Discover Croce: Festivals, Wine and Cycling Routes in Tuscany

Croce combines walks, rural festival culture, wine and cycling. This Tuscan village is therefore suitable for planning a trip that takes into account not just a landscape, but also different facets of local life. Depending on your personal interests, the focus may be on experiencing nature, traditional events, regional products or sporting routes.

Woodlands and walks around Croce

Tenuta La Selva in Croce di Lucignano offers woodland areas that can be explored. For walkers, this natural setting complements the Camminata alla Croce: in 2022, it was a walk of approximately 7 km held in connection with the Festa della Madonna della Croce. The Camminata alla Croce also included a Nordic walking demonstration with an instructor. The combination of a longer walking route and a demonstration format appeals to travellers who want to combine their stay with physical activity and a specific local occasion.

Festa Popolare and rural traditions

La Croce di Lucignano hosted the 41st edition of the Festa Popolare alla Croce. As part of this Festa Popolare, the Festa Contadina in Notturna included a re-enactment of threshing with songs and historical costumes. As a result, the event places not only festive elements but also scenes from the rural past at the centre of attention.

The 41st Festa Popolare alla Croce also included dinners featuring duck in porchetta, pizza and other specialities. At the Gran Prix of the Festa Popolare, participants received a voucher for a pici dish as their participation prize, which could be redeemed during the Festa Popolare. Those who choose Croce for its regional cuisine and traditional festivals will therefore find several interconnected themes here, without having to reduce nature, culture and food to the same experience.

Wine and products from the surrounding area

At Tenuta Il Sosso in Località Selve, Croce di Lucignano, a visit combines a guided tour of the winery and cellar with a tasting of five selected wines. The tasting pairs these five wines with bruschetta made with the estate’s own extra virgin olive oil, local cured meats and artisan cheeses. This creates a clear focus for your trip on wine and accompanying specialities, distinct from the historical festival traditions and sporting activities.

Cycling with different route profiles

The Valdichiana 1 cycling tour passes Soc. Agr. Il Sosso in Località Le Selve, Croce di Lucignano; one of the cellars along the route is located there. The Gran Prix of the Festa Popolare in Croce di Lucignano included a competition on a flat, 1,000 m road circuit closed to traffic, which was completed three times.

The Memorial Nerdi cycle race had a different profile: it was held in Croce di Lucignano on a challenging 18 km circuit, completed four times, and finished in the Tuscan village after a 1 km climb. The two routes therefore differ considerably in length, number of laps and level of difficulty. This helps you distinguish between a short, flat circuit and a longer, more demanding cycling route when planning your trip.

Choose accommodation according to your interests

If you are looking for a hotel or other accommodation in Croce, you can base your choice on your preferred interests. Wine travellers may focus on the combination of a cellar tour and tasting at Tenuta Il Sosso, while those interested in culture can make the Festa Popolare alla Croce, with its Festa Contadina in Notturna and historical costumes, the centrepiece of their visit. For walks, the Camminata alla Croce, with its approximate length of 7 km, offers a different point of reference from the two cycling races. The various route profiles and types of experience therefore give you an objective basis for planning a visit to Croce that suits your own travel rhythm.

Lucignano.