The path of Etruria is synonymous with slow tourism and breathtaking views with a pair of comfortable hiking shoes on your feet. If you are in the surroundings of Collesalvetti and want to visit Tuscany in an unusual way and avoiding the most popular tourist destinations, the Etrurian path will not disappoint!
It is a structured path for hikers on foot or by mountain bike that crosses the heart of Tuscany, passing through about fifteen medieval villages, which in turn conceal important historical, cultural and archaeological sites.
This slow and sustainable tourism project was carried out by the Municipalities and the Tuscany Region and includes two twin itineraries: one that connects Pisa to Volterra, which meets our territory, and a second that continues from Volterra to Chiusi, in the province of Siena, for a total of almost 400 km, making the Path of Etruria one of the most interesting itineraries in Europe.
The Pisa-Volterra route is about 150 km long and passes through Pisa, Cascina, Livorno, Collesalvetti, Fauglia, Crespina Lorenzana, Casciana Terme Lari, Chianni, Capannoli, Ponsacco, Terricciola, Lajatico, Montecatini Val di Cecina and, finally, Volterra.
To cover it entirely on foot it takes at least a week.
The path winds along country roads and mule tracks, avoiding the busy ones, and intersects, at times, with some cycle paths; you can therefore also consider traveling it by mountain bike.
In the Collesalvetti area it is possible to visit the parish church of Santi Quirico and Giulitta; the Medici Villa, born as a rural farm and then enlarged by Eleonora di Toledo, and the Servolini Municipal Art Gallery, which houses both permanent collections and temporary exhibitions.
Along the Path of Etruria you will find Etruscan necropolis, medieval castles, Romanesque churches, villas, villages steeped in history, and museums, crossing the Livorno Mountains, the Pisan hills and part of the Val di Cecina. In some points, the route intersects with other paths, such as the Tuscan Hiking Network, the Via Lauretana and the Via Francigena.