Cycle tour of the Berignone and Tatti Nature Reserve

WARNING: the section on the path from the Tatti forest up until the Castello dei Vescovi, requires higher technical ability.

BEWARE of possible encounters with shepherd dogs on the return leg, namely from the exit of the Berignone Nature Reserve to the village of Mazzolla.

The trail starts from the medieval village of Mazzolla, whose origins date back to the 11th century and which is a true terrace overlooking the woods and countryside of the Volterra area. After crossing the Fosci stream – the northern boundary of the Berignone Nature Reserve – you will enter the forest on a dirt road that bears the traces of the old 19th-century agricultural system featuring pastures and cultivated land, now largely replaced by artificial reforestation with pines and cypresses.

After passing Podere Il Pino you will reach Podere Caprareccia, located in a scenic area and surrounded by an olive grove of exceptional value for the stone structures in which the plants were cultivated. You will then climb up the wooded slopes – where holm oaks dominate – until, on the slopes of Monte Soldano, you will be invited by a spring to enter into the woods that, step by step, will change their appearance. After crossing the border of the Reserve you will enter the Tatti forest, known throughout Europe for being home and top growing area of the rare Central European oak. A path through the heart of Berignone leads to one of the Reserve’s symbolic sites, the medieval Torraccia, better known as the Castello dei Vescovi (Castle of the Bishops), located in an amazing position between the valley of the Sellate stream and the Botro a Rio gorge.

This part of the route is indeed harder from a technical point of view. From there you will finally descend along the old Maremma road while skirting the Sellate river: this part of the route features wetlands but also wide open areas, the favourable environment for ungulates such as fallow deer, wild boar and roe deer and their predator, the wolf.

The route will then leave the reserve and climb up towards Mazzolla through a rural landscape of cypress rows, field trees, grazing flocks, hedges and farms.

Hiking difficulty scale

T - Tourist

Itineraries on small roads, mule tracks or easy paths, with clearly evident routes that do not pose uncertainties or problems of orientation. They generally take place below 2000 m and usually constitute access to mountain pastures or refuges. They require some knowledge of the mountain environment and physical preparation for walking.

E - Hiking

Routes that almost always turn on paths, or on traces of passage in various terrain (pastures, debris, stony ground), usually with signs. They require a certain sense of orientation, as well as a certain experience and knowledge of the mountainous territory, walking training, as well as appropriate footwear and equipment. Normally the difference in altitude is between 500 and 1000m.

EE - Expert hikers

Routes not always marked and which require a good ability to move on various mountain terrains. They can be paths or even faint traces that wind over rough or steep terrain, with steep and slippery slopes, scree and short snowfields that can be overcome without the use of climbing equipment. They need a good mountain experience, firm footing and good physical preparation. It is also necessary to have adequate equipment and equipment, as well as a good sense of direction. Normally the difference in height is greater than 1000m.

EEA - Expert hikers with mountaineering equipment

Routes that require the use of via ferrata equipment (lanyards, harness, heat sink, helmet, etc.). They can be equipped paths or real via ferratas. It is necessary to know how to use the technical equipment safely and have a certain habit of exposure and mountaineering terrain.

MTB difficulty scale

TC - Tourist

Route on dirt roads with a compact and smooth surface, suitable for vehicles.

BC - For cyclists with good technical skills

Route on very bumpy dirt roads or on mule tracks and paths with a rather bumpy but fairly smooth surface or compact but irregular, with some natural obstacles (eg rock steps or roots).

OC - For cyclists with excellent technical skills

As above but on very bumpy and / or very irregular paths, with significant presence of obstacles.

EC - Maximum level for the cycle excursionist

Path on very irregular paths, characterized by steps and obstacles in continuous succession, which require trial-type techniques.