Tuscany is a region in central Italy with the capital being Florence. We have separated Tuscany out in order to cover a few places that we visited which were in easy reach of a villa we had rented in the region. Even though the villa we rented is no longer available, there are many beautiful villas that you will enjoy.

It is such a beautiful region with some wonderfully quirky towns. We spent time wandering the streets of San Gimignano, Volterra, Monteriggioni, Castellina in Chianti and Siena. All of these were within easy reach of our villa by car. The advantage of staying in a villa is the experience of being surrounded by beautiful countryside, yet being close enough to small medieval towns to experience their history and the amazing local produce in their restaurants. These are lovely people who are extremely proud of their region and enjoy the tourists visiting.

Travel Tips

  • It is easier to hire a car for this area as you will need to get around to a number of towns. Travel distances are quite small so, in some cases, you can do a couple of towns in the one day.

Travel Alerts

  • This is a safe area, even when travelling at night, so we have no alerts for travellers to this part of Italy.
  • Parking in these smaller towns is reserved for residents only, and designated paid parking areas are set aside for tourists. Do not make the mistake of parking in the back streets thinking you will be safe. The Police patrol regularly and they use CCTV footage as well. Parking fines are quite high so the cheaper option is to pay for your parking in the designated zones.

Travel Adventures

San Gimignano

San Gimignano is a beautiful walled town with a skyline of medieval towers which captivates your imagination as you drive up the hill towards it. There are a wonderful array of tourist shops which you discover as you wander its many winding streets with plenty of cafes to sit and soak up the atmosphere. The town sits atop a hill some 300m high, and has sweeping views of the Elsa Valley below. The evenings are just as delightful as you savor the flavours of the region in any number of good restaurants. It is one of those places that seems to transport you back in time as you enjoy the architecture and uniqueness of this little town.

Please ensure you park in the designated tourist parking areas. Parking in the town is reserved for residents only and you will get fined.

Make sure you take time to visit the following:

  1. Duomo di San Gimignano – filled with beautiful frescoes, you will appreciate that the original colours are still visible as these frescoes have never had restoration work done to them. From the outside the Duomo is definitely understated, but there is nothing understated about the beautiful colours you will see on the inside.
  2. Torre Grossa – the tallest of the towers in the town and the only one open to the public. Entry to the Civic Museum also allows entry to the tower. There are some 218 steps to the top, so a level of fitness is required. However, the views will more than make up for the exhaustion you feel on arriving at the top.

Pisa

Pisa is most famous for the Leaning Tower, which brings tourists from all over the world. Just near this famous landmark are some souvenir stalls and a few tourist type restaurants. If you have time you need to wander further afield, away from the Leaning Tower, where you will find some wonderful historic buildings and plenty of interesting shops. However, most visitors seem to centre themselves around the Piazza del Duomo, which is the green space comprising the below buildings:

  1. Leaning Tower of Pisa – it is part of the religious complex in the square and its original use was as a bell tower. It currently leans at about 5.5° and you could climb the 273 stairs to the top before it became unsafe to do so.
  2. Battistero di San Giovanni – the baptistery has the most wonderful acoustics due to its double dome and is well worth a visit.
  3. The Cathedral – still in operation today the Cathedral has been extensively restored, and is most unique for its decorations which come from a number of different cultures.

Siena

Siena is a lovely town to visit and is most famous for the Palio di Siena, a horse race that runs around the perimeter of the Piazza del Campo. The Piazza is very large and encourages large crowds who enjoy the many cafes around the perimeter. We only had 1 day to explore Siena, which doesn’t give you a lot of time to appreciate what is on offer. However, our suggestion would be to head to the Piazza and then visit the cathedral.

It is well worth the time to include a visit to the Duomo di Siena which has the most intricate marble work covering the floor. Please take the time to read the link about the cathedral so that you can really appreciate the immense beauty of not only the marble work, but the cathedral as a whole.

Monteriggioni

Monteriggioni is a small walled medieval castle known for its fortifications and watchtowers. Amazingly the fortified wall is still intact and comprises 14 towers. You can walk around the wall and enjoy the commanding views of the nearby Chianti countryside. You enter the town through the Romea Gate after parking your car in the allocated parking area. Each July the town holds a Medieval Festival which is one of the best in the area. Not only will you be treated to live music, dancing and theatre as part of the entertainment, but you can also savor ancient flavours as well from the many stalls and restaurants. A great little place to visit.