Worth getting out of bed for
Highlights the best Tuscany has to offer, from art and culture to fun-packed activities; we've even found the most inspiring place to enjoy the views from.
- Viewpoint
- Tuscany has enough postcard-perfect vistas to fill a book; you’ll soon find your own favourite. That said, to the south, there are spectacular views from the picture-perfect ruins of Scarlino Castle, and from Montepulciano’s unfinished cathedral. Fiesole is the upmarket hillside suburb northeast of Florence from where you can enjoy the most magnificent panoramic views of the terracotta-tiled town and its Duomo below.
- Arts and culture
- Great Renaissance treasures gild the entire region – not just Florence. Siena in particular has a wealth of Gothic riches, including the humbug-striped Duomo and its marble pulpit, as well as important works by Donatello (in the baptistery), Duccio (in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo) and Lorenzetti (in the Palazzo Pubblico). Mediaeval Arezzo boasts Piero della Francesca frescos. Maremma was once the heartland of the Etruscan civilisation, and their ruins can be seen around the beautiful hilltop towns of Savana, Sorana and Pitigliano, 20 miles southeast of Grosseto near Saturnia.
- Something for nothing
- Siena’s famous horse race – Il Palio – is contested twice a year by the city’s 17 contrade (districts), each with their own loyalty-stirring symbol, such as eagle, panther and, um, snail. Enjoy a wonderfully haphazard tour of the city by trying to find statues or plaques representing all 17 (hint: usually somewhere near the contrada’s museum). Or visit stunning Sant’Antimo (www.antimo.it), a 12th-century abbey and functioning Cistercian monastery in Montalcino late in the afternoon; stand outside afterwards, at 7pm (6.30pm on Sundays), and you’ll hear the monks singing at vespers.
- Shopping
- Grosseto and Siena have some fantastic boutiques, but with all the wonderful designer-label factory outlets on the outskirts of Florence, it’s tempting to head there for cut-price Italian fashion; one of the most popular is the Mall on Via Europa in Leccio Reggello (+39 055 865 7775). If you like to browse more than buy, a local market’s the place to head. We love the daily fish market at Castiglione della Pescaia; Siena’s Wednesday-morning food market at La Lizza; and, on the third Sunday of every month, the antiques market at the city’s Piazza del Mercato.
- Daytripper
- Tourists flock to Tuscany in peak season, but head to the sites early or off-season and you should miss the hordes who hit the hotspots in the middle of the day. Siena, San Gimignano, Arezzo, Lucca and Pisa are all within easy driving distance of southern Tuscany and worthy of a day trip. Famed for its Leaning Tower, Pisa’s other marvels – the cathedral and the baptistery in the beautiful Campo dei Miracoli – may be less famous, but they are no less spectacular… and a lot more stable. If you like your architecture unsullied by spandex-clad happy snappers, the ancient village of Volterra is a hands-down winner. Neighbouring Umbria’s huge lake Trasimeno and pretty hill towns make fantastic destinations if you need an excuse to potter across country: Orvieto, Assisi and Gubbio are within a few hours’ drive.
- Best beach
- In the Punta Ala area at the southern end of the Gulf of Follonica, two of the finest beaches are Cala Martina and Cala Violina. Around Castiglione della Pescaia there are also some fabulous, pristine beaches, particularly in the spectacular Tombolo forest.
- Walks
- Take a gastronomic walking tour of Florence’s Central Market with charismatic Judy Witts Francini, tasting vintage balsamic vinegar and snaffling mouthfuls of cheese en route before holing up in a traditional trattoria or having a cooking lesson at Judy’s flat. Alternatively, contact her at Divina Cucina (www.divinacucina.com) for bespoke tasting trips in Chianti or elsewhere in Tuscany.
- Activities
- There are several geothermal hot springs to soak in, such as the famous Terme di Saturnia (+39 0564 600111) near Manciano in the far south of the region. Spot flocks of pink flamingos in October at the Orbetello lagoon, one of Europe’s foremost destinations for migratory birds. If you have your own car and want a spectacular ocean drive, try the Via Panoramica on Monte Argentario. There are fabulous walking trails around Monte d’Alma and Poggio Ballone to the north of Castiglione della Pescaia. Maremma provides perfect terrain for horse riding, whilst gaining insight into the traditions of the butteri; Grosseto-based Equinus organises cattle drives in the Alberese park (+39 0564 24988; www.cavallomaremmano.it). Visit the Petra winery for a spot of wine tasting in a spectacular building designed by Mario Botta (+39 0565 845308; www.petrawine.it). Villa Bordoni in Greve in Chianti offers cookery courses (from half-day to six-day courses). There are also courses at the Osteria di Passignano in Badia a Passignano (www.osteriadipassignano.com).
Diary
Late April–early July The auditory delights of Maggio Musicale Fiorentino are a must for lovers of classical music (www.maggiofiorentino.com). May A historic archery contest takes place in the main piazza of Massa Marittima on the first Sunday after the 20th; the crossbowmen get another go on the second Sunday of August. July/August The two Palio dates in Siena see bareback horsemen fight tooth and hoof to win the race round the Campo (www.paliosiena.com). Early September Where better to get stuck into a wine fair than at Greve, for the Chianti Classico festival. Head to the Joust of the Saracens in Arezzo for mediaeval mayhem and lance-waving; there’s a second event at the end of June (www.portacrucifera.it). For more events and activities in Tuscany, also see our Florence destination guide.
