From Pisa to Cinque Terre: cycling through diverse Tuscany

Compared to the first two days, a completely new side of Tuscany now awaits us. The next stages take us inland through the picturesque Tuscan countryside, past the imposing Apuan Alps to the sea again. We stay overnight in the towns of Lucca, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana and Forte dei Marmi. With the sea behind us, we leave the beach town of Viareggio. Initially on flat terrain again, the route takes us inland. We soon notice: This stage involves a few climbs. After the two short climbs, the route leads us further through the hilly landscape of central Italy. A wonderful view awaits us here shortly before Lucca!

Cycle stage number 3 towards Castelnuovo is now upon us. We cycle along the river Serchio. The "Ponte del Diacolo", also known as the "Ponte della Maddalena" or Devil's Bridge, is definitely worth seeing on this stage. The quieter stage town of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana certainly offers a good balance to the livelier towns visited beforehand. On the way towards the coast to Forte dei Marmi, we are offered a very impressive view today: We climb about 550 metres up the valley, past the Lago di Isola Santa reservoir and continue towards the high mountains. As the ascent stretches over approx. 18 kilometres, we cycle comfortably, yet constantly uphill.

We fortify ourselves with a hearty breakfast and hop back on the saddle early, because the last stage on day 6 is a real challenge. With some hilly sections, this stage is the longest of all at 55 kilometres. But the efforts are rewarded! After a short while, we catch sight of the first lush green grapes on the vines. These accompany us for a few kilometres through the wine region along the Strada del Vino di Toscana. Bocca di Magra is a small fishing village where we refuel our energy reserves for the afternoon. The last climb is ahead of us before we take a short break in the small town of Montemarcello. We are on the home stretch towards la Spezia.

We are looking forward to the 7th day of our journey with great joy and curiosity. Because today we are expecting by far the biggest highlight of the tour - Cinque Terre. The name refers to the five neighbouring communities on the rugged Italian Riviera. With the Cinque Terre Card, which is included in the cycle tour package, we can move around freely and decide for ourselves whether we want to explore the coastal villages by train or on foot along the hiking trail. Boosted by the pleasant September temperatures, we manage three of the four hikes, for which we recommend a good basic level of fitness. The well-known colourful houses, the crystal clear water, rare for Italy, and the carefully prepared hiking trails round off our holiday perfectly. With all these beautiful impressions that we were able to collect during this week, we start our way home.