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ALL AROUND FLORENCE: THE TERRITORIES ON THE SLOPES OF THE PRATOMAGNO MOUNTAIN

What to see in Reggello, Pelago, Rufina and Londa

All around Florence! The Florentine part of the Valdarno valley, at the foot of the Pratomagno mountain massif (the highest peak is called Croce di Pratomagno and reaches 1592m), is a land rich in culture and towns to visit for all lovers of unspoilt nature and slow tourism: Reggello, Rufina, Pelago and Londa.

What to see in Reggello

The Municipality of Reggello is located to the east of the Province of Florence, it stretches out over an area of about 122 sq.km that, from the bottom of the Arno valley, ascends along the slopes of Pratomagno, and boasts an artistic and natural heritage of inestimable value:

• The Vallombrosa Forest and Abbey Vallombrosa, an ancient forest and Biogenetic Nature Reserve in the municipality of Reggello, with its famous Abbey dating back to 1508, its Experimental Arboretums and the Circuit of the Chapels, constitutes a unique mountain heritage in the world. In the forest of Vallombrosa you will also find the tallest tree in Italy, a Douglas fir 62.45 meters high.
How to visit Vallombrosa? With the 1000 YEARS OF VALLOMBROSA EXCURSION you will be able to discover all of this thanks to the experience of an environmental hiking guide: request availability now!
• The protected natural area of the Balze, a geological area whose most spectacular forms of erosion are known as the "pillars of Poggitazzi and Piantravigne"; and the Twin Sequoia of Reggello, the tallest sequoia in Italy which is almost 54 meters high and 8.37 meters in diameter, located in the Sammezzano Park.
• Sammezzano Castle, built in 1605 as a farm by the Ximenes D'Aragona family, has become the most important example of Orientalist architecture in Italy thanks to its 19th-century renovation designed by Ferdinando Panciatichi Ximenes d'Aragona. To date it is not possible to access it to visit it due to its condition.
• The Masaccio Museum of Sacred Art, located in the apse area of the parish church of San Pietro a Cascia, where you can see, among other works, the Triptych of San Giovenale, the first work of a very young Masaccio, born in 1401 in San Giovanni Valdarno.

Biking

Bicipedia - E-Bike tour with guide in Chianti Rufina

Organize your e-bike tour with an expert guide in Chianti Rufina. Contact Bicipedia!

Hiking

Hike - Vallombrosa: a 1,000 years of history

Easy hike among solemn fir trees and bright beech woods around the Vallombrosa Abbey. The history of mankind is ...

What to see in Rufina

Rufina’s landscape is sprinkled with ancient parishes, villas and castles (today mostly farms) that hold a lot of history and tradition: many noble Florentine families chose to establish their homes there and use the land to produce wine, such as the Villa di Poggio Reale of the Mormorai family dating back to the 16th century. Rufina is located on the Tuscan Wine Route thanks to its Chianti Rufina Docg and Pomino Doc, two wines with different personalities and characteristics, both known and appreciated for centuries. rufina, together with Florence, has a tradition linked to wine called Carro Matto which takes place every fourth Saturday yes september!

How to discover the territory of Rufina? We recommend the BICIPEDIA E-BIKE TOUR, the simplest, most natural and ecological way to discover the Rufina hills, its enchanting landscapes, and its products.


What to see in Pelago and Londa

Pelago is located about 25 km from Florence in an easterly direction, developing over an area that goes from the plain of San Francesco to the Consuma pass at 1050 m a.s.l., where you can find a fantastic schiacciata! Worth visiting are the Castle of Pelago and the Castle of Nipozzano, a stronghold defending Florence since the year 1000, it is the most famous and historic property of the Frescobaldi family.

Londa, at the foot of the Massicaie and Falterona where the river Arno origins, is an Etruscan and then Roman town and from the year 1000 a fief of the Conti Guidi. On its territory there are important sites of naturalistic interest, including the Casentinesi Forest National Park, and the Model Forest Association of the Florentine Mountains, which also includes 6 other municipalities: Pelago, Reggello, San Godenzo, Rignano sull'Arno, Rufina and Pontassieve.


Slow tourism with destination Valdarno 

The 4 Municipalities at the foot of Pratomagno are all splendid destinations for paths and trails that cross territories, cities and regions: the Renaissance Ring, Francis' Way, Dante's Way and much more, look at the map of all the paths in the Florentine area.

How to reach Reggello, Pelago, Rufina and Londa

The municipalities of Reggello and Rufina can be reached by train from Florence. The municipalities of Londa and Pelago can be reached by bus.

Download the All Around Florence Brochure

To find out more about the history of all the Florentine surroundings, download the Feel Florence brochure, the official tourism information site of the Municipality of Florence and the Metropolitan City: Click here to download the brochure.