Sports at Hotel Villa le Barone

Sports in Tuscany at Villa le Barone: swimming in the infinity pool

A holiday in Tuscany that allows you to play sports, relax and discover the art of the Renaissance? At Hotel Villa le Barone, you can play tennis, swim in the superb heated infinity pool, use the fitness room and the fitness trail, go for a walk, go cycling… and there is a golf course nearby! It’s also a central location from which you can take day trips to discover the wonders of Tuscan art.

Would you like not to have to choose between discovering the treasures of Tuscan art, playing sports or relaxing? Then, come to the Hotel Villa le Barone. You will find a superb tennis court with spectacular views of the Chianti hills. No need to bring your rackets and balls, they can be provided for you. You can also swim in the heated 17meters infinity salt-water pool (so without the inconveniences of chlorinated pools). Moreover the panorama from this pool is stupendous. Just lie down, enjoy the Tuscan sun, immerse yourself in the beauty of the rose beds, dream while listening to the birdsong or to the bells of the Romanesque church of San Leolino: it’s Paradise! You can also use the fitness room with its bike and treadmill, again with a view… Furthermore there is a fitness trail with stations offering different exercises and giving the possibility of discovering various aspects of the gardens at Villa le Barone.

Sports in Tuscany à Villa le Barone: the tennis court

We have also prepared for you hiking and cycling itineraries through the vineyards, olive groves and woodlands, to allow you to discover other aspects of Chianti and Tuscany. We have two mountain bikes available for our guests. And after your sports efforts, relax on one of our many terraces!

We are waiting for you at Villa le Barone  so you can relax, practice different sports, and admire the Tuscan art all at the same time!

Chianti and Tuscany out of the beaten track, by car, cycling or hiking

Landscape between Panzano in Chianti and Villa le Barone

Do you wish to discover Chianti and Tuscany out of the beaten track? Do you wish to discover it touring with your car, cycling, or hiking? As you prefer! Villa le Barone has prepared for you six car itineraries that will take you on small roads to visit medieval and Renaissance villages, castles, churches and abbeys, and will offer to you breathtaking views on the Tuscan landscapes.

We have also prepared a number of cycling routes descriptions, and we can loan 2 mountain bikes free of charge. But you might opt to rent electric bikes, more comfortable for the hilly Chianti roads! Do you prefer hiking? Then you will also find 8 detailed itineraries of different length. We also suggest typical trattorias to stop for lunch, or we can prepare a picnic that you can enjoy in front of a magnificent panorama!

Let me describe the 7 kilometers hiking itinerary we have prepared that will bring you to a small hermitage, “San Pietro alle Stinche”. You follow the road towards the center of Panzano in Chianti, with beautiful views on olive trees and vineyards. At the intersection at 1 km, you turn right, on the dirt road indicated “Volpaia”, “San Pietro alle Stinche” . You continue on this dirt road for 1km 50, on the left you have a cypress raw, and on the right superb views on

the Chianti hills and vineyards. Along the road admire a small tabernacle as you find so many in Tuscany! Then you arrive at a cross roads with a viewpoint. On the left, you can see Greve in Chianti. If you wish to rest, there is a picnic table. Then take the road on the right towards “San Pietro alle Stinche”, and follow the road which goes slightly down for about 1km ( with views on Villa le Barone ), and finally in the forest.

Tuscany Chianti landscape

Enjoy the road sign on the left representing a happy monk! This road leads you to the Hermitage “Eremo di San Pietro alle Stinche” that you discover on the right, below, hidden in the greenery, next to a small brook (there is a small parking lot). Take the small path that leads to the entrance of the 14th century church, and admire the little fountain on the right. This is a place where you feel peace and sacredness permeating every moment. The Hermitage, founded by the charismatic figure of Father Giovanni Vannucci (1913-1984), theologian and writer, is a place of prayer, ecumenical dialogue and listening. You can push the door next to the church. It is always opened. You will be welcomed in the beautiful common room by one of the three monks who are continuing life as Father Vanucci had defined it, dedicated to prayer, meditation, work, dialogue with other religions. From this beautiful common room, you can go inside the small church, a place where you can recollect. Afterwards, you can continue on the same path where you can see some of the sculptures that Dario Cecchini has put on the way to his home. In any case you have you go back through the same road. Returning offers other beautiful viewpoints! Back in Villa le Barone, it is time to go to the infinity heated pool, and to have a nice drink!

Tuscany is not only Florence, Siena and San Gimignano, and the itineraries we provide to our guests, be it by car or by bike or hiking, will allow them to discover small Romanesque churches, ancient hamlets and medieval castles, and to soak in the wonderful Chianti scenery.

Cycling and biking in Chianti

Cyclist at Villa le Barone Chianti
Cyclist at Villa le Barone Chianti

Tuscany, and in particular Chianti, is one of the heartlands of Italian cycling and, indeed, cycling (bicycling) is one of the best way to discover the Tuscan countryside at a relaxed pace !

Villa le Barone offers an excellent base for wonderful cycling loops, it can loan or rent bicycles for guests and will provide them with a number of detailed itineraries.

Cycling (as well as bicycling or biking) is a national sport in Tuscany, the home of Gino Bartali, the famous champion road cyclist after World War II, and everyday many cyclists are enjoying the pleasure of cycling in Chianti. They enjoy the challenging uphill climbs, the pleasant downhill runs, the superb countryside and the pleasure of having a drink in a small Italian bar! The square in Panzano in Chianti is certainly a meeting point for many of them to gather after a good uphill ride! Certainly, other cycling legends such as Christofer Froome have helped popularize the sport. In addition, the bicycles are not anymore what they were: they are much lighter, they have good brakes, the saddles are more comfortable…Cycling and biking clubs and associations have flourished in Europe as well as in the US, and we can see more and more cyclists from all parts of the world on the Chianti roads.

Biking with kids at Villa le Barone Chianti
Biking with kids at Villa le Barone Chianti

Villa le Barone is an excellent base for great Chianti circuits and we often have the pleasure of hosting cyclists. We provide possible itineraries that guests can use. We can also loan (for free) two bicycles, but we can also organize renting better ones from a specialized shop in Greve in Chianti that will deliver them in the hotel. They can even rent electric bikes! And, after their cycling performances, guests love to have a swim in our heated and salted infinity pool, enjoying a drink while admiring the magnificent Chianti hills and waiting for the superb traditional Tuscan dinner.