The best cycling routes around Lake Santa Luce

The descent after the town of St. Luce is awesome! Good asphalt, nice curves and always full throttle.

Photo #5 is taken from the MTA website (Tuscan Museums for Alzheimer's)

Rosignano Castle sits atop the hill overlooking the town center. Its origins are ancient: it was first an Etruscan fortress, then a Roman castrum, and finally a medieval fortress, important for its position, which allowed it to control both the hills behind it and the sea. It was also the residence of the Medici family, who strengthened its fortifications with two towers. The castle was not only a fortress, but also encompassed several other buildings: a church, a building of the Archbishopric of Pisa, the seat of the municipal authorities, homes and shops, and noble palaces belonging to the Vestrini, Marini, and Bombardieri families. The latter currently houses the Rosignano Archaeological Museum; Opened in 1996 and spread over three floors, it houses architectural elements and furnishings from Roman villas, underwater finds from Roman shipwrecks along the coast, and various funerary objects discovered in the Etruscan necropolises of Castiglioncello and Vada. Particularly interesting is the reconstruction of a Roman-era domus, complete with furnishings and everyday objects. The museum has an educational approach, accessible each year to thousands of teachers and students of all ages, thanks to guides, multimedia, models, panels, and captions. From Piazzale Vestrini, especially at sunset and on clear days, you can enjoy a magnificent view of Rosignano Marittimo, the coast, and the islands. Ample parking is available in the area adjacent to the tower. Closed on Mondays, open Tuesday through Sunday (9:00-13:00 in the winter and 17:00-20:00 in the summer). Tel. 0586 724288 Email: palazzobombardieri@comune.rosignano.livorno.it Tickets: * €5.00 adults; * €3.00 reduced (students, families, groups of more than 9 people); * free for children (under 10), seniors (over 65), and disabled visitors

Santa Luce is a charming village perched on a hill separating it from the municipality of Chianni, dominated by the blades of wind turbines. The beautiful panorama is complemented by the view of the lake of the same name: it's fascinating despite not being a natural lake, but created about sixty years ago by the Solvay company to supply its plants with water. The lake is elongated, divided into two unequal sections by the road that crosses it. It's not very deep and its water regime depends on seasonal rainfall. However, it is home to a large number of animals, especially birds (some rare in this part of Tuscany, such as ospreys, purple herons, cormorants, mallards, pochards, etc.) that populate its shores among the reeds, scrub, and meadows, so much so that the lake has become a nature reserve managed by the LIPU (Italian League for the Protection of the Italian People's Republic of Italy). The entrance to the LIPU Reserve is located 2 kilometers along the SP 51 - Rosignanina road, between the SR 206 and Santa Luce. You can park your car outside the entrance and then walk to the visitor center, which also has restrooms and a picnic area. It also offers educational activities, guided tours, excursions and birdwatching, workshops and courses, as well as various specific events. https://www.lipu.it/oasi-riserve/riserva-naturale-santa-luce YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCumfLGyj3Zq6OSuRStRyB4Q Open Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 am - 11:00 am / 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm. Reservations only. Email: riserva.santaluce@lipu.it Tel: +39 3440858799 Website: https://www.riservasantaluce.com/ Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/lipusantaluce

Beautiful views and white roads in the Tuscan countryside overlooking Lake Santa Luce, a natural oasis.

Beautiful places and roads immersed in the typical Tuscan landscape

Typical places and views of Tuscany

The Santa Luce Oasis, with over 150 species recorded, is an important resting area for migratory birds and each season has its own protagonists. In winter, the lake is populated with multi-coloured ducks such as Pochards, Teals, Mallards, Wigeons, while Cormorants put on a show by sitting on tree branches with their wings spread out to dry in the sun. In summer, the reed beds are populated with small, inconspicuous birds such as the Cetti's Warbler, the Reed Warbler and the Great Reed Warbler, while the typical "flask-shaped" nests of the Penduline Tit sway on the tamarisks and the multi-coloured Bee-eater settles in the upper part of the lake. In the morning, it is easy to encounter the Kestrel and the Buzzard patrolling the fields, or the silhouette of the Marsh Harrier as it flies over the reeds; at night, however, the Barn Owl, the Little Owl and other nocturnal birds of prey come into action. But the most spectacular season remains spring: the flowering hills are the backdrop to the wedding parades of the Great Crested Grebe, which has become the symbol of the Oasis. Migrants also appear on the lake and along its shores, especially herons such as the Night Heron, the Little Egret, the Little Bittern and the Purple Heron. In an ecosystem like that of the lake there is an enormous wealth of life and biological diversity such as elegant dragonflies, colorful painted ladies and other butterflies and the large nocturnal sphinxes. Reptiles and amphibians are also constant presences.