Leaving Pisa airport (PSA) we take the 90 minute transfer to Cinque Terre where we enjoy the first of many hotel stays for the trip. Today we will build our bikes, get to know each other and get ready for our tremendous journey ahead!

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,310 Metres Approx.

What better official start to our Italian Grand Traverse than riding from the northern part of the Cinque Terre, known as the ‘Gateway‘, through the whole of this UNESCO Heritage site to then reach the Massa Carrara Riviera in Tuscany. People normally associate Cinque Terre with fabulous walking along the cliffs, reaching beautiful villages and drinking Limoncello at sunset, but very few people mention the cycling. Staying high up on the ridge, with options to drop down into the many amazing villages, the panoramic views are amazing and the riding spectacular; vineyards, olive groves, farm terraces and trees bearing yellow, sweet lemons, with a backdrop of deep blue Mediterranean Sea, make up for every metre of climbing along the coastal route south.

We drop into La Spezia, a busy town and important Mediterranean port, a sharp contrast to the start of the day, but an ideal location to stop for a re-group and a re-fuel before moving on down the coast. We are leaving the hilly regions and for the latter part of the day we will be riding along the Riviera of Carrara, on the edge of the Apennines. The white peaks which we will keep on our left as we ride down the coast are a reminder of the famous marble quarries that Michelangelo favoured for all his great work, including the statue of David in Florence.

We stay on the Riviera for the night, and weather permitting we can take a dip in the Med to end wonderfully our first day in the saddle.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,370 Metres Approx.

After breakfast, it’s time to say goodbye to the Thyrrenian coast as we ride inland, towards the lower hills of the Apennines, on our way to Lucca. A couple of switchbacks lead us through a mixture of woodland and pastures where we follow some minor roads. These roads lead us into Tuscany, where we reach the high point of this morning near Piazzano, then descend into the Serchio Valley. Riding along the river on a car-free cycle path, we enter Lucca through one of the many gates of the fortified city. We can’t come to Lucca without riding along the perimeter of the city walls, joining the many locals and stopping in the piazza for a coffee break.

Our route continues south of Lucca and we are now heading towards the heart of Tuscany, where we start to recognise the pictoresque landscape that makes this region so attractive to cycle in. The route becomes a roller coaster ride past farm holdings, olive groves and small vineyards, interspersed by dramatically perched hamlets on hill tops. One of these is our home for the night, San Gimignano, the town of towers, silhouetted on the horizon as we approach from the north. In San Gimignano, we celebrate the day’s achievements with an ‘aperitif’ in the Piazza and our first taster of Tuscan regional delights.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,830 Metres Approx.

Another full day of riding through the best that Tuscany has to offer. Leaving San Gimignano, we start with a fast sweeping descent to the lower plains of Poggibonsi, to then ride up gently into the Chianti region, over alluvial hills ideal for the growing of San Giovese vines that transform into the world famous Chianti DOC red wine. Vineyards alternate with dense woods as we make our way to Siena. Our coffee break is in Piazza del Campo in Siena, famous for the Palio and with the dramatic Duomo in the background, an idyllic stop before we hop back on our bikes.

Moving towards the Val d‘Orcia, the landscape changes yet again as we roller-coaster along the clay hills lined with cypress trees so typical of the Tuscan landscape. Along the way, we ride through Asciano and San Giovanni d‘Asso, well-preserved medieval towns, that add to the charm of this area and make for another well-deserved fuel stop.

The last few miles of our journey are spent riding through the walnut-clad wooded hills with the small villages of Montisi and Castelmuzio eventually leading us in to Pienza.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,390 Metres Approx.

Today we leave Tuscany to discover Umbria, the green heart of Italy. An ideal destination for those who enjoy responsible tourism, Umbria is an enviable mix of history, nature and art. The entry into Umbria is the most spectacular, thanks to the beautiful scenery of Lake Trasimeno.

From Castiglione del Lago, we head along the south shore of the lake before turning off and heading south to explore the green hills of Umbria leading towards Assisi, the city of Saint Francis. Assisi is above all a splendid city of art. It would be unforgivable to miss a short visit to its historic centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just outside the walls, dominating the city, there is the magnificent Castle Maggiore, rebuilt in 1367 on an earlier structure (1174) of an ancient feudal castle.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,595 Metres Approx.

