(lucca cycling club)

https://luccacyclingclub.com/cycling-tuscany/

What sets Lucca (and this ride) apart from the rest of Tuscany are the mountains: Apuan Alps, Apennine, and Pistoian Mountains.

There are a number of different ways to reach them — this ride takes the quickest path. At just 25 kilometers, you’re in the thick of the Apuan Alps or the Tuscan boonies.

The route runs clockwise along the Pania della Croce, the highest peak in the Apuan Alps. If there’s a time when you want (or need) to truly ride solo, this is it. You’ll encounter very few cars or fellow cyclists here. The unexpected bonus is the newly paved roads as of 2019.

You’ll descend into Garfagnana — the valley between the Apuan Alps and Italy’s north-to-south Apennine mountain range. Barga, a medieval village, waits patiently for you on the other side. It’s a hillside town with a church up top. I love bringing my guests there to see Monte Forato (mountain with a hole) and a view of the whole Garfagnana valley.