We weren’t really planning on spending much time in Florence. Wasn’t it just another big city? What was the advantage for us to stop off to see a populated city?
Well, one of the bonuses to staying in Florence is that it is in the Chianti region. We don’t usually do guided tours, so when we do, it has to be worth the money. It also has to be an experience that is quintessential to a particular region. Something that we consider a ‘must do’. I couldn’t think of any better reason for booking ourselves onto a cycling Wine Tour through the Chianti countryside. More on this later in the blog.
Enroute to Florence
Google maps showed that the most direct route from Siena to Florence should take us 1hr 9 min (some 74kms). This involves the Autostrada and tolls.
One advantage of having time as our friend, we decided to programme in a route into the GPS to avoid all tolls and Autostradas. Otherwise, take a long way.
Taking some fabulous country backroads took us through the rolling hills of Tuscany and the grapevine-full paddocks of Chianti.
Montefioralle
There are many little historical, medieval towns to stop off at but we decided to head to Montefioralle.
As the town is virtually car-free we parked the car in the designated parking area and made our way up the hill on foot to wander around the alleyways and lanes of this ancient town.
The steep, narrow alley and lanes made for great exploring
Montefioralle is still enclosed in the original defensive walls with four gates. The settlement can be dated back as far as 1085 and was one of largest military centres in the area.
The stone houses line the ancient streets which climb through the village and create a charming and peaceful atmosphere (also helped with it being mid-week). Some houses are inside the old towers that were part of the original medieval town.
vineyards and olive groves, truly Tuscany
On the highest point of the village is the church of Saint Stefano which was rebuilt in the 17th century. This was the perfect place to stand in awe of the panoramic view of a patchwork of vineyards, olive groves, old farms and green everywhere.
Florence
Cradle of the Renaissance, romantic, enchanting and utterly irresistible, Florence (Firenze) is a place to feast on world-class art and gourmet Tuscan cuisine – Lonely Planet
When doing our research on Florence (Firenze), we discovered that the city can be a ‘minefield’ of ZTL’s. I’ve previously written about these zones which are a ‘no-go zone’ for vehicles without permits (see the blog on Driving in Europe – Tips and Tricks). There is a hefty fine for each time you are caught driving through these areas. Camera’s are mounted at each sign and you can find yourself with traffic violations galore – all posted to your home country address.
The trick is being able to spot the signs in advance and ensure that you do not cross the line! In Florence, they are not that easy to spot and many a tourist has been caught out.
Villa Costanza Car Park
One good way to avoid any problems is to use the Villa Costanza Car Park
This is the first ‘Drive and Tramway’ carpark in Italy. Conveniently located beside the A1 highway and easily accessed from the north or south.
It is connected to the T1 Leonardo tramway line and a 22-minute ride to the Santa Maria Novella train station which is located in the heart of Florence city centre.
The tram departs every 6-8 minutes. For information on prices and how to buy tickets, click on the link here.
Accommodation
We stayed in Florence for two nights so we wanted somewhere we could park the car closeby. We chose Casal Dei Cento Acri on booking.com. This is a family run BnB on the outskirts of Florence but still within walking distance to the city centre. It cost us €133/$237NZ including breakfast for the two nights.
We really loved it here, located behind high walls but a huge open space with gardens and vegetable patches galore.
Loved our accommodation, family run and perfect location
There was public transport we could have caught if we wanted to get into the city but we walked it. It did take us about 45 minutes to get to the central areas but it was flat going and quite picturesque.
This meant that we didn’t need to worry about ZTL’s, park and rides, parking fees or security for our car.
Things to See in Florence
Not being particularly interested in art or the Renaissance and being a little over cathedrals, we narrowed down the sites that we wanted to see in Florence.
The Accademia: Michelangelo’s David
The first attraction we headed for was The Accademia to see Michelangelo’s David. We had downloaded Rick Steves Audio Guide and wandered around listening to the history on David.
Michelangelo was only 26 years old when he started work on David in 1501. He stands 5 meters (almost 17ft) and is made out of a single piece of solid marble. The marble came from the quarries in Tuscany and is one of the whitest in the world.
We were concerned that there may have been a queue to get in as it is one of the most popular tourist destinations. Arriving at 4 pm in the afternoon may have worked in our favour as there were no queues and walked straight up the ticket office and in we went.
Rick Steves ‘A Renaissance Walk’ Audio Guide
Our audio guide took around some of the many cathedrals, Piazzas and bridges.
The cathedral was begun at the end of the 13th century, and the dome, which dominates the exterior, was added in the 15th century
We started our tour at the Piazza Duomo which is Florence’s most iconic landmarks. It’s pink, white and green marble facade and Bell Tower dominate the cityscape. It also boasts 44 stained-glass windows.
Our walk finished off at the Ponte Vecchio bridge across the Arno River. It is one of the most striking of Florence’s six bridges. It is thought to date back as far as the Romans who constructed stone pillars and wooden planks on this spot.
The bridge survived WWII when the German’s destroyed all of the city’s bridges except this one
The covered bridge was initially built as a means of defence but later space was sold to merchants to set up shops. Today, the bridge is still full of vendors selling gold jewellery to passing tourists.
Cycling Wine Tour in Chianti
We jumped at the chance of combining two of our favourite pastimes – wine and cycling.
It is almost impossible to travel through Chianti (which encompasses Florence and Siena) without contemplating at least one or two opportunities to taste the many flavour wines that are cultivated in this area.
There are many options available when it comes to booking wine tours and tastings. Many of the wineries offer tastings with a booking only. Sometimes this can only be with a group so doing it freestyle can be difficult.
IbikeTuscany.com
After some research online, we decided to book with IbikeTuscany. They specialise in small groups, had good reviews and offered hotel pick-up in Florence.
The day included minivan transport, 3 wineries with tastings, tours and lunch. It cost us €310/$554 inclusive for two of us. By far the most expensive activity we’ve done.
We were picked up at 9 am and transported by minivan to Fonterutoli for our first wine tasting. With only 4 of us in the group, it wasn’t long before our cycles were set up and we were ready to start our cycle tour.
Yup, I think you could say that I was in “my happy place”
We could cycle at our own pace on peaceful country lanes, through endless vineyards, olive groves and century-old farmhouses. Yes, there were a few hills (this is Tuscany!!) but we could take our time and our efforts were rewarded when we reached our next winery for a tasting. The cycling was quite challenging in some places as we are out of cycle shape, but it was manageable.
This winery has gone back to the old age tradition of aging wine in terracotta as well as oak
We were cycling self-guided as our guide would meet us at the next destination or where we needed to make a turning for directional purposes. It was also very handy to have the minivan following us so that any of our purchases could be placed safely inside.
Purchases
One bottle of gin and one bottle of Chianti Classico later, we finished off with a beautiful authentic Italian lunch and wine pairings overlooking a beautiful valley of vines. Thankfully there was no more cycling after this so we could sit back and relax in the van for the trip back to Florence.
We visited the small family wineries producing some of the top Chianti Classico. We finished off the tour in beautiful surroundings and local cheeses.
Click on the video link below for some of our Florence highlights.
Your photos brought back fond memories and a recommendation for accommodation that we might have to try out.