Horse riding trek in Tuscany, Italy
| country: | Italy |
| location: | Tuscany |
| departures: | 2010: 6 Mar, 20 Mar, 3 Apr, 17 Apr, 24 Apr, 3 Jul, 28 Aug |
| price: | From €1400 (8 days) excluding flights. |
| more info: | Price includes 7 nights accommodation, full board and riding. Price based on two people sharing, single supplement €145 |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
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introduction to Horse riding trek in Tuscany, Italy
Discover a territory whose origins are lost in the mists of time. In Tuscany, particularly in Valdelsa - ride point to point to three fortressed villages rich in history and charm, filled with ancient monasteries and churches, castles and medieval buildings that are just waiting to unfold before your eyes.
We invite you on a horseriding holiday that is completely unique, riding through some of the most spectacular countryside, discovering Etruscan and Roman settlements and ruins. You will negotiate narrow forest tracks,canter through the volterrean hills, ride along trails used by Etruscans, Romans, and Medieval pilgriims.
We invite you on a horseriding holiday that is completely unique, riding through some of the most spectacular countryside, discovering Etruscan and Roman settlements and ruins. You will negotiate narrow forest tracks,canter through the volterrean hills, ride along trails used by Etruscans, Romans, and Medieval pilgriims.
Highlights of this tour are riding to two of the most famous Etruscan and Medieval hilltop villages in Tuscany. San Gimignano is a tower studded diadem set upon a hilltop dominating the entire valley of the Elsa, in the collective imagination the contours of San Gimignano are the quintessential symbol of the middle ages. The seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (the 3rd and the 2nd century b.c.), its history started around the 10th century, whilst Volterra is a city set in a spectacular position on a steep ridge above the Balze Volterra (Voterrean cliffs). This city was founded by the Etruscans, and was once one of the most prominent of the twelve cities of Etruria.
Discover these spectacular Etruscan and Medieval cities on the back of a well trained, willing equine friend. Experienced guides and support teams make your trip comfortable, and you will experience four different ocally owned Tuscan lodges (all of a very high quality) on this the trail of a lifetime!
Discover these spectacular Etruscan and Medieval cities on the back of a well trained, willing equine friend. Experienced guides and support teams make your trip comfortable, and you will experience four different ocally owned Tuscan lodges (all of a very high quality) on this the trail of a lifetime!
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Meet at Pisa to transfer you to the farm around 16.30 pm. After you have accustomed yourself with the surrounding landscape, walked up to meet the horses etc and perhaps had a nice glass of Chianti, we meet to discuss the weeks riding and events before dinner. (D) |
| Day 2: | Breakfast at 9am. We start all our trails with a half hour lesson with your horse, here we explain our training techniques, and accustom you as to your western or Australian style tack. We then embark on a full days riding to Montaione, stopping off for lunch at the enchanting convent "San Vivaldo". The riding is excellent - soft forest trails that open into wide panoramic views over the Val D Elsa and Val D Era.You will ride through classical Tuscany hillside scenery, surrounded by the smell of typical mediterranean herbs.We then ride to the Roman cistern that lies just outside the old Etruscan village "Montaione"and then return in time for dinner in Iano. (B,L,D) |
| Day 3: | Today we depart for four days of point to point riding.We ride to the mysterious ruins of the Sanctuary of Pietrina, first recorded in a document from 1118, which has a magnificent panoramic view out to Volterra.We then ride to the village of Villamagna, cutting through cultivated fields of corn, sunflowers and small lakes.From Villamagna we ride on to the outskirts of the impressive fortressed city of Volterra where we feed and water our horses, and relax for the night with fine Tuscan food and wine.(B,L,D) |
| Day 4: | Once again we depart around 9.30am, this time to explore the Volterra countryside, entering the actual city perimeter to see the famous Roman ampitheatre and Etruscan ruins. The landscape is one of rolling wild hills scattered with Cyprus trees and stone farmhouses ste amongst fields of wild flowers. The picnic will be at the Volterra where we are able to savour the local wine and specialties of the region. Then we ride under the high cliffs of Volterra, thickly forested with views out to the sea to the nights accommodation for another fantastic Tuscan dinner.. (B,L,D) |
| Day 5: | Depart around 9h30 in direction of San Gimignano. This world famous village is one of Italy’s great cultural and historical treasures. This beautiful city dominates the Elsa valley with its 11 towers. The seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (the 3rd and the 2nd century b.c.), its history started around the 10th century and the town takes its name from St. Gimignano, Bishop of Modena, who is said to have saved the village from hordes of barbarians. It developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena" a pilgrimage route that crossed it. For our picnic lunch, we stop near Castel D San Gimignano. Here you have a chance to visit the village. In the afternoon we’ll ride to the hills surrounding San Gimignano, and ride across vineyards to our nights accommodation. Dinner and overnight at a local guesthouse.(B,L,D) |
| Day 6: | Depart around 9h30 in direction of San Gimignano. This world famous village is one of Italy’s great cultural and historical treasures. This beautiful city dominates the Elsa valley with its 11 towers. The seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (the 3rd and the 2nd century b.c.), its history started around the 10th century and the town takes its name from St. Gimignano, Bishop of Modena, who is said to have saved the village from hordes of barbarians. It developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena" a pilgrimage route that crossed it. For our picnic lunch, we stop near Castel D San Gimignano. Here you have a chance to visit the village. In the afternoon we’ll ride to the hills surrounding San Gimignano, and ride across vineyards to our nights accommodation. Dinner and overnight at a local guesthouse. (B,L,D) |
| Day 7: | Today you have a free day to explore Florence, or relax by the pool.We will provide transfers to Casterlfiorentino to catch the train into the centre of Florence, where you can discover the heart of the Italian Renaissance.(B,D) |
| Day 8: | After breakfast we organize a transfer to Pisa airport, or you are welcome to add on a few days to relax at the farm. |
how this holiday makes a difference
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Environment
The Equitrekking stables of Kiwi / Italian hosts Jess and Paolo is located 35 km west of Florence, and offers authentic & unique horseback trails and riding vacations through one of the most beautiful parts of Italy. We use horses that have been specifically chosen for the job at hand, tack that is designed for those who spend time in the saddle, and both our guides and ourselves have years of international experience in the equine industry. For us responsible travel also is all about the treatment of our most valued assets- our much loved horses . Our equine friends live out in established herds during the summer and the winter as we believe that it is important for our horse’s mental and physical well-being that they get time to 'be a horse' they need time to play, groom, roll and interact with other horses at some point during every day - this is the horses way of relaxing. We do not keep our horses stabled 24/7 for convenience, they live as close to nature as is practical and this is what makes them happy, relaxed and a pleasure to handle and ride. Responsible Travel is important to us. We have an environmental policy in place to make sure that the eco-system here is not damaged in any way. Our staff are trained to uphold this policy and are fully briefed on appropriate/responsible behavior whilst riding through wilderness areas. Our “Leave No Trace” ethic is applied to all trips.
We are proud to be recommended by the Rough Guides "Clean Breaks" 2009 edition earlier this year. 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 ,more individual space and minimizes the impact of horses on the environment. You won’t get lost in a crowd with us; group size is limited to 8 enthusiastic riders per ride. We use only locally owned transport, restaurants, shops and accommodation on our tours. Community 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. We use only locally owned transport, restaurants, shops and accommodation on our tours. The atmosphere at the lodges we use on this trip areinspired by a genuine love of the local traditions of the places, people and culture that surrounds them. 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. |
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. |
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