Excursions

By bike
The magic of San Galgano.
Length: about 40 km
Vertical drop: 560 m
Kind of way: country road and main road.
Difficulty: medium

Start from Mulino delle Pile and when you reach the main road , turn left towards Follonica - Massa Marittima . In a short time you arrive at the crossroads to Ciciano ( on your right side ), you pass it and shortly after you can admire the " Red Mountains " on your right, they are some interesting ferrous deposits of ancient mines that were transported by the waters of the river Merse.

After about 1 km, turn right and follow the road signs to Montieri , a small village 780 m high, surrounded by chestnut trees . Then, if you wish, you can climb up the steep road that after 2 km leads to the summit of the Poggio ( 1060 m ) . From here , on a clear day , you can enjoy a spectacular view of the Tuscan Archipelago . Otherwise , you keep on going straight towards Ciciano , enjoying the 8 km of downhill road . Ciciano is worth a stop if you want to taste the famous “ciaccino” , a kind of salad bread traditionally cooked in a wood-fired oven. Ciciano is also known for the ancient game called " Palla eh ! " : the boys of the village often train on the main road and they will be glad to explain its rules if you ask them for.

After this nice stop , you head towards Chiusdino , a village of medieval origin with its many narrow streets , and then go downhill ahead until you reach Ponte Feccia on S.S. 73 , where you have to turn right towards Monticiano. At the first crossroads , turn right towards Follonica - Massa Marittima and follow the road signs for the Abbey of San Galgano , that will appear on the left of the road . You cannot fail a visit to this abbey and to the hermitage of Montesiepi , which dominates the church from the top of the hill . Then, you have to go back on the road to Follonica - Massa Marittima and turn left . After about 5 km reach the crossroads for Luriano , where you turn left and return to the Mill of the Pile.