routes / Out of town

Cycling through the Pistoia Hills

A pleasant itinerary for everyone

Pistoia

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routes

Out of town

Pistoia

length

17 km

Difference in altitude

370 m

Means of transport

Bike, e-bike

An easy bike tour suitable for everyone, starting from the beautiful Piazza del Duomo in Pistoia and leading you through villages and olive groves.

The route begins at Piazza del Duomo in Pistoia, then climbs into the northern hills, passing through the villages of Germinaia and Valdibrana, and on the return journey, along the shores of the lake in Villa Puccini Park, a magical spot just outside the city.

The itinerary, mostly paved but with some fun dirt road sections, is ideal for a pleasant half-day e-bike excursion.

Leaving behind the Palazzo Comunale, the Baptistery, and the Cathedral of San Zeno, we pass through San Francesco and then, via the bike path along the Brana stream, start a steady climb towards the hills north of Pistoia.

Amid olive groves and beautiful manor houses, with Villa Sbertoli standing out for its architectural beauty, we climb until we reach the village of Germinaia. After a refreshing break on the panoramic terrace, we take the dirt road to Croce a Romito, the highest point of the tour (420m above sea level), before descending the opposite side of the hill to the village of Valdibrana, an important place of worship in the Pistoian tradition.

We now descend the valley pleasantly, along the banks of the Brana stream, until we reach the entrance of the romantic park of Scornio, known to all Pistoia locals as Villon Puccini, just outside the city. The park, a popular spot for those who want to enjoy some greenery and peace, still showcases the visionary architectural creations of Niccolò Puccini, an eclectic philanthropist of 19th-century Pistoia, who sought to celebrate the great minds of thought and science, as well as the beauty of nature.

Back on the road, the route leads to its conclusion, returning to Piazza del Duomo.

Itinerary curated by Tuscany Hiking.

Stages Itinerary

Duomo square

Pistoia

stage 1

Duomo square

The bell tower constructed around a pre-existing Longobard tower dominates the Duomo square. Anyone who climbs its 67 metres and 200 steps is rewarded with a wonderful 360-degree view of the city. The Cathedral of San Zeno is a remarkable building in the Pisan Romanesque style, dating back to 1000 A.D., it offers a wonderful vantage point of the Piazza. Just next to the Cathedral, stands the Antico Palazzo dei Vescovi, the former residence of the Bishop of Pistoia, that now houses the Pistoia Cathedral’s Museum. The 13th-century town hall, Palazzo Comunale, hosts the City Museum of Antique Art, answering all your questions about this historic city.Just to the side of the square and relatively hidden, you’ll find the Baptistery of San Giovanni in corte.

Cathedral of San Zeno

Pistoia

stage 2

Cathedral of San Zeno

The splendid Cathedral of San Zeno in the Piazza del Duomo immediately surrounds you in an ancient atmosphere of sincere religious worship. You can admire the marquetry on the Silver Altar and the Relic of Saint James kept inside a valuable Reliquary which is a masterpiece of the goldsmith Lorenzo Ghiberti. Outside the Cathedral, two symbols are very important to pilgrims: the Compass Rose, in which the pilgrim's scallop shell, the badge of the pilgrim, is set, and the cippo jacopeo, the boundary stone of St. James, which shows the distance from Pistoia to Santiago de Compostela.

Palazzo Comunale

Pistoia

stage 3

Palazzo Comunale

The Town Hall is the ancient seat of government of the city maintains this function still today. Inside is the Civic Museum of Antique Art that presents Pistoia’s entire artistic history from the 13th to the 20th century. In the Town Hall stands the sculpture by the eclectic artist, Marino Marini, “Il Miracolo”, "The Miracle". This work is of a rider with his horse and can be seen to be in line with the intensive dramas which characterize the contemporary art of this Pistoia artist.

San Giovanni in corte baptistery

Pistoia

stage 4

San Giovanni in corte baptistery

Questo prezioso edificio gotico costruito alla metà del XIV secolo sui resti di una più antica chiesa, si trova nella piazza del Duomo, di fronte alla Cattedrale di San Zeno. Il nome deriva dall’antica chiesa di Santa Maria in Corte, di epoca longobarda. È considerato tra le massime espressioni del gotico pistoiese e toscano. L’esterno è interamente rivestito di marmo bianco e verde proveniente da Siena, Prato e Carrara. Raggiunge un’altezza di circa 40 metri. Il restauro del 1975 ha messo in luce nel fonte battesimale la data del 1226 e il nome dello scultore, Lanfranco da Como.

Church of San Francesco

Pistoia

stage 5

Church of San Francesco

The vast monasterial complex of the Church of San Francesco is a wonderful work of architecture dating back to the 13th century. Inside, and crossing its one sole nave, are the main chapel's frescoes which tell the Story of San Francesco, in an extremely beautiful, pictorial style.

Valdibrana

Pistoia

stage 6

Valdibrana

A small hamlet of Pistoia, known for its railway station along the Porrettana line and its launch track. Nearby is the Sanctuary of the Madonna of Valdibrana, built in 1650 on the site of a small oratory that, since the late 14th century, had housed a miraculous image of the Virgin.

Villa Puccini di Scornio

Pistoia

stage 7

Villa Puccini di Scornio

Known as "Villon Puccini," this neoclassical villa was frescoed in the first half of the 18th century by the finest painters of the Florentine court. At its peak, it spanned 123 hectares and boasted one of the largest and most beautiful Italian-style gardens of its time. Today, it remains a green oasis located just a few kilometres from the centre of Pistoia. Within the park, there are facilities for five-a-side football, basketball, volleyball, and a play area for children.