Olive groves
Wildlife
Despite widespread agriculture, sprawling urbanisation and the popularity of hunting, an encouraging number of wild animals and birds inhabit the hills and coast of Tuscany. Both red and fallow deer graze in woodland clearings, easier to spot than the shy Sardinian mouflon with their showy curly horns, which inhabit impossible ridges on the Apennines and the island of Elba.
Thanks to protective 1970s laws, the wolf is making a silent comeback and the population in Tuscany alone is estimated around 500. Canis lupus italicus sports a light brown coat with grey overtones, although unfortunate crosses with dogs are producing variations. Its favourite prey are deer and boar, but it does not disdain sheep. Footprints in damp ground and droppings are pointers for attentive walkers to the passage of this beautiful elusive creature.
Another ‘invisible’ animal is the protected crested porcupine, whose visiting card is the black-and-white quills it scatters along woodland paths. The ancient Romans, ever the epicures, brought it from Africa as a banquet delicacy.
Porcupine quills
In contrast, foxes are a relatively common sight in dew-soaked fields in the early morning. As too is the pheasant, easily identified by its white neck ring and red face, not to mention its raucous ‘sore throat’ call. It was introduced from south-west Asia by hunting enthusiasts.
A multitude of wild boar leave telltale hoofprints in mud as well as upturned stones and diggings. However, despite their fierce reputation, the beasts are notoriously diffident so close encounters are rare. These days, a heftier and more prolific Eastern European boar has replaced the native species. The young ones, shaped like a rugby ball and coloured like a cappuccino with creamy stripes, may venture out alone, but in general the closest a walker will get to one is a stuffed creature in a shopfront advertising its ham! The ancient sport of boar hunting continues in Tuscany, with widespread group hunts in late autumn and winter.
Another immigrant is the comical nutria, or swamp beaver, brought from South America for fur breeding. Escapees have spread through Tuscany; these bulky creatures burrow into riverbanks and are considered a pest.
On the bird front, the eye-catching hoopoe is unforgettable as it runs and bobs its way along the ground. Vaguely like a woodpecker, it has a showy crest of black-tipped chestnut-brown feathers and black-and-white striped wings. European jays are a familiar sight, their bright metallic-blue plumage glinting in the trees. Cuckoos and cooing wood pigeons are also residents of woodland. Birds of prey such as kites, kestrels and hawks are not unusual circling overhead, keeping high above the ubiquitous grey-black hooded crows which inevitably attempt to chase them off.
The Italian branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF Italia) has been gradually purchasing land as part of its enlightened policy to extend environmental protection. The coastal oasi (reserves) around Orbetello are an example. Here, the varied bird life includes the black-winged stilt on skinny crimson legs, ospreys, peregrine falcons, crested grebes, bright kingfishers and even showy flamingoes (www.wwf.it/oasi/toscana).
One dog needs a quick mention: the pastore maremmano is a magnificent white-haired creature with a persistent bark. Widely used as sheepdogs or watchdogs on country properties, they are not usually on a leash and it’s a good idea to give them a wide berth. Under no circumstances should walkers approach the flock they are guarding.
The only other warning regards snakes. The poisonous viper with its silvery-grey diamond markings inhabits Tuscany, along with a multitude of harmless relations such as the similar smooth snake. A viper only attacks when threatened so give it time to slither away from the path where it is taking the sun.
To conclude on a positive note, a magical pastime for balmy summer evenings is to go spotting fireflies or glow-worms, a type of beetle. Once the sun has gone down, gardens and waysides come alight with magical flickering pinpoints of greenish-white light, which double as their mating calls.
Getting there
The handiest international airport in Tuscany is Pisa, although Bologna, Perugia and Rome are also useful. All have good bus or train links. Moreover, Tuscany is easily reached from other parts of Italy thanks to high-speed trains on strategic long-distance lines such as Rome–Florence and Milan–Florence, run by Trenitalia and Italo.
A cross marks the turn-off for Villa a Tolli (Walk 27)
Local transport
Public transport in Tuscany is excellent and reliable, fares are reasonable and timetables can be consulted online. All but a handful of the walks in this guidebook can be accessed by public transport and visitors are encouraged to take advantage of this in the name of less polluted air and quieter roads. As regards the routes that do need private transport, hotels and tourist offices will always help arrange for a lift or will contact the local taxi service on behalf of guests who do not have a car.
The railway network is capillary and there are good regional trains, which do not need booking. Should the biglietteria (ticket office) be closed, use the automatic machine. Remember that train tickets need to be stamped before boarding.
Local buses cover just about every corner of Tuscany – although outlying villages may not have a service on Sundays. Where possible, tickets should be purchased before a journey, either at the bus station or at news stands and tobacconists displaying the appropriate logo; they then need to be stamped on board. However, drivers do sell tickets for a small surcharge.
Relevant details are given in the information box at the start of each walk, and transport company websites are listed in Appendix D. Appendix B includes a list of bus/train terminology to help understand timetables.
In the Valle di Pomonte on the island of Elba (Walk 35)
Information
The Italian State Tourist Board (www.enit.it) has offices all over the world and can provide visitors with general information. Masses of useful details about accommodation, transport and much else is available at tourist offices and websites – see Appendix D.
When to go
The beauty of Tuscany is that walking is feasible the whole year round. Each season and altitude offers its delights. Spring (March–May), with perfect outdoor temperatures, is undeniably the most beautiful time for lovers of infinite shades of green along with the first extraordinary expanses of colourful wildflowers. Apart from the Easter break and the long weekends that coincide with public holidays, the areas covered by the walks in this book are unlikely to receive more than a sprinkling of visitors.
Summer (June–August) brings lovely conditions on the coast although not necessarily the best for walking inland, where heat and mugginess can take the pleasure out of it and haze can spoil visibility. Mid August is peak holiday season so the main towns and the island of Elba are inadvisable unless you have advance booking for accommodation and don’t mind extortionate prices, blazing heat and traffic-choked roads. However, this is also the time of year when higher altitudes such as the Casentino forests and the mountainous Alpi Apuane and Apennines come into their own, with pleasant temperatures even in July and August.
