Bonifica Path – between Arezzo and Chiusi

62 km of cycle and footpath on the banks of Chiana canal. Nature, lakes, cities

All year long Tuscany -Bonifica Path (Arezzo area ) Children | Nature-Excursions | Sport

The Bonifica path is a 62 km two-way beaten cycle and footpath with a modest height difference.
It is an easy and charming natural path, particularly suitable for sport family tourism.
The path develops on the ancient road for the maintenance of the Chiana Main Canal running on the banks between the cities of Arezzo and Chiusi.

The canal was dug by Leopold II Grand Duke of Tuscany to bring the Chiana river into the Arno. One of the results was that Chiana Valley, after being a swamp for centuries, became one of the most fertile valleys of Italy.

The path is well signposted with several support points and places of great beauty and interest. Along the way, starting from Arezzo, they deserve a short stop:

– The Monk Sluice (Chiusa dei Monaci), built around 1151 by the friars of the monastery of Santa Flora and Lucilla of Arezzo as a fishing weir;
– Valiano Levee (Callone di Valiano), realized in 1723 to regulate the water level of Montepulciano and Chiusi lakes
– Lake Montepulciano, with the natural reserve and protected natural area
– Lake Chiusi, a protected natural area with one of the largest heronries (nesting area of herons) in Central Italy, and an 8 hectare WWF oasis;
– the towers of “Beccati Questo” (Take this) and “Beccati Quest’altro” (Take that) built by the citizens of Siena and Perugia at the beginning of the 1400s.