Along the Arno river, by bike, in the Empolese Valdelsa land

Once you get out of Florence the river Arno, in its race towards the sea, brushes the municipalities of Montelupo Fiorentino, Capraia e Limite, Empoli, Vinci, Cerreto Guidi and Fucecchio. We are in the territory of the Ambito Empolese Valdelsa.

The whole course of the river is flanked by the Arno cycle path, a bike route that in the future will be accessible from the source on Mount Falterona as far as the mouth, in Marina di Pisa, and that offers for the moment, in this area, the chance to pedal from Montelupo Fiorentino to Empoli for about 10 km.
Here you connect to the urban cycling network, and then continue in the direction of Pisa as far as the municipality of San Miniato.

The trail, mostly on dirt road, is even and easy to follow, perfect for a family bike ride.
Along the route, interspersed with small rest areas, you can enjoy glimpses of the Arno river, the countryside and, further away, the Montalbano reliefs.
From Montelupo Fiorentino you can then opt for the 15 km of the cycle paths that run along the Arno as far as Empoli, and the Pesa river to the Roman Villa of Vergigno.
A stop in Montelupo to see the Villa dell’Ambrogiana, a Medici villa that is part of the UNESCO-protected sites; the 14-th century Frescobaldi tower, the Archaeological Museum and the Ceramics Museum, given that Montelupo is a city of ceramics, with an ancient and illustrious tradition. Between the Arno river and the Medici Villa the Ambrogiana Park stretches for 8000 sqm. It is one of the green areas and parks that are found right along the course of the river.

Another full immersion into nature awaits you at the Arnovecchio oasis, just outside Empoli, an environment that is home to several types of plants and numerous animal species. A meander of the Arno river that originally used to flow here was rectified in the 16-th century at the behest of Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici. Later the area, where now lies a small lake, was used as a quarry for the production of gravel, helping to modify what is today a patchwork of different environments. You can visit the oasis following a nature trail featuring four spots equipped for the observation of wildlife and plants thanks to information panels for children and visually impaired persons.

Still on the subject of the use of the Arno river, it is recommended to take a leap from nature to history in the rowing museum Museo Remiero di Limite that is housed in the seat of the Società Canottieri Limite rowing club, the oldest in Italy, founded in 1861.
This small but interesting museum, created in a location that is famous for leasure shipbuilding, tells of the history and the wealth of knowledge related to construction and rowing that have been handed down for centuries by the boaters from Limite, who sailed the Arno river to carry goods between Florence and Pisa.