chellyroo

Where would it be? My husband and I dream of goin to Italy but have no idea of where to go besides the usual tourist spots. We envision riding bicycles through vineyard covered countryside, walking cobbled streets, eating at small family run resteraunts, seeing beautiful art and architecture, and buying butter smooth leather goods (hee hee!). Does that fit any real location in Italy??

annhig

Gosh, you don't want much!

Firstly, vineyards usually mean hills eg tuscany, which aren't much fun for recreational cycling.
Secondly, rural restaurants aren't normally found cheek by jowel with architectural gems.

If you are prepared to compromise, the lakes are lovely and reasonably flat for cycling, and Lake garda has a number of vey picturesque resorts on its shore.

also easily accessible to Verona, Venice, etc.

OPs may have better ideas, of course.

Good luck!

enzian

Yes, it does sound like Tuscany, and it must be possible to cycle around there with out facing daunting hills becaue many tour operators offer bike tours. I think it's worth looking at one such itinerary, not with an eye to signing up for the tour, but just to see where they go and how the places sound to you. Here is one such, they do bike tours in Tuscany, Puglia, and other areas. But read the Tuscany descriptions (two routes posible)and see if the sights, sounds, and tastes they describe match what you seek:

http://www.scooterbella.com/Schedule...ex.html#Biking

StuDudley

Val d'Orcia in Tuscany (near Pienza).

All those beautiful scenes you saw in "Under the Tuscan Sun" (small church on a hilltop, cypress trees dancing up a hill) were filmed in the Val d'Orcia - not near Cortona. The beautiful scenery in the latest Rick Steves travel film about Tuscany - most were in the Val d'Orcia.

Stu Dudley

Grinisa

Try southern Tuscany, around Val d'Orcia which has some gentle, rolling hills for cycling (not very easy but not super challenging either), vineyards, lots of the rural restaurants you are looking for, and is close to towns like Pienza, Montepulciano and Siena for the architecture and art.

Wayne

Everyone who has been to Italy probably has a favorite place they'd like to revisit. What you will probably get is lots of answers, each naming a different place the individual enjoyed. You can indeed do all the things you named, but you cannot find all those in one spot. You can, however, find them not far apart. If you stay in Italy for a minimum of about a week, you can have it all. I will suggest what I would do if I were you.

I would fly into Milan, rent a car, and go to one of the typical Tuscany villages for the entire period of the visit. Something not too far from Florence and Siena would be ideal. I would then take day trips by car to the other spots and get a flavor of several towns. Of course, Florence and/or Siena should be in that plan also.

Or I would fly into Rome, take a train and go north to somewhere like Orvieto, and spend my vacation there, visiting other villages and cities reachable by train.

There are so many choices, and so few days to enjoy them. Good luck.

annhig

Hi, Chellyroo - I just looked at the cycling tours found by enzian.

The tuscany one would be too challenging for me, but the Puglia one looks great. this really is an area little visited by tourists.


My only caveat would be the time of year - even September can be very hot in this area. But nothing to stop you DIYing it at another time. IMO following this with a week in Tuscany sightseeing would make the perfect trip.

Good luck!

Piedmont_Phil

As a resident I have to defend my local area - Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) is all the things that you mention chellyroo - and (insider tip) not as touristy as Tuscany. There are some differences, it can be hotter in tuscany, it can be cheaper in Piedmont oh and our wine is better (big grin).....

But if I were to answer your origonal question, I personally love the Dolomites which are quite unique and truly startling. Cycling there is not for the feint hearted.

pbing

vARENNA, it is a small old town on a on Lake Como! wow

franco

The region you're looking for is Umbria... annhig: your comment about rural restaurants and architectural gems seems to tell us that you don't know Umbria, do you? Though also Piemonte and Tuscany are no bad choices.

bellacqui

The Monferrato Alto region of Piedmont. Simply because it offers the best of everything: proximity to the sea, warm and sunny microclimates, ancient medieval and romanesque towns and villages set on picturesque hillsides, arguably the best food in Italy, absolutely the best wine in Italy, a noticeably light number of tourists, white truffles, fresh porcini mushrooms, Alp views on clear days (including Monviso and Monte Bianco), endless mountain bike trails through endless, endless, endless vineyards, cobblestones, villages which carry the aroma of cooking onions in white wine at noon wafting from the windows, soft amaretti cookies... ok I will stop now. Phil knows from where he speaks and so do I. We have each in our own way found our personal heaven on earth here, it seems.