This itinerary is a great opportunity to travel by bike through Chianti discovering places of great scenic interest which pertain to the less well-known Chianti. Places of historical and artistic importance as the castle of Paneretta (X century), the Romanesque Church of Cedda, the castle of Strozzavolpe and the hamlet-castle of Talciona (X century), an important rest point for medieval pilgrims along the Via Francigena. From a technical point of view the path is challenging because it is a continuous up and down, although the length allows you to take it easy.
Type of road: asphalt, dirt
Type of bike: mountain bikes, hybrid
For whom: amateurs
Point of departure and arrival: Castellina in Chianti
Length: 36.99 kilometers
Vertical drop: 695
Difficulty: medium
The route to go:
The tour starts from Castellina. Where the main road SS 222 and S.S. 429 intersect, take the road towards San Donato pedaling uphill on the Macia Morta track that presents panoramic views over the Val d’Elsa and Poggibonsi. After about 3.5 km the road is less steep and then begins the descent, at this point you should be very careful and turn left at the fork to Olena (about 6 km from Castellina).
Proceed on dirt road and after crossing the village of Olena, near a drinking water spring, turn again to the left where you will face a challenging, short, stretch. Once arrived near a large oak tree turn to the left until you reach a dirt road; here turn right through an area where vineyards alternate to forests of firs, Mediterranean bush, pines and oaks. After 3 km you will find the paved road and continue passing by the castle of Paneretta and the town of Monsanto to reach the valley crossed by the highway Siena – Florence. At the end of the descent, at an old abandoned building, take a left on to a flat dirt road that soon after splits: stay on the right and prepare to climb the uphill characterized by an uneven bottom to reach the nearby village of Sorna, and after 1 km, the SS 429 paved road.
Take a left slightly uphill in the direction of Castellina passing near the Romanesque church of Cedda, which is worth a visit. After 2.5 km on the SS 429 leave the paved road again, near the wine farm Melini where the forest starts again, and take the dirt road on the right following the signs to the agritourism “La Moraia”.
Keep pedaling along this path until you get to the village of Talciona, from where you can enjoy a beautiful view over the castle of Strozzavolpe; the Pieve (church) di Strozzavolpe is also worth a visit. You will find 1 km of downhill and then turn left onto the paved road following the sign to Belvedere. Here begins the quite demanding climb (ten kilometers) on dirt road to Castellina.
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