30 challenging trails here that are an absolute must-try.
Information on Tuscany
Rincine Trail Area
The more than 30 trails around the village near Florence wind their way through a sort of no-man’s-land in the Apennines at altitudes ranging from 1,000 to 1,657 metres (Monte Falco). The area is maintained by the ‘Freeride Firenze’ association, which also provides a shuttle service at weekends. Contact them via Instagram.
Tuscany Trails – the book
If you enjoy challenging enduro trails and are a fan of Tuscany, you won’t want to miss this tour guide “Tuscan Trails” by Ines Thoma and Max Schumann There’s no getting round it. The book features all the key trail walks along the coast, on the small islands and in the Apennines. It also includes the addresses of their favourite restaurants. Price: 34.90 euros, delius-klasing.de
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