Tuscany and Umbria are obviously a ‘must’ on our trip, a Grand Traverse of Italy cannot ignore them. But we were faced with a dilemma; to continue south along the coast or stay on the Apennines? We chose the latter option. We wanted to show a side of Italy little-known, but no less beautiful. From this point on our route could be called ‘the tour of the National Parks‘. Let’s start with the Regional Park of Mount Subasio, just outside of Assisi. Then we have, in order; Parco dei Monti Sibillini, the Monti della Laga National Park of Gran Sasso, Parco della Majella and the Park of Gargano.

Today we leave from Assisi and cycle to the charming town of Spoleto, keeping for the most part on a quiet cycle path running parallel to the Clitunno River. From Spoleto we then start climbing up the lower slopes of the Apennines, enjoying the first views of the soaring peaks of the central Italian Apennines. Today’s climb, although not very hard, will be a worthy prelude to our next couple of days in the Apennines. At the end of the day’s ride we arrive at the small hamlet of Monteleone di Spoleto.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 2,515 Metres Approx.

From Monteleone di Spoleto today we set off for what is the hardest – and arguably also the most rewarding! – ride of our journey down Italy. We aim for the Gran Sasso National Park, home to the highest peaks of the Central Italian Apennines. During our day we will be climbing to over 1,600m, offering the best view of the imposing limestone peaks of the Gran Sasso. The high plains dominated by the peaks are also know as ‘Little Tibet’ due to their spectacular scenery. Our day’s destination is the tiny mountain village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, situated on a green hill overlooking a small lake, which has preserved its medieval architecture almost completely.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 2,325 Metres Approx.

The Majella Mountain, known locally as ‘the Mother Mountain‘, is part of the Abruzzi Apennines, and is characterised by its high, imposing wild limestone blocks, which are deeply furrowed by yawning valleys, and culminates at Monte Amaro at 2,793m. With its extraordinarily wild nature and its rich historical, archaeological and architectural features, it is a fundamental part of the world heritage of national parks.

Its incredible geographical position, its harshness, dense woodlands, abundant rivers and unstable climate, makes the Majella region, together with the near Gran Sasso and Laga’s Mountains Park as well as Sirente Velino Regional Park, a rare ‘hot spot’ for national bio-diversity conservation which is precious for the many endangered plants and animal species, including wolves and bears.

But it is also a park of ancient hermitages, abbeys, stone huts and some wonderful historic terraced centres perched on the side of steep mountains. The most challenging section today is located right in the heart of the Park of Majella and is considered a ‘must’ by all cyclists in the area. From the valley to Passo San Leonardo it’s a stretch of 30km of gradual climbing. The scenery is stunning as you gradually ride between the majestic Monte Amaro and Monte Morrone. From the pass we descend again following the Apennines to reach the small village of Pizzoferrato, through the Valley of the Sun.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,730 Metres Approx.

From Pescocostanzo today we cycle onward through the Majella Mountains of the little known and thus largely unspoiled Molise region. In order to get to our day’s destination we wind our way along the deep Molise valleys and into the green hills through the small villages of Castel di Sangro, Pietrabbondante and Bagnoli del Trigno. This is the country of fir trees, and the Abetina Rosello wilderness.

At the end of the day we will arrive at Campobasso, the capital city of the Molise region, which has a long history going back to Roman and medieval times. Most of the city’s main monuments date from more recent times, including the 14th century Castello Monforte.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,080 Metres Approx.

From the countryside of Alto Molise today we head again towards the coast. Today is a relaxing ride through rolling landscapes as we cycle up and down the hills of alluvial clay, through sunflower fields and olive groves as far as the eye can see. Once on the coast, we head to Termoli, an old walled-city overlooking the Adriatic.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 900 Metres Approx.

Moving south on our journey through Italy, from Termoli we first make our way through the low foothills on the border of Molise and Puglia, before descending onto the coast again. Here we arrive in the Park of the Gargano, a limestone promontory full of caves and caverns, but also cloaked by coastal forests of pine and oak trees, crops of almond, orange and olive trees.

The low and sandy coast here gradually becomes steep with high limestone cliffs that open into coves of fine sand, popular with beach-goers in the summer months. The interior is largely covered by the Umbra Forest, which wraps the cape with beech and pine trees, forming the heart of the Gargano National Park. In this lush vegetation, perhaps the richest in southern Italy, the towns have preserved their ancient structure, with winding streets and whitewashed houses.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 1,940 Metres Approx.

