a sturdy pair of trainers with good grip and thick soles to protect your feet from loose stones. Boots are essential on the rocky ground in the Apennines, the Casentino forests, the island of Elba and the Maremma Park. They also come in handy in potentially muddy places like the sunken roadways around Pitigliano.
Day pack. (Shoulder bags or hand-held bags are not a good idea as it is safer to have hands and arms free on the trail.)
Rain gear.
Water bottle.
Swimming costume for coastal routes.
A compass for following maps and identifying landmarks.
Whistle, torch or headlamp (with new batteries) for attracting help in an emergency. (Do not rely on your mobile phone as there is often no signal in outlying places.)
Trekking poles for the mountainous routes; they also come in handy for discouraging overenthusiastic watchdogs.
Binoculars.
Sunglasses, hat and cream.
Basic first-aid kit, including plasters and insect repellent (Italian mosquitoes seem to be especially fond of British skin).
Snack food such as muesli bars or biscuits to tide you over if a walk becomes longer than planned.
The shrine at the fork for Via Poggilarca (Walk 2)
Maps
Topographic maps are provided with each route described in this guide. However, commercial maps showing a greater context and landmarks are also important.
Kompass have put out two useful overlapping collections of 1:50,000 maps for Tuscany. The three-map set n.2439 Toscana Nord takes in the Apennines, Alpi Apuane and the Florence area. The four-map set n.2440 Toscana (‘Heart of Tuscany’) covers Chianti, the Val d’Elsa west of Siena, the Crete, Val d’Orcia and the Tyrrhenian coast.
A handful of more detailed 1:25,000 maps are also available: Edizioni Multigraphic (www.edizionimultigraphic.it) does the Alpi Apuane and the Maremma, L’escursionista (www.escursionista.it) does the island of Elba, and SELCA maps are good for the Apennines and the Foreste Casentinesi.
See individual walks for the sheet numbers of relevant maps. All of these maps are on sale locally in Tuscany. Well-stocked overseas maps suppliers include The Map Shop (www.themapshop.co.uk) and Stanfords stores (www.stanfords.co.uk) in the UK, and Omnimap (www.omnimap.com) in the US; otherwise order from the online Florence bookshop Stella Alpina (www.stella-alpina.com).
DOS AND DON’TS
Don’t set out late on walks even if they’re short. Always have extra time up your sleeve to allow for detours and wrong turns.
Tell your accommodation where you’ll be walking, as a safety precaution.
Find time to get in decent shape before setting out on your holiday, as it will maximise enjoyment. You will appreciate the wonderful scenery better if you’re not tired, and healthy walkers react better in an emergency.
Don’t be overly ambitious – choose itineraries suited to your capacity. Read the walk description before setting out.
Stick with your companions and don’t lose sight of them. Remember that the progress of groups matches that of the slowest member.
Route conditions can change; if you have any doubts about the way to go, don’t hesitate to turn back and retrace your steps rather than risk getting lost. Better safe than sorry.
Avoid walking in brand new footwear as it may cause blisters; on the contrary, leave those worn-out shoes in the shed as they will be unsafe on slippery terrain. Sandals are totally unsuitable for walking in Tuscany.
Check local weather forecasts and don’t start out if storms are forecast. Paths can get slippery if wet, and hills and mountainsides are prone to rockfalls.
Carry weatherproof gear at all times, along with food and plenty of drinking water.
In electrical storms, don’t shelter under trees or rock overhangs and keep away from metallic fixtures.
DO NOT rely on your mobile phone as there may not be any signal.
Carry any rubbish away with you. Even organic waste such as apple cores is best not left lying around as it can upset the diet of animals and birds and spoil things for other visitors.
Close all stock gates behind you promptly and securely.
Be considerate when making a toilet stop and don’t leave unsightly paper lying around. Remember that abandoned huts and rock overhangs could serve as life-saving shelter for someone else. It’s a good idea to carry a supply of small plastic doggy bags to deal with paper and tissues.
Make an effort to learn basic greetings in Italian: buongiorno (good morning), buona sera (good evening), arrivederci (goodbye) and grazie (thank you).
Lastly, don’t leave your common sense at home.
Emergencies
For medical matters, EU residents need a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Holders are entitled to free or subsidised emergency treatment in Italy, which has an excellent national health service. UK residents can apply online at www.dh.gov.uk. (If these arrangements change during the life of this book, details will be online at www.cicerone.co.uk in the ‘Updates’ section for this book.) Australia has a similar reciprocal agreement – see www.medicareaustralia.gov.au. Other nationalities need to take out suitable cover. In addition, travel insurance to cover a walking holiday is strongly recommended, as costs for rescue and repatriation can be hefty.
The following may be of help, should problems arise. No charge is made for emergency numbers:
tel 112 for general emergency calls
tel 113 for police (polizia)
tel 118 for health-related emergencies, including ambulance (ambulanza) and mountain rescue (soccorso alpino)
tel 1515 to report forest fires.
‘Help!’ in Italian is Aiuto!, pronounced ‘eye-you-tow’. Pericolo is ‘danger’.
Using this guide
This guidebook contains a selection of 43 walking routes across Tuscany. Visitors wishing to do more – and the choice is huge – should enquire at tourist offices; most of their websites
