Discover Polcanto: trails, landscape and history

Polcanto offers specific starting points for a stay in Tuscany: a trail that starts in town, historic sites, the landscape on the southern slope and a steep cycling climb. If you are considering Polcanto as a possible base, you can compare these themes with the pace you have planned for your holiday. For families or travel groups with different interests, this breakdown can help: hiking, historic sites and cycling are distinct areas of interest that can be considered separately when planning.

On foot: trail routes and Monte Senario

A trail starts in Polcanto on Via Faentina. After about 400 metres, you reach the Polcanto cemetery; from there, the trail leads into chestnut woods. The route is therefore specific: first the stretch to the cemetery, then the transition into the woods. Trail 2/P follows an old mule track up to the ridge and continues to the monastery of Monte Senario. The route from the Mugello side is considered the fastest way to Monte Senario.

Landscape and historic sites

On Polcanto’s southern slope, deeply eroded sandstone formations of Monte Senario come to the surface. The southern slope thus provides a distinctive landscape alongside the historic points of interest. The old church of San Donato in Polcanto is documented from 1276. The Badia del Buonsollazzo is also nearby: a Benedictine monastery of medieval origin that is now abandoned. The two places also differ in terms of their history: the date of 1276 is a precise reference point for San Donato, while the Badia combines a medieval origin with its current state of disuse. Palazzo Scalandroni can only be viewed from the outside. If you include it, plan to see it from the exterior.

Cycling and other interests

The Salaiole variant of the climb to Vetta Le Croci is 13.2 kilometres long. Over 1.5 kilometres, it gains 190 metres in elevation; the average gradient is 12.6 per cent, with some sections exceeding 15 per cent. The total distance and gradient figures answer different planning questions: the 13.2 kilometres describe the variant as a whole, while the elevation gain and percentages give a clearer picture of the climb. The GSSS motorcycle school is also associated with Polcanto. If you plan to visit, check the current arrangements in advance.

Weighing up Polcanto as a base

When choosing a base, you can first decide on the main focus of your trip: a hike, historic sites or a cycling stage. On a family trip, different interests do not have to fit into the same day’s itinerary; you can spread the activities across different parts of your stay. One practical transport question concerns the Polcanto–San Piero a Sieve bus route: Polcanto is listed as a stop on it. Check the timetable in advance if you plan to include this connection in your itinerary.

Discover more destinations: Massarella, Impruneta, Figline Valdarno, Gambassi Terme, Linari, Limite, Montaione, Gavena

For the broader travel overview: Florence.