8-day Via Francigena Walking Holidays (Part 6)

Travel to Lucca, check in to your hotel then check out the town! Wander past splendid gardens, marvel at the majestic bell tower and be stunned by the impressive Piazza Anfiteatro, a 2nd-century Roman amphitheatre. To get a better perspective, make sure to walk the perimeter along tree-lined walls. This evening, stroll round the town squares to whet your appetite and select a restaurant for dinner.

This morning you wander over to San Martin Cathedral and come face to face, in a literal sense, with the expressive ‘Volto Santo’, famous wooden statue-reliquary of Christ Crucified attributed to Nicodemus. In the afternoon, jump on the train to Fucecchio where you’ll be met for the transfer to your accommodation perched high in the hilltop town of San Miniato Alto.

Take to a bit of tarmac, then veer off on a spectacular route through quintessential Tuscan countryside in the Val d’Elsa. Thrilling to scenes straight out of the famed Road to Rome diary penned by Sigeric, Archbishop of Canterbury, you stumble upon two exquisite gems: Pieve di Coiano and Pieve a Chianni. Your route ends in Gambassi, home to Florentine nobles since its 14th-century origin.

Challenge: 7 hours, 25 km / 15,5 mi, 780 m ascent, 655 m descent

The Via Francigena cuts directly through stunning scenery today, as you make your way to peculiar villages like Collemuccioli and Pieve di Cellole stopping off to visit Santa Maria Sanctuary in Pancole. At the end of the day, San Gimignano invites you to stroll back in history. So go ahead, get lost in its charming medieval atmosphere! Then follow your nose to succulent aromas, peeking into restaurants to select a spot for dinner.

Challenge: 6 hours, 14 km / 8.7 mi, 350 m ascent/descent

The pilgrimage route simply outdoes itself today as you roam toward Rome, hiking up and down the Tuscan hills among vineyards and olive groves, fields and woodlands. If you’re feeling extra energetic, take an optional detour to the fascinating 11th-century Abbey of Santa Maria a Conero.

Challenge: 6 hours, 21 km / 13 mi, 210 m ascent, 205 m descent

Passing Pieve a Elsa, a site with a thousand-year history where a chapel once stood, you slip further back in time to the ancient Etruscan hot springs at Thermae di Caldane. Next, Strove’s robust Romanesque church awaits as does the bizarre complex at Abbadia a Isola, founded in the palindromic year of 1001. Spend the night in medieval Monteriggioni, where a peculiar crown of towers encircles the village.

Challenge: 4 hours, 13 km / 8 mi, 130 m ascent, 55 m descent

Take off on dirt tracks through the classic hills of Montagnola Senese, passing the ancient medieval village of Cerbaia, seemingly lost in time. A pretty story-book castle, ‘Castello della Chiocciola’, sprouts up among groves of trees en route to Pian del Lago, with or without a detour via Il Poggio di Riciano. Revel in the quiet coolness of Renai Forest before you strut proudly through the Porta Camollia, historic pilgrims’ gate into splendid Siena. Tonight you will embrace yet another challenge, choosing the very best place for a farewell dinner!

Challenge: 6 hours, 20 km / 12,5 mi, 225 m ascent, 245 m descent

Your self-guided pilgrimage comes to an end this morning after breakfast. Extra nights in Siena can be booked in advance, allowing time to explore this gorgeous city.