160 castles, the Apennine Tosco Emiliano National Park, forests, medieval villages, mountains and rivers. If you go cycling in Lunigiana in the north of Tuscany, you will find all of this. The alternation between relatively flat cycling along the river and climbing up the mountain passes makes the area fantastic for sporty cyclists. We spoke with Arnoud Thuss, an expert on the region, who also owns a very beautiful farm in the region from which he organizes cycling holidays.
Cycling in Lunigiana – Unexplored area
The area has not yet been discovered by tourists, which allows you to enjoy a wonderfully peaceful stay on the Strada del Vino or the Via del Sale (known from the GranFondo). Also the Via del Volte Santo and Via Francigena lie at your feet, alongside other, unknown routes. The history of these goes back to the Middle Ages. Do you choose winding country roads between olive trees and vineyards or do you go for serious slopes up to around 1700 meters altitude? You will find in Lunigiana Not only the friendly hill landscape typical of Tuscany, but also a rugged mountain landscape. There is something for everyone.
Cycling holiday
With a 17th-century farmhouse as a base, Arnoud Thuss, from www.fietsenintoscane.nl Customized cycling holidays for small groups. “We do our best to make cyclists feel at home in the accommodation. We know where the most beautiful places are based on a route. We let everyone experience a beautiful cycling adventure, while they know what to expect. It’s useful if you know in advance how tough the route is. You know where the really steep sections are and what the quality of the road surface is. Also useful for gravel cyclists: which unpaved paths are being maintained or not. Preferably, I ride with the people to show the highlights. At our farm, guests can use the entire farm, where they can eat, drink and relax.” There is a large area at the farm where you can take a walk among the fruit trees, olive trees and a herb garden. Are you ready? Then you can go make a pizza in the wood-fired pizza oven on the terrace.
Typical dishes
In the old town of Pontremoli you can enjoy the “piatti tipici”, such as the Testarolo, where the deliciousness of pasta and pancakes seems to come together. Of course there is also the Amor Pontremolese, a kind of tompouce but (even better) even tastier. Go to Podenzana for the original ‘Panigacci di Podenzana’ (street food bread with grilled meat or cheese). In Fivizzano you will find a good Torta d’erbi (vegetable pie) and in autumn a delicious caffè and ‘castagnaccio’ (pie made from chestnut flour).
Cycling tour through the Apennine Tosco Emiliano National Park
From Liciana Nardi we set off early for a challenging 95-kilometer ride. This route passes by the vineyards of the Strada del Vino dei Colli di Candia and through the forest towards Fivizzano. Along the way, there is beautiful views of the mountain ranges of Monte Tambura and Monte Cusna. After coffee in Fivizzano, we drive past the impressive Fortezza di Verrucola. Then the journey continues through the heart of the National Park of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. There are 3 mountain passes waiting for us at about 1250 meters. The nature is overwhelming. We pass rock walls, forests, lakes, waterfalls, a ski resort and villages where almost nothing has changed in the last 100 years. Not even the recipe for the authentic lunch at the tiny Bar Caffe 1207 in Vallisnera.
At the end of the ride, there awaits a rewarding descent of 20km over good asphalt, where we glide down from Passo Lagastrello with beautiful views. It is a wonderful ride for well-trained nature lovers who enjoy climbing (max about 10%) and a bit of challenge. That is cycling in Lunigiana at its best.
Questions & tips
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