The best road cycling routes around Riserva Naturale La Pietra

The historic center of Chiusdino is a charming, fortified medieval village perched on the Sienese Metalliferous Hills. It preserves its ancient urban structure with stone alleys, red and white houses in pure Sienese style, and offers a spectacular panoramic view of the Val di Merse. The village is deeply linked to the figure of Saint Galgano, the famous knight who became a hermit.

Il Barrino di Tatti is a renowned panoramic restaurant-pizzeria located about 410 meters above sea level, just outside the historic medieval village of Tatti (a hamlet of the municipality of Massa Marittima, in the province of Grosseto). Founded around 1970 as a village club, it is managed in synergy with the nearby Fattoria di Tatti - Sequerciani and is famous for its terrace with a breathtaking view that stretches across the entire Maremma region to the sea and the Island of Elba.

From Chiusdino, you can enjoy a magnificent and wide view of the green Val di Merse, a Tuscan territory made of wooded hills and clear rivers. From the panoramic terraces of the medieval village, your gaze sweeps over the valley below, where dense woods and the symbolic places of local history stand out.

The Leopoldina Column (also called the Lorraine column) is an imposing neoclassical signpost structure made of stone and cast iron. It was commissioned in 1840 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II of Lorraine. It served to indicate directions and distances along the ancient "royal roads" of the Grand Duchy. Today, only 18 historical examples of these columns survive throughout Tuscany. They represent an exceptional example of enlightened infrastructure and pre-Liberty design.

The medieval village of Prata (part of Massa Marittima) is located at an altitude of 620 meters. From its dominant position on the Colline Metallifere, it offers a 360-degree panorama ranging from the summit of Monte Amiata to the Gulf of Follonica, even offering views of the Island of Elba and, on the clearest days, Corsica.

Le Roste are striking reddish badlands located in the upper valley of the Merse river, near Boccheggiano (in the municipality of Montieri). Although they look like natural formations, they are actually artificial deposits of mining waste, sculpted over decades by the elements. These geological and landscape mounds have formed through very specific dynamics: Mining origin: The materials derive from the sorting and open-air roasting of chalcopyrite, a mineral extracted in the nearby Merse Mine. The red color: The characteristic vivid coloration is due to the high concentration of copper and iron sulfates. Erosion: In the decades following the closure of the plant (which occurred in the early twentieth century), rain and wind have eroded these mounds, creating pinnacles and gullies reminiscent of American canyons.

From Chiusdino, a medieval village perched on the Sienese hills, you can enjoy a spectacular and vast panorama that embraces the Val di Merse and the Colline Metallifere.

Chiusdino is an ancient medieval village located in the province of Siena, perched on the Colline Metallifere and overlooking the splendid Val di Merse. It is especially famous for its inseparable bond with the figure of San Galgano and for its proximity to the famous roofless abbey. The historic center preserves a timeless atmosphere, with stone houses and narrow alleys that wind along the slope. It is believed that Galgano Guidotti was born here around 1150. His supposed birthplace is one of the main destinations for those visiting the village.