Terontola: Railway History, Cycling Routes and Cuisine in the Val di Chiana

Terontola combines railway history with a notably diverse range of documented cycling and hiking experiences. This creates a place where culture, physical activity and regional cuisine can be discovered at different travel paces: from a short visit around the station to long routes through the countryside.

Railway History and Cultural Heritage

Terontola's development is closely linked to the railway. In the second half of the 19th century, the establishment and development of the railway led to railway employees settling in the area. This soon gave rise to a new place called Terontola Scalo, while the older settlement was thereafter known as Terontola Alta. This division is part of the town's distinctive history and makes the railway station an important point of reference for local identity. At Terontola railway station there is a stele depicting Gino Bartali, also known as “Ginettaccio”. The famous name also appears in the cycling routes around Terontola. This historical connection is complemented by the Church of San Giovanni Evangelista, which is listed as a building of recognised cultural interest. In the documented 2025 race, Bacialla Bike also started at Parco Madre Teresa in Terontola.

Cycling Between Competition and Long Tours

Bacialla Bike shows how varied the cycling options can be. The ASD Ciclismo Terontola club organised the 23rd edition of the national mountain bike competition on 8 March 2026. There was also a route for non-competitive cycle tourists. In the documented 21st edition, the main route was 45 kilometres long, included 1,500 metres of elevation gain and ran entirely on paved surfaces. The 28-kilometre Classic route, with 900 metres of elevation gain, was also open to e-bikes and non-competitive participants. A gravel event was announced for 23 August 2026, with registration scheduled to be available from 7 a.m. at the Dopolavoro ferroviario di Terontola. Participants were to choose between the 143-kilometre Terontola–Assisi–Terontola route and a 50-kilometre route along the Franciscan roads of Cortona. The 143-kilometre gravel route follows roads used by Gino Bartali for his training. Another panoramic cycling route towards Terontola is 34 kilometres long, of moderate to easy difficulty, and suitable for hybrid bikes, mountain bikes or gravel bikes. The cycling route at Lake Trasimeno is easy to reach from Terontola railway station. Those wishing to compare different distances will therefore find both the 28-kilometre Classic route and the longer gravel and event routes as clearly separate options.

Hiking and Regional Cuisine

The Via Romea Germanica includes a 13-kilometre hike from Terontola to Castiglion del Lago as its seventh daily section. It is listed as having 70 metres of ascent and 30 metres of descent. The route complements the cycling options with a considerably shorter, clearly defined hiking stage. The regional side of Terontola includes the Sagra di Bacialla. There, visitors can enjoy typical cuisine from the Val di Chiana; the menu changes every evening of the festival. There is also dancing and further entertainment every evening. In this way, culinary and social occasions take their place alongside sport-focused events.

More Places to Include in Your Travel Plans

For your further travel plans, you can also find Barullo-Centoia, Mercatale, Monsigliolo, Camucia, Montanare, Col Di Morro, Sant'agata and Torreone.

For the overarching travel overview: Cortona.