Cycling in the mountainous part of Tuscany

August 20, 2026

Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco-Emiliano and Apuan Alps (Alpi Apuane)

This year, we chose the Italian region of Tuscany as our cycling destination. Most people know Tuscany as a destination for sightseeing in medieval towns and admiring iconic rolling hills dotted with vast estates. We, however, were more interested in the mountainous part of Tuscany. For our first stop, we chose the old village of Mazzola, located a few kilometers from Fivizzano. We spent the first week there in a rented terraced house, exploring the nearby mountains within the Parco Nazionale dell'Appennino Tosco-Emiliano. We were delighted by the lush green forests, meadows, and mountains, as well as the lack of crowds. The week flew by as we explored the vast terrain of the Apennines and the Apuan Alps.

The Southern Tuscan-Emilian Apennines

For the second week, we moved a bit further south to the small village of Lugnano di Monti di Villa, situated above Bagni di Lucca. We spent another week there in a rented cottage with a beautiful garden. We spent most of our time exploring the area by bike and on foot, though we did take a car trip to the city of Lucca to sightsee and visit the gallery at the Museo Nazionale di Palazzo Mansi. The two weeks passed quickly, and we were happy to have managed so many interesting bike rides, read a stack of good books, and get some rest. We were also lucky with the weather; a heatwave hit just as we were leaving, and on our drive home, the temperature on the highway near Bologna reached 38 degrees Celsius. Crazy. We will definitely be back.