Ride through the picturesque hills of Val d'Orcia on horseback – castles, fortresses, historic towns, rolling hills, and cypress trees are what Tuscany is known for. Add the perfect wine and a multi-course gourmet menu, and your vacation is complete. Experience Tuscany on horseback with this riding tour, without sacrificing comfortable accommodations with a pool. Your guide grew up in this area and has been leading guests through the beautiful countryside to the most beautiful spots for many years. Excellent accommodation, excellent food!
NEW Sovana Short Trail: Take a short break over a long weekend (Thursday to Monday): this trail ride is short and sweet with 5-6 hours of riding over 3 days. Two nights are spent in Sovana and two along the riding route. Your luggage is transported and you sit down to a set lunch served by the support vehicle. See below for the program.
Itinerary
Tour itinerary Castles & Palaces Ride:
Day 1: Arrival and transfer to Agriturismo Castel Sereno with its old tuff stone buildings on 10 hectares of land. Dinner and overnight stay.
Day 2: Short transfer to the stables and allocation of horses. Then you can set off for Castello di Proceno. You will follow old paths through picturesque hills and forests. Enjoy your picnic in Castell Ottieri, a medieval fortress on a wooded hill. The Romanesque church of S. Rocco is particularly worth seeing. After lunch, you will cross the border into Lazio, where you will spend the night in the comfortable castle of Proceno. The outer wall of the castle is part of the medieval city walls of Proceno. The castle's own pool in the castle park invites you to take a refreshing dip after your ride.
Day 3: After breakfast, you set off northwards. After 3-4 hours in the saddle, you reach the wide hilly landscape of Siena again. You cross rivers and follow a ridge with a 360° view. In the shade of an impressive rock face, you enjoy your picnic with a view of Radicofani in the distance, your destination for today. On the way there, you will pass the medieval village of Celle sul Rigo, which has remained unchanged. In Radicofano, a historically significant fortified town, you will be welcomed by your host Antonello. You will enjoy an exceptional feast, which will include fresh game dishes and homemade cakes. Overnight stay in Antonello's cozy guesthouse with swimming pool.
Day 4: In the morning, you will take a short ride through the beautiful, typical hilly landscape. A wide path leads up to the summit of the Radicofano fortress (900 m above sea level), where you will enjoy your picnic. The 360° view of the surrounding Val d'Orcia landscape invites you to linger. In the afternoon, after a ride of about 1 hour, you will return to the guesthouse. You will then have time to explore the historic town on foot. Overnight stay as on the previous day.
Day 5: You will ride back to Proceno, this time along one of the most beautiful routes in the area. On the descent into the valley, enjoy the view of Castell Azzara and Proceno before following the old Cassia road, the former main link between Rome and Florence. Where the new and old Cassia roads meet lies the historic town of Centeno, where Galileo was once imprisoned while the plague raged outside. In the evening, enjoy a large buffet and overnight stay at the Castello di Proceno.
Day 6: Continue towards San Quirico, passing small, idyllic farming villages and farmsteads framed by cypress trees. Today's picnic will be in a very special place: Vitozza, an ancient Etruscan settlement consisting of around 200 ruins, including the remains of a Romanesque church and a fortress. You are now in the Città del Tufo archaeological park. The horses then lead you down into the valley along an Etruscan path that winds its way through the tuff rocks. The volcanic tuff provides the raw material for all the buildings in the area. The ride continues through a dense, rustic forest along the banks of the Lente River. You will cross the river several times until you finally leave the river and the forest behind. You will follow another Etruscan trail that leads through a 10-meter-deep gorge. To your left, the medieval town of Sorano is perched on an impressive rock face of gray tuff. A magnificent sight! After a refreshing gallop of 2 km, you reach your destination, where you are already expected. A great end to the day for horse and rider. Return to Castel Sereno (approx. 2.5 km) and enjoy a delicious multi-course dinner.
Day 7: Departure after breakfast.
Sovana Short Trail
Day 1: Arrival on Thursday evening for dinner at the hotel in Sovana, discussion of the tour.
Day 2: Friday is a day of climbing, starting in the morning from Sovana towards Proceno. A comfortable picnic lunch will be enjoyed in Castell Ottieri (a beautiful medieval village). Towards evening, you will reach the castle of Proceno.
Day 3: On Saturday morning, you will cross the Stridolone River to reach the beautiful Montorio estate (2,500 hectares) and continue on to San Quirico, where you will enjoy a comfortable picnic in the beautiful Etruscan town of Vitozza. In the afternoon, you will continue your journey towards the small and impressive volcanic lake of Mezzano, where you will spend the night in a beautiful farmhouse.
Day 4: Sunday, you will ride to Vitozza, an archaeological site of S. Quirico built in Etruscan tombs, with the remains of a fortress and a Romanesque church, and 200 caves that can be visited. Here you will enjoy another comfortable picnic. In the afternoon, you will return to Sovana by slowly following the river along a very beautiful path through an extraordinary Grand Canyon until you reach Sovana again. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 5: Departure after breakfast
Sovana Star Rides
Day 1: Arrival at the country hotel near Sovana, where riders will spend 4 nights with half board (breakfast and dinner).
Day 2: You will ride across the Fiora River to the famous and beautiful thermal waterfalls (38 degrees Celsius) of Saturnia. Lunch will be served in a small restaurant on the edge of the waterfalls. Those who wish can take a hot bath and enjoy a massage from the strong currents. Afterwards, you will return to Sovana. Approx. 6 hours in the saddle.
Day 3: The trail leads towards Saturnia across the Fiora River, this time to the beautiful village of S. Martino sul Fiora, where you will stop at a typical small restaurant. After a short rest and with a full stomach, we continue towards Sovana, crossing the Fiora River, but on a different side, many kilometers before, on a beautiful path to the horse stables, and sometimes we ride on Etruscan paths... max. 5 hours in the saddle.
Day 4: Today you will ride towards the Etruscan cave and stop at the beautiful and large Etruscan tomb of Ildebranda (one of the most beautiful tombs in central Italy). The tour continues through the vast vineyards of the Antinori family. Since 1385, when Giovanni di Piero Antinori founded Italy's first winery, the Antinori family has been one of Italy's largest wine producers. Afterwards, you will stop at a restaurant along the way. “La customs” is a special place for good food. After lunch, you will ride back to Sovana. Approximately 4 hours in the saddle, the day trip takes 1-2 hours longer if you would like to visit the wine cellar in addition to the tombs.
Day 5: Departure after breakfast.
Subject to change.