Etruscans and mines between Volterra and Montecatini Val di Cecina

A girthy loop connecting Volterra—a city of art and culture with its 3,000 years of history—to Montecatini Val di Cecina, one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Tuscany with its copper mine dating back to the 1800s, being the richest and most renowned pit in Europe. 

Pedaling between these two locations, one crosses an extraordinary landscape where contrasting rolling hills, rugged and wild badlands, crags and, towards Montecatini Val di Cecina, steep rocky reliefs reminiscent of a mountain environment.

The route, best tackled on a gravel bike, could be challenging despite being short enough. You may want to consider splitting the ride over two days to best enjoy the experience, admiring the lunar crags and all the wonders of the landscape.

Even the start and finish, right on the edge of the chasm of the Balze di Volterra, are a gift cyclists can willingly accept by pedaling slowly and taking in the beauty. Stunning sections of the Etruscan city walls are preserved right here.

With the Badia Camaldolese monastery behind you, travel along the scenic dirt road signposted as the trail for Balze and Calanchi. Separated by cutting ridges and chasms, the landscape offers up a unique and striking panorama. A few branches of the dirt road lead to the environmental sculptures of artist Mauro Staccioli, as extraordinary expressions of land art representing part of the heritage of contemporary art in Valdelsa Valdicecina.

After a challenging climb, with no shortage of hairpin bends and panoramic views, you reach Montecatini Val di Cecina in an environment that becomes increasingly rugged and rocky. The Torre dei Belforti towers over the village and the surrounding panorama, impervious to the passage of centuries.

Before hitting the road again, it is possible to visit the 1800s Caporciano Copper Mine, the largest in Europe. The shafts, mining village and Mining Museum tell the story of an era of abundant work and great economic growth for the area—a wealth already known to the Etruscans, who were dedicated to extracting minerals to forge tools and furnishings that can now be admired in the local museums, such as the grandiose Guarnacci Etruscan Museum in Volterra. Today, you can leave your bike on ground level and take a fascinating journey into the bowels of the earth among the shafts and tunnels.

Get back on your bike and back to your journey, until catching a glimpse of one of Mauro Staccioli’s soaring sculptures. You’ll then reach Volterra once more with a climb of just over 3 miles (5 kilometers), short stretches of which reach gradients of as much as 15 percent. The views of hills, clays and gullies are extraordinary, so much so that you might even consider turning the bike around just to do it all over again!