Today’s ride is a spectacular journey along the coast, with extraordinary views of the sea. From Peschici we head further into the Gargano peninsula towards Vieste. The views are spectacular and will only become better when we climb up to the little town of Monte Sant‘Angelo.

The road winding up through the steep and jagged limestone cliffs of this part of the Gargano makes for one amazing ride, topped off by the fast sweeping descent into Manfredonia. This fortified town still retains the castle and has a beach of fine white sand.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 1,040 Metres Approx.

Our ride today marks the real entrance into Puglia, the heel of Italy. It’s a distinctive region, a peninsula between two seas, the Adriatic and Ionian Sea. It was the gateway to the east as well as being enriched with different and varied ancient cultures: Roman, Turkish, Greek and Spanish citizens have left a unique mix in its landscape, architecture, language and culture, as well as in the kitchen!

Our destination today is the town of Altamura, which we will reach by crossing the limestone plateau of the ‘Murgia‘. Along the way, we cannot miss a visit to the Castle of Frederick II of Swabia in Andria, with its unique hexagonal shape. On the plateau we pedal through the endless olive groves, interrupted only by the vineyards and field crops that cover this plain.

Altamura is famous worldwide for its characteristic bread which we will definitely try (perfect carb-loading!). It is a city that deserves interest because of its long and rich history. In Altamura, fossil evidence of human presence was found dating back to 400,000BC. In 500BC the megalithic walls that gave the town its name ‘High Walls’ were erected. In 1232, Frederick II gave new impetus to the city by building a cathedral and re-populating the town with Arab, Greek and Jewish immigrants. In that period, the town took a new shape with the construction of ‘cloisters‘, small squares surrounded by alleys. It is this characteristic layout that makes the town such a fascinating place to explore.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 770 Metres Approx.

As well as enjoying some stunning riding through the heart of southern Italy, we will get the chance to explore two amazing cities, unique in their kind; Matera, the city of stone, and Alberobello; the famous city of the ‘trulli’ houses.

We will initially call into Matera, home to the world famous, and UNESCO listed, ‘sassi’ houses – ancient cave houses and churches hewn from the local sandstone. A stroll through the ancient alleyways is a very worthwhile experience!

Our overnight destination and second highlight for the day is Alberobello – world-renowned for its conical-roofed stone trulli houses. Another UNESCO world heritage site, Alberobello offers narrow stone paved pedestrianised streets and rows of tiny trulli houses – some of which have been converted into small shops and restaurants, but many of which are still homes to local inhabitants.

• Meals: Breakfast, lunch
• Ascent: 555 Metres Approx.

On leaving Alberobello, we ride among olive trees and vineyards as far as the town of Ostuni. Visible from a great distance, Ostuni dominates the landscape from the top of the hill. With its ‘white glow‘, Ostuni is considered to be one of the most beautiful places in Puglia. The whiteness of the houses of the old town is due to the lime, which for centuries has been used for painting the walls. Resting on three hills overlooking the Adriatic Sea, it is surrounded by age old olive groves. The city’s main symbol is the obelisk of Sant‘Oronzo, located in Piazza della Libertà.

After leaving Ostuni, we ride on peaceful rural roads, mostly flat, and continue the last stretch along the Adriatic coastline towards our overnight destination, near the city of Lecce. Due to its rich baroque architectural style, Lecce is known as the ‘Florence of the South‘. With the soft local stone easily worked with warm colours, many fine architectural decorations have been made to adorn this magnificent city.

• Meals: Breakfast
• Ascent: 740 Metres Approx.

We are coming to the end of our Italian Traverse and for this last section we have chosen a route along the coast to reach the furthest point of the ‘heel of Italy‘, Cape Santa Maria di Leuca.

Along the way, we will spin our legs, admiring the stunning chalk coastline and stopping for a visit of the enchanting town of Otranto. The cathedral there is the biggest in Puglia and has one of the the best mosaics in the world.

For the final section of the ride, we will take a winding coastal road, high up on the cliffs above the emerald green sea and eventually will arrive at the heel of Italy, the stunning lighthouse at Leuca.

This is the perfect spot to relax, gaze out onto the confluence of the Adriatic and Ionian seas and contemplate the incredible diversity of scenery, architecture, food and peoples that we have experienced during the 2 weeks of our Italian Grand Traverse.

• Meals: Breakfast

Today we leave our hotel early in the morning to take the 3 hour transfer to Bari airport (BRI). Plenty of time on the journey to regale stories of our adventures together and plan your next Skedaddle adventure!