photo cover Jennifer Birdie Shawker
Jogging and walking in Florence
5 perfect places to do outdoor sports in the city
Florence is a city to admire in the open air, a treasure trove of masterpieces en plein air to observe and of course also has excellent trails for running or walking immersed in beauty.
Sneakers on your feet, come with us, we'll take you to the most sporty Florence!
The Parco delle Cascine, with its 160 hectares, is the most important park in Florence. Considered the green lung of the city, it is also the favorite destination of Florentine athletes. For 6 km it runs along the Arno river and has a maximum ring of about 7 km; not a very long route but suitable for training with the repetitions, since the park has straight stretches up to 3 km long. If you need a longer distance, you can continue along the river, until you reach Signa where there is the Renai Park, 270 hectares.
Parco delle CascineAlong the Arno
All the beauty of Florence can be admired by following the course of its river. Along the Arno in fact there is a bike path and pedestrian, suitable for runners, cyclists. We suggest you to take as a starting point the Tuscany Hall (former Obihall) in the south of Florence, pass under the bridge of Varlungo and then continue towards the center.
A suggestive Florence along the Arno riverPiazzale Michelangelo
Full of beauty and climbs, not to be missed is the path that starts from Porta Romana and runs alongside the road for about 3 km, with a slight but steady climb. The alternative is also to start from Piazza Ferrucci, to follow what is commonly called Viale dei Colli. Along this road we point out two beautiful gardens: the Rose Garden and the Iris Garden. Two small jewels that with their beauty will give you the right charge to continue. Needless to say, then, that the game is worth the candle. The view from Piazzale Michelangelo is spectacular.
Tramonto dal Piazzale MichelangeloThe streets of Pian dei Giullari run along the road of the same name, from Via San Leonardo to Via Santa Margherita a Montici, and can become another wonderful itinerary for Florentine runners. Whoever happens to be in this area has the impression of not being in Florence, but in one of the many medieval villages of Tuscany. In reality, the distance from the city center is only a few kilometers. Here there are also some beautiful villas. We mention, in particular, one of the most famous: the Gioiello, the place where Galileo Galilei spent his last years.
The route towards Pian dei GiullariSettignano
A corner of a secret and untouched Florence, outside the center. Settignano has a beautiful landscape that runners can admire along a short route, but that offers a different and unexpected perspective of the city. We recommend a run that starts at the intersection of Via del Guarlone and Stradone di Rovezzano. This small road, with its stone walls, goes up to the center of Settignano. You can then descend along via della Capponcina to return to the starting point.
Settignano
