Tuscany has something to offer in every season. From November 14 to December 6 every weekend in San Miniato are dedicated to the fragrant truffle. This is a good opportunity to know the area by bicycle or on foot and taste the specialties of this marvelous land.
The municipality of San Miniato has a vast network of roads as well as a main road first class including the SS 67 and SGC FI-PI-LI.
But what most affect the hiker looking for natural landscapes, expanses of wooded and rural areas, are the roads that were once used by farmers and loggers and which are still widely spread.
But the feature that unites all roads in the hilly area are the beautiful views, pristine area, the ancient villages, villas of 1500 , ancient churches that disseminate throughout.
SAN MINIATO AND ITS WATERS
This route, given the length, is suitable for hiking and mountain biking as a whole can be considered as a panoramic tour of the various environments that characterize the San Miniato territory.
It starts from the Valdarno for advancing in the Vald ‘Egola, in the valley of the river Ensi, in Val d’Elsa and again in Vald’Arno; So this is a varied route that passes from the plain to the inland valleys and the hills.
It’s an easy route technically and with only 2 ascents, descents are generally easy and the roads are alternated between funds in asphalt, gravel and clay.
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It starts from the railway station of San Miniato (D-7) and headed for Fucecchio, but just past the railway underpass, turn left leaving the main road to turn onto a country road that alternates asphalt to dirt tracks. It passes sequentially through narrow subways is the railroad that the FI-PI-LI up to two interesting villas: Villa Castellonchio and Villa Badia (E-6).
Come to the SS67, turn right and continue until Ponte a Egola, turn left before crossing the bridge (E, F-5); after about 100 m on the right begins a stretch of river route that avoiding the village of Molino d’Egola us back on asphalt street. It should continue for about two kilometers and when you are in sight of the bridge over the river Egola (l-5), turn left on asphalt and after a few meters, turn right on a dirt road, which soon becomes dirt and us back on asphalt.
Turn right and cross the bridge over the stream Ensi (1-6) take the dirt road is clearly visible on the left in the direction Genovini (L-7).
In this section you can see some parts of wrecks riparian vegetation consisting of willows, white poplars and alders blacks, vegetation that often becomes more and more significant with even oaks and oaks in the secondary valleys.
Past the restaurant Genovini continues on asphalt up to the sports field of Armor-Holm (0-10), but first those interested can visit outside the Romanesque church of San Giovanni, clearly visible in the top left corner before ‘ arrival in the country.
Near the football field you see an iron bridge that crosses the river and wood rim, oltrepassatolo keep left at the first fork, but the second turn right to start climbing through a dirt road with slopes never prohibitive (max 10% ) at a time of Podere Gello (M-11); the more adventurous can instead use not the first, but the second climb you come to the right, here the slopes however reach 20%. Either you leave the Val d’Egola, characterized by fields and poplar groves, to go into the woods that cover the small inland valleys and areas inaccessible to agriculture.
After reaching the top of the hills and faced the last part of the climb, the more challenging, on a dirt road, you pass to the right to farm Gello and after a short descent, turn right, continuing on a good dirt road for about one km before you turn left to the farm Fornacino (M-12). This section allows you to see a great view of the surrounding hills of San Miniato. The road begins to descend and passed a farm complex in land becomes disused, gradients and grow in less than a km you reach the valley floor, where the other side than where we are located is an artificial lake, a picturesque place for a well deserved rest. (Bathe in this type of lakes is very DANGEROUS).
Continue downhill keeping the main ditch always on the left. Reaching the first houses and then the paved road and follow the signs for Calenzano. After about 4 km on the asphalt road goes up, but instead of the climb continue straight on dirt road, turn right before Podere Ensi (H-11) and on the road in natural background is reached home Marrucci (H-12) . Here begins the second climb of the day, the average slope is 8%.
Reached the tarmac, turn right, go past the hill Cut (G-12) and immediately turn left to go down the dirt road up to Poggio in Isola (F-13). Continue on asphalt for Ponte a Elsa, joints which cross the SS67 and near the bridge on the river Elsa, take the road that runs alongside the river on the left bank to reach Island (B-11). In these 3 km often it will be possible to follow the bank of the river, as the embankment is only the last part, the one that leads to the Island Basin Roffia. And ‘certainly suggestive of a sudden and frequent are closed to entry were in the river Arno, massive bulkheads made of metal with hand controls for the closing.
Continue on the road until it meets the asphalt, we continue to the right: the station is just 1 km.
