Walks in Tuscany: 5 stress-relieving itineraries

Surrounded by plowed fields, woods and rolling hills, the stretch of the Via Francigena from San Miniato to Gambassi Terme follows the ancient route taken by pilgrims on their way to Rome. The landscape alternates between vineyards, farms and Romanesque parish churches immersed in silence.
A stop at the Parish Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo in Coiano provides tranquility and open views of the countryside.
It is an itinerary that invites you to walk calmly, listening to the rhythm of your footsteps and unburdening your mind, while the air smells of earth and wild herbs.

Sensory experience:
Stop at the Parish Church of Santi Pietro e Paolo in Coiano: sit on the little stone wall, close your eyes and let the wind waft in through the olive trees.
Before leaving, set an “away” message on your phone, then put it back in your backpack and walk ten minutes in silence while only looking ahead of you.
You will find that the rhythm of your footsteps becomes your internal heartbeat.

We set off from Monteriggioni, a fortified village built in the 13th century by the Republic of Siena and one of the most picturesque in Tuscany. From here, the path winds southwards along the Via Francigena, past vineyards, farms and stretches of forest that open up onto sweeping views of the hills.
Medieval towers drift into the background, while the silence of the Montagnola Sienese area and the outline of Siena on the horizon accompany you on your walk.
It is a path that invites you to slow down and listen: the rustling of the wind, your footsteps on the ground, the sounds of the countryside.

Sensory experience:
On the ridge of Valmaggiore, where the trail takes you close to a natural clearing, stop for ten minutes and listen to how the sound of the world changes: the rustling of leaves, the wind moving up the valley, the steady beating of your heart.
Every hour, stop for three minutes, inhale while counting to four and exhale while counting to six.
It is a simple but deep exercise: it will help you reconnect with sensory reality, in the here and now.

The "lunar" landscape of the Crete Senesi surprises you with its simplicity.
Here, among gullies and clay hills shaped by the wind, silence has a form of its own.
The Via Lauretana runs through this unique territory, where the light changes every hour and the view disappears on the broad horizons.
It is a contemplative experience: the colors, shadows and outlines of the hills invite you to stop, breathe and observe.
It is a path with calming views that unburden your mind, treating you to a rare sense of space.

Sensory experience:
Near Asciano, reach a clay outcrop and sit on the ground.
Stare at the horizon for ten minutes: follow the clouds as if they were passing thoughts.
Turn off your phone, take out a piece of paper and write down three words that describe your state of mind.
Then let them go, like the wind that caresses the Crete (clays) and reshapes them every day.

Between the beech forests and trails of the Casentino Forests National Park, the Way of Francesco in Tuscany leads to the Sanctuary of La Verna.
Here, in the heart of Casentino, spirituality and nature exist together in a perfect balance.
The forest is dense and silent, the scent of resin fills the air, the sound of footsteps blends with the sound of the wind through the leaves.
It is a path that invites you to reflect and listen to your inner self: the mountain, the stone and the forest become part of the same prayer.

Sensory experience:
Along the path that runs alongside the sanctuary, stop under a large beech tree. Lean back against the trunk, close your eyes and listen to the heartbeat of the forest.
Breathe slowly ten times, as if the forest were breathing with you. Before you leave, on a small sheet of paper, write down something you wish to let go of. Close it inside your backpack and only read it again after your return: you will find that the weight has dissolved along the way.

Between the hills of Montalbano, the Medici Route connects villages, Renaissance villas and harmoniously created man-made landscapes.
From Artimino, with the splendid Villa La Ferdinanda UNESCO World Heritage Site, the route descends through olive groves and vineyards to Vinci, the land of Leonardo.
Each stage offers glimpses of Montalbano and moments of tranquility.
The light on the hills, the scents of the Mediterranean scrub and the harmonious outlines of the villages make this walk an aesthetic and rejuvenating experience.

Sensory experience:
Stop at the panoramic viewpoint above Vinci for ten minutes and look at the valley.
Follow the lines of the olive trees with your eyes, observe the geometry of the fields and let your mind adjust to those natural proportions.
Then take a postcard, write down three things you feel gratitude for on it and send it to yourself: a tangible reminder that beauty, like tranquility, is a daily choice.

Walking in Tuscany is a way of finding yourself through the landscape.
Each itinerary is an invitation to slow down, listen to the silence and rediscover the beauty of time passing slowly. Slow walks free your mind and fill your heart: well-being is not sought here... it just happens.