Via Francigena from Lucca to Siena

While in Lucca, try to see some of the main sights before starting your walk to Altopascio tomorrow: the Romanesque Church of San Michele in Foro, the Piazza Anfiteatro, or the museum Casa di Puccini. Or, just relax and sample some of the local food and wine.

Leaving for Altopascio, the walk is gentle, mainly along roads and some grass tracks. You will see beautiful churches on the roads and towns along the way, as well as the impressive Abbadia di Pozzeveri. Reaching Altopascio, have a rest and visit the Church of San Jacopo Maggiore. Also, enjoy a nice glass of wine or two in the city.

Today’s walk to San Miniato is a bit tougher as there is some hill-walking and it’s a bit longer than yesterday’s route. You do get to see the lovely Abbazia di San Salvatore along the way. After passing through Fucecchio, there’s one of two routes to choose from to get to San Miniato. Once you’ve picked a route and have done a bit more walking along grassy tracks, you will enter San Miniato. Here, take a deserved breather and some pizza. If you like, you can also do some sightseeing. The fantastic Duomo dell’ Assunta and San Genesio are the main sights. Also, the Torre della Rocca is a recommended sight as it has a surrounding view of the whole beautiful countryside. San Miniato is also famous for its white truffles!

The walk to Gambassi Terme today is as challenging as yesterday’s route. The distance is similar and there are hills, gravel roads and grass tracks to traverse, but that just makes reaching Gambassi Terme that bit more satisfying. Walking through the lovely countryside is quite peaceful and will help you relax along the way. After passing by the Church of Santa Maria of Chianni, you will enter Gambassi Terme a short while later. Since you’ve had such a long walk today, a nice glass of wine or beer would be the order of the day! Feel free to visit the brilliant Church of Santi Jacopo and Stefano while in the town.

After walking along the gravel roads and over hills, you will go through the town of San Gimignano. Quite a bit of walking will be done to get here, so stopping for a rest and a drink should definitely be part of the plan. The route is tough due to the hills, grass tracks, and gravel roads; however, it can certainly be done. Entering Colle di Val d’Elsa, you can relax, see some sights where possible, and treat yourself to some wine and pizza. The Museo Civico and the Castello are two standout sights to see if you have the time.

This is a much shorter walk than the previous three days, and you have two options to choose from to get to Monteriggioni. One option is picturesque, going by the Abbadia a Isola, and the other option is less scenic and follows minor roads. After following one of the routes, the path becomes a series of grass tracks and gravel tracks, eventually leading into the walled town of Monteriggioni. There is some sightseeing you can do – the splendid Church of Santa Maria Assunta from the 13th Century is there, as well as the Romanesque Church of San Lorenzo a Colle Ciupi. However, firstly relax and have a beer with some of the local food and rejuvenate after the day’s walking.

The final push to Siena consists of walking through beautiful fields and by gorgeous olive trees. There is some hillwalking but it is not too strenuous. You will then have two routes to choose from: one route going along minor roads, by road traffic, and the other route is longer, quieter, and having more shade. After picking a route, it won’t be too long before you reach your destination.

After breakfast we bid you farewell. Now that you’re in Siena, check out the amazing sights that it has to offer. One of the main sights in Siena is the incredible black-and-white striped Duomo (Siena Cathedral) from the 12th Century. The Gothic Palazzo Pubblico and the standout Piazza del Campo are two other popular attractions worth visiting.