Etruscan Castle Tour - Tuscany - Italy

Arriving in Orvieto and shared transfer for the group from Orvieto station to Proceno and settlement in the local castle. Dinner in the local restaurant – the only independent restaurant in the town. A local lady cooks in the traditional stile and creates also sometimes new, very tasty filled pasta – called Tortelli. The deserts are very special and always fresh prepared.

Daily ride in the area of the medieval town Proceno, through clay hills down in the valley of the river Palia - with marvellous view on the mountains of Amiata and Cetona. Lunch in the former border places from the Vatican state to Italy – called Dogana – also on hot days a fire lights in the dinning room to cook on. The way back leads uphill in the afternoon sun with warm view on soft rolling wheat fields or pasture for sheep herds. Dinner in a local farmhouse out in the countryside – the oldest real agriturismo - with all kinds of animals around and from them many kinds of home produced and home cooked foodstuffs.

Travel on horseback from Proceno to Onano. The area changes completely – after you passed the private wood property of Montorio with its books, you ride over huge plateau fields with various agricultural business built on tuff (a volcanic soft stone) ground. Farmers settled here with their sheep in the past and started a good traditional cheese production. Lunch in a restored restaurant with hand painted fresco in San Quirico. Thanks to the Tuff rocks on the ground the terrain remains always well drained and ready for nice trots and canters. In the afternoon you arrive directly in the stables of the Castello di Cristina where a local cook prepares a tasty dinner in the former stable below the rooms – the ceiling is held up from several arched bowers.

Daily round in the area of Onano to the unique national park Selva di Lamone. This is an indescribable wooded area, created from the now cold volcano in the Lago di Bolsena. Stones all over like crumbs on a cake. The leaves and the trees create shade and light in a fantastic, unreal mix on the inhospitable ground beside the dirt road. Lunch in a lonely farmhouse attached on a private little lake, that was also once a volcano and that remained a deep of 200 mt. You get tasty home produced starters and barbecued meat outside on the green in front of the house with view down on the lake. After the afternoon ride back you will have dinner today in the former stable part of the castle in front of a nice green garden and a centenary tree.

Travel on horseback from Onano to Sorano. Romantic wood, steep ditches, narrow canyons and old Etruscan roads are your way today. All the area is breathing culture and history the closer you get to Sorano. You stop for another lunch stop in San Quirico with different menu. Take accommodation in the medieval fortress high above the old Etruscan town. Dinner in a restaurant down in the centre.

Daily ride in the unique area of Sorano with its deep and narrow cut roads in the tuff rock. and with its uncountable tombs all over the hills. Lunch stop in Sovana – one of the most famous villages of the Etruscan civilisation – with its huge over ground tombs. Back in Sorano dinner in a restaurant in the village.

Travel back from Sorano to Proceno with lunch stop in a different lonely farmhouse with family business and home cooked food. Dinner in the castles restaurant.

Shared transfer in the morning from Proceno to Orvieto station.

Double rooms with high traditional, partly antique furnishing. Private bathrooms. Both castles with pool. Meals: Continental or Italian Breakfast. Lunch in little restaurants or inns. Dinner partly in restaurants or directly in the accommodation. Table water, wine and coffee included.

Proficiency in all three types of gait, experience of cross country riding, including low jumps due to the fairly uneven terrain and, because mostly young horses are used, a good seat is required.

Well trained forward going horses. Mix Arabs, Thoroughbred and Anglo-Arabs.