Four miles north of Florence, the Etruscan town of Fiesole offers runners a respite from the crowds, some wonderful quiet streets, and an sample of the Tuscan hills. Many choose to stay there for the less expensive rooms and great views of Florence. The 7 km run to Fiesole is in the steps of E.M. Forster’s book, ‘A Room with a View’. Note: it’s a 700 foot elevation gain from Florence to Fiesole, with steeper grades for the second half of the run. Also note that some of the roads outside Florence are narrow and don’t have sidewalks.
Villa Schifanoia
Start in central Florence at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Take via Ricasoli to Piazza San Marco. The next section is a bit tricky. Cross viale Giacomo Matteotti,and take via Frà Bartolomeo. LEFT on via Masaccio and then next RIGHT and down into the underpass, to piazza delle Cure. You’ll then follow the main road, Via Giovanni Boccaccio, for 2 km, passing the Villa Schifanoia and the Convent of San Domenico. It’s a pretty road, shaded, with some old walls, and narrow. Continue following the main road, via Giuseppe Mantellini and Via Frà Giovanni da Fiesole Detto l’Angelico, a nice climb into the central square of Fiesole.
For the return, you can retrace your steps, or hop on the train or the bus back. One variation on the route back would be to take Via S. Domenico for 2 km instead of Via Giovanni Boccaccio (shown in our map of the route).
Four miles north of Florence, the Etruscan town of Fiesole offers runners a respite from the crowds, some wonderful quiet streets, and an sample of the Tuscan hills. Many choose to stay there for the less expensive rooms and great views of Florence. The 7 km run to Fiesole is in the steps of E.M. Forster’s book, ‘A Room with a View’. Note: it’s a 700 foot elevation gain from Florence to Fiesole, with steeper grades for the second half of the run. Also note that some of the roads outside Florence are narrow and don’t have sidewalks.
Villa Schifanoia
Start in central Florence at the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Take via Ricasoli to Piazza San Marco. The next section is a bit tricky. Cross viale Giacomo Matteotti,and take via Frà Bartolomeo. LEFT on via Masaccio and then next RIGHT and down into the underpass, to piazza delle Cure. You’ll then follow the main road, Via Giovanni Boccaccio, for 2 km, passing the Villa Schifanoia and the Convent of San Domenico. It’s a pretty road, shaded, with some old walls, and narrow. Continue following the main road, via Giuseppe Mantellini and Via Frà Giovanni da Fiesole Detto l’Angelico, a nice climb into the central square of Fiesole.
For the return, you can retrace your steps, or hop on the train or the bus back. One variation on the route back would be to take Via S. Domenico for 2 km instead of Via Giovanni Boccaccio (shown in our map of the route).
Some excellent running routes in the Pisa area: our 'runseeing' tour, paths along the Arno, a route along the marina/waterfront, trails in a large natural park, and a 13 km cycle path.
A 4.2 km loop around the green parks atop the walls surrounding the city of Lucca. This run offers a nice tour of the city and a panorama of the gorgeous surrounding scenery. Best to go early or off-peak to avoid the crowds.
Pleasant seafront promenade run in this city on the western Tuscan coast. It's up to 5.5 between Piazza Mascagni and the Scoglio della Ballerina. Great views of the water, distant islands, and some important Livorno sites.
Castiglioncello is a bucolic coastal Tuscan town and is a particularly nice spot for a run. One can put together a route combining the grounds of Castello Pasquini, a 3.5 km seafront promenade, and some pleasantly shaded parks.
Easy trail running on the Promontory Trails atop the cliff on the ancient Via Dei Cavalleggeri road, affording great views of the sea below. Can also run the trails in the Archaeological Park in Populonia, or our mapped waterfront route in Piombino.
This unique island destination includes great running along the Marina di Campo promenade and many nearby coastal trails. Also some more challenging trail running options on Monte Capanne.
A 'runseeing' tour of the walled city of Volterra. You'll run on paths along and outside the city walks, through several ancient gates, and see numerous archeological sites. Great views!
This network of unpaved, quiet roads winding through the Tuscan countryside is fantastic for running. We've researched some of the most beautiful of these, which are a great option since many of the main roads aren't safe for running.
These courses of the Chianti Marathon and Half Marathon feature wonderful running in the rolling hills of Chianti, just east of Siena. Use the routes as a guide to some lovely, quiet roads, using Castelnuovo Berardenga as the anchor point.
Sure, the Chianti region is famous for its wine, but the landscape here is unbeatable in terms of scenery. Take it all in on a this 13 km tour through the heart of Chianti.
This ancient 62 km trail along the Canale Maestro della Chiana is an ideal cycling and running path through fruit and farmlands. The path runs between Arezzo, Siena, and Umbria.
Several great routes in Florence: two historic 'runseeing' toutes, a run up to the Piazzale Michelangelo, the tree-lined streets and paths of the Arno River, beautiful Cascine Park, quieter Oltrarno, and the nearby Etruscan town of Fiesole.
Near Florence, this Etruscan town offers a respite from the crowds, wonderful quiet road, and an opportunity to sample the Tuscan hills. We've created a 6 km Fiesole Highlights run, and a 15 km loop to the hillside town of Settignano.
For trail lovers, the scenic paths between Fiesole and Firenze are a must-run destination. You can get in up to 17 km (10 miles) here, starting just outside of Florence.
The nearby towns of Pistoia and Prato are often part of a Florence itinerary. In Pistoia, run in Villoni Puccini, a lovely city park with ~3 km of paths. In Prato, nice path along the river, the Parco di Galceti, and hill running in Natural Protected Area of Monteferrato.
A beautiful artificial lake in the Mugello region, the Lago di Bilancino is a great spot to run in a scenic spot brimming with wildlife. Runners can get in a nice 10 km around the lake, starting from Barberino di Mugello square.
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14.9 km (9.2 miles) round-trip. Option to take bus/train back
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