Walking in the surroundings of Prato

Between castles and medieval towers, Via delle Rocche winds between Montemurlo and Val di Bisenzio, in a landscape immersed in medieval history and lush nature. 
The path includes two stops for a total of about 45 kilometers and is also suitable for family trips.
It starts from Montemurlo and its fortified village, the oldest center of the area, where both the Etruscans and the Romans settled down. 
The route continues in the direction of the villages of Popigliano and Grisciavola to the ford of Vaiano and the imposing complex of the Abbey of St. Salvatore.
Then crossing the villages of Montauto, Mezzana and Montecuccoli you arrive up to Rocca Cerbaia. According to an ancient legend, Dante Alighieri, after fleeing from Florence, arrived here on a night in 1285 seeking refuge, but he was rejected.

While it is certainly more challenging, this path is definitely suggestive and full of surprises: with its 130 kilometers, the Wool and Silk Way, situated between Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna, connects the cities of Prato and Bologna.
A particularly wild hiking trail, where nature, history and tradition go hand in hand.
Besides the beauty of the landscape, from one side to the other, you can also discover the world of industrial archaeology and water, symbols of history and hard work, such as Cavalciotto of Santa Lucia, a true thousand-year-old jewel that started the textile tradition of Prato.
Moreover, in the territories of Vernio and Vaiano you can visit the Abbey of St. Maria in Montepiano, as well as the Abbey of St. Salvatore and its museum.

And to follow in the footsteps of the most powerful family of all time, the Medici Route, offers four stages of medium difficulty for a total of 78 kilometers.
The path opens with a triumph of historical and landscape wonders: from the Cascine di Tavola Park, an urban green area of about 300 hectares just outside the city of Prato and built in the 15th century by Lorenzo the Magnificent, you get to Poggio a Caiano and its splendid Medici Villa which was also built by the will of the Magnificent.
Plunging into the hills of the splendid Carmignano hills, you arrive at the magnificent Villa La Ferdinanda, also known as “Villa dei Cento Camini”, designed by Buontalenti on commission from Grand Duke Ferdinando I de’ Medici. 
The route continues in the nature of Montalbano: rural churches but also places full of history, such as the Archaeological and naturalistic area of Pietramarina.
Nearby are the hills dear to Leonardo da Vinci and the place where he was born. This beautiful path ends with the marvelous Medici Villa of Cerreto Guidi - architectural jewel and UNESCO heritage site.