The Balze of the Valdarno
Pinnacles and cliffs of sand and clay up to about a hundred metres high, sculpted by the rain between Castelfranco di Sopra, Piandiscò and Terranuova Bracciolini.
The story
They are the sediments of an ancient lake that filled the Valdarno millions of years ago, later eroded into canyon-like shapes. Fossils of elephants, hippos and sabre-toothed cats have been found nearby. Some scholars believe Leonardo da Vinci, who knew the valley well, drew on these shapes for the rocky backgrounds of some of his paintings.
Why go
A Western-film landscape half an hour from Florence, with easy loop trails and small medieval villages on top of the cliffs.
In the itineraries
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Weather forecast
The forecast for the next 7 days at this spot: sky, temperatures, rain and wind.
Forecast by Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), from the models of national weather services. Your browser downloads it directly from Open-Meteo, and only when you ask. In the mountains and at sea the weather changes quickly: check the official forecast as well before you set off.
Getting there
- By train. The nearest station is San Giovanni Valdarno station, 9.8 km away. Alternatively: Figline Valdarno station, 11.7 km away. From the station you need a bus, a taxi or a car.
- By air. The nearest airport is Florence Airport (FLR), about 39 km away.
- Parking. The nearest public car park is 1.2 km away.
Stations, ports, airports and car parks from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL); distances as the crow flies. Timetables and connections change: check them before you travel.
Climate month by month
The most pleasant months for weather are from May to June and from September to October, with average highs between 18 and 29 °C. From July to August it is hot: average highs exceed 30 °C. The wettest month is November (about 92 mm), the driest July.
| Month | Temperature | High / low | Rain mm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | from 0 to 7 °C | 7° 0° | 56 |
| Feb | from 1 to 10 °C | 10° 1° | 64 |
| Mar | from 2 to 12 °C | 12° 2° | 59 |
| Apr | from 5 to 16 °C | 16° 5° | 54 |
| May | from 9 to 20 °C | 20° 9° | 62 |
| Jun | from 14 to 27 °C | 27° 14° | 36 |
| Jul | from 18 to 32 °C | 32° 18° | 22 |
| Aug | from 18 to 31 °C | 31° 18° | 40 |
| Sep | from 13 to 25 °C | 25° 13° | 60 |
| Oct | from 9 to 19 °C | 19° 9° | 75 |
| Nov | from 5 to 13 °C | 13° 5° | 92 |
| Dec | from 1 to 9 °C | 9° 1° | 73 |
Averages for 2015–2024, estimated for an altitude of 602 m. Air: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), corrected for the altitude of the place; rain: average monthly total. These are indicative values: the weather on any given day can be very different, so always check the forecast before you go.