A new way to experience and explore Chianti has been launched — a region that opens itself to visitors through an innovative network of cycling and walking trails winding through vineyards, olive groves, and private woodlands. The “You’r Welcome®” project represents a new vision of Tuscan hospitality, where the region’s long-standing care for the landscape becomes an ecosystem of opportunities for both residents and visitors.
This initiative, which redefines the concept of experiential tourism through a systemic and sustainable approach, has been made possible by funds from the Region of Tuscany through the GAL Start call for proposals – Measure 19.2 “Community regeneration projects.” It has been developed in collaboration with the Municipality of San Casciano in Val di Pesa, the local Pro Loco, the Natural Shopping Centre (Centro Commerciale Naturale), the San Casciano Classico Association, a broad network of local stakeholders, and with the support of Vetrina Toscana, the regional project promoting food and wine tourism. At the launch event, this morning were Vice President and Regional Councillor for Agriculture Stefania Saccardi, the Mayor of San Casciano in Val di Pesa Roberto Ciappi, GAL Start Technical-Administrative Manager Stefano Santarelli, Duccio Corsini from the San Casciano Classico Association, and Piero Giannini, lead representative of the You’r Welcome community project.
“This project,” said Stefania Saccardi, “perfectly embodies the philosophy of Tuscan hospitality, reinterpreted in a contemporary way. It promotes the local economy starting from the area’s agricultural vocation and the concept of preserving and protecting the land. In this case, collaboration between the public and private sectors generates a virtuous cycle. The farms, which have long safeguarded the landscape, are opening their land to create a network of private walking and cycling paths for public use, which interconnect with existing roads. This enhances the value of the territory while also promoting all the products it has to offer.”
Sustainability is the core principle of the initiative and is expressed in multiple dimensions: it begins with the recovery of existing trails, promoting gentle mobility, encouraged by integration with e-bikes. At the same time, the landscape is protected: maintenance of the routes, entrusted to farms, guarantees the preservation of the natural and scenic heritage, enhancing existing roads through minimal interventions. It encourages the reduction of environmental impact: by urging tourists to leave their cars behind to explore the area in an ecological and immersive way.
Another important aspect is safety: the routes are not accessible to cars. In addition, farms have been provided free of charge with a “bike friendly” kit to offer travellers in case of mechanical breakdown.
The Chianti Bike Natural Park is a network of natural routes winding through vineyards and olive groves, woods and scrubland, tracks, paved and unpaved paths, which connect and link with white roads, historical routes, the Italian Alpine Club (CAI) trails, covering 400 km of existing paths, plus an estimated 2000 km of potential additional routes.
This ecosystem is accessible only through “You’r Welcome®”: a sophisticated mobile application that serves as a “digital assistant” for visitors, allowing them to plan personalised experiences based on individual preferences, navigate the routes using GPS geolocation, discover events and activities in real-time, and access detailed information about businesses and points of interest through a QR code system spread across the area. The project also includes a physical info point: the “Etico Shop” space in San Casciano in Val di Pesa, which will serve as a tangible point of reference for both visitors and residents.
Our guests are always at the centre: instead of searching for information online, it will be the information that reaches the visitor, based on their selected interests and set distance. The app, currently in the testing phase, will be available from June, free to download from major platforms.
Beyond the technological and infrastructural aspects, “You’r Welcome®” places the value of human connection at the heart of its model, creating a network of relationships that goes beyond the traditional divide between residents and tourists. The routes do not connect only physical places, but also people and stories, helping to rediscover the value of community and sharing.
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