Tuscany horse riding holiday, Italy
| country: | Italy |
| location: | Tuscany |
| departures: | 2009: 9 May, 30 May, 5 Sep, 3 Oct, 17 Oct |
| price: | From €1250 (7 days) excluding flights. Includes 7 nights accommodation, full board and riding. Price based on two people sharing, single supplement €145. Maximum 6 riders, suitable for medium and above level riders |
| offers: | Free bottle of our freshly harvested extra virgin olive oil with riding breaks over November and December. |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
the amazing things you'll be doing
An adventure trail riding week in the heart of the breathtaking Italian countryside - a region full of sunlight, earthy fragrances, and hazy landscapes that have inspired artists such as the master “Giotto”, “Botticelli” and “Michelangelo” will leave you refreshed in mind, body and spirit.
This trail is dedicated to riding in the wildest of the 8 winemaking landscapes, through villages and superb countryside, past medieval monasteries located high on mountainsides, past a nunnery hidden in thick forest, past a castle that was the site of a famous assassination plot, and to Tuscanys largest lake “Il Lago del Bilancino”.
Mediterranean food, world famous wines, friendly local people to share the experience with you, and you can experience these hidden locations the way monks and pilgrims have visited them for centuries - on the back of a steady equine friend.
This trail is dedicated to riding in the wildest of the 8 winemaking landscapes, through villages and superb countryside, past medieval monasteries located high on mountainsides, past a nunnery hidden in thick forest, past a castle that was the site of a famous assassination plot, and to Tuscanys largest lake “Il Lago del Bilancino”.
Mediterranean food, world famous wines, friendly local people to share the experience with you, and you can experience these hidden locations the way monks and pilgrims have visited them for centuries - on the back of a steady equine friend.
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Pick up from Pontassieve station; transfer to Colognole. Welcome drink with your hosts before dinner. (D) |
| Day 2: | Accustom yourself to your horse, tack and the area with a half day ride through the vineyards and picnic lunch full of typical Tuscan delights - taste the fruits of the vine - the local Chianti Rufina wines, with fresh ciabatta bread, local pecorino cheese, prosciutto and parma ham whilst enjoying the Tuscan landscape and learning how your horse ticks. (B,L,D) |
| Day 3: | Trek departs. Ride through the rolling Tuscan hills, crossing rivers, and cantering through cultivated vineyards, olive groves and shaded woods. After a leisurely lunch head up to Il Bardellone to experience an astonishing view right out to Florence and Il Valdarno, before heading down to the lovely Tuscan farmhouse of the very interesting "Filippo" for a delicious Tuscan feast and glass or two of great local wine. (B,L,D) |
| Day 4: | After breakfast ride towards the stunning Trebbio Castle. Riding through golden fields and along forested ridges the views are truly spectacular, looking out over medieval buildings and castles in the distance. After lunch ride to a mountain side nunnery, built hundreds of years ago after sightings of the Virgin Mary were reported. Continue on the nights accommodation nestling high in the Florentine hills looking right out to the Duomo of the most famous renaissance city in the world. While the horses sleep over at a local stable, we stay at a lovely local lodge in Bivigliano nestled at the foot of Florences most famous monastery "Monte Senario". (B,L,D) |
| Day 5: | An early start as you head into the Mugello region for a stunning days riding. First we pass by Monte Senario built in 1245 on top of the mountain by "the seven first fathers". The site offers panoramic views of both the Mugello and Chianti Rufina regions. Then we carry on through picturesque farmland near lake Bilancino where stock graze under the watchful eyes of large white Maremmano sheepdogs under old romantic castles built by the Medici family hundred of years ago.After lunch we ride on through the stunning Mugello region, through rivers and over cultivated fields to San Cresci and the lovingly restored Villa of Carla and Salverio where you will stay the night. (B,L,D) |
| Day 6: | After breakfast in the lovely farmhouse, we saddle up and ride out through the spectacular Mugello region, where Giotto the master was brought up. We ride up towards Monte Giove, stopping off at a small lake for a Tuscan style picnic lunch. After riding up the Croce of Monte Giove (a famous meeting point for Partisans and allies in WW2) return to the sunny vineyards of Colognole for a final nights accommodation and dinner with Luigi and Sonia. (B,L,D) |
| Day 7: | Drop-off at the station after breakfast. (B) |
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
how this holiday makes a difference
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Many riding stables prefer to keep large strings of unhappy horses, their overhead dictating that each ride must be as large as possible in order to stay afloat. To us, that's not a good ride. So, we based our whole business on using great horses, well treated and well trained, and on giving great responsible travel service to the people who come ride with us.
One of the greatest benefits that you will enjoy when you choose one of our rides is the intimate, exclusive experience that is not often found with trekking centres, pack outfits, working ranches or other trail rides where 12-50 riders are common. A smaller group means more personal attention, more privacy and more individual space. You won’t get lost in a crowd with us; group size is limited to 6 enthusiastic riders per ride. This minimizes the impact of horses on the environment. We have an environmental policy to make sure that the eco-system here is not damaged in any way. Our guides are trained to uphold this policy and all clients are fully briefed on appropriate/responsible behaviour whilst riding through wilderness areas. Our “Leave No Trace” ethic is applied to all trips. We use only locally owned transport, restaurants, shops and accommodation on our tours. The atmosphere at the farm is inspired by a genuine love of the local traditions of the places, people and culture that surrounds it. It has recently been completely restored and divided into country style apartments preserving original, rustic and farm-like characteristics. Food produce is local, and where possible organic and specialized to the area. Wine is produced on the very terrain you ride across, and is of a very good quality. Local staff that know the area well are hired. During this holiday you will meet real people, and experience the culture that many larger tourism outfitters neglect. When you take one of our trips, we also make a contribution to toward the rescue centre for local birds of prey at Vicchio. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've led the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |