Castello di Vicarello
Tuscany, Italy[view map]
Local restaurants
Authentic Tuscan trattoria abound. Be sure to book a terrace table at Latte di Luna on the main street in Pienza; it serves pici al ragu (spaghetti in wild boar sauce) worth making pilgrimages for (+39 057 874 8606). Il Rossellino in the Piazza di Spagna is a tiny but elegant couple-run eaterie with a great wine selection (+39 057 874 9064). Humbler, but no less flavoursome, is the fare at child-friendly Buca delle Fate, on the Corso Il Rossellino where locals come in droves to savour the steak (+39 057 874 8272).
Worth getting out of bed for
Don’t leave Tuscany without vineyard-hopping: Poggio Antico in Montalcino runs tasting sessions in English and also boasts a great formal restaurant – book a sampling session in the morning and follow it with a lingering lunch (+39 057 784 8044).