The Velzna Trail is a gravel route that starts in Orvieto, a small city a couple of hours south of Florence. Its 552km straddles the 3 regions of Umbria, Florence and Lazio taking in a swath of smooth gravel roads, quiet countryside tarmac as well as some more rugged trails, rolling past vineyards and up and down the forested contours of this renowned wine growing region. The route is as much a cultural experience as it is a physical and visual one, passing through many of the area’s medieval, fortified villages perched on their hilltop locations, overlooking the surrounding landscape. Ride it as a non-stop challenge or take your time to enjoy the views, the trails, the food and the coffee. This is Italy after all. The route is designed around the gravel bike, but an mtb would be perfectly fine too. There are three distance options: 125km , 280km or the full 552km which is an added loop to the medium route once you arrive back in Orvieto. Carry a tent or a bivvy for some wild camping or stay in any of the plentiful accommodation options. The route meanders up and down the regions’ rolling terrain, passing from its higher peaks to the edge of the Tyrrhenian Sea and back again. Some climbs are long, but steady in their gradient, culminating in grand views across the lush landscape, but it's not without some shorter, more punchy climbing too! Descents are fun and fast, many on smooth gravel, some a little challenging, having to pick your lines through the more technical terrain, but everything is rideable on 40mm gravel tyres. Total height gain is just shy of 9000m, with a significant chunk in the final 176km loop. For all the beautiful gravel roads and forest tracks, there are sections that pass by agricultural land that will become a challenge in wet weather! Be prepared for a bit of hike-a-bike, but that's all part of the adventure. I rode a Shand Stooshie set up with tubeless 40mm WTB Nano tyres. Taking the more leisurely option of riding the 550km over 4 days, a mix of a Tailfin Aero pack and Revelate Designs bags carried an MSR Carbon Reflex tent and the bare essentials for a few nights out wild camping as you are never far from civilisation for food and supplies. I carried two 750ml bottles, due to the number of small towns and villages the route passes through with taps and fountains. You could conceivably use just a single large bottle depending on needs, although the odd tap wasn't working.