Tuscany

Tuscany is one of the most famous tourist locations in Europe, thanks to it renowned history, its endless artistic beauties, its wonderful landscape and the quality of the produce grown and made there, especially its wine.
It is a mostly hilly region, except for the mountain stretch of the Apuan Alps. It also has a long stretch of coastline looking out onto the Tyrrhenian Sea.

Tuscany’s history dates back to very ancient times: the first human settlements that we know about were Etruscan, who built the town of Fiesole in the 1st century B.C.
Florence is the true symbol of Tuscany, birthplace of the Renaissance, capital of the region and a city that has been visited by travelers, artists and scholars from all over the world such as Keats, Goethe, Lord Byron and many others for centuries.
Another pretty city of art with an important cultural heritage is Siena, a city filled with a medieval atmosphere and setting for the famous Palio race each year. The famous area of Chianti spreads out around Siena. The area is full of other charming towns where time seems to have come to a standstill: San Gimignano, Montalcino, Radda in Chianti, Pienza.

Lucca, surrounded by its huge 16th century, medieval walls and Pisa with its famous leaning tower built at the end of the 12th century are another two of the cities of art in this region.

Tuscany has fertile, luxuriant land. The landscapes are amazing, full of nature reserves, thermal spas and wonderful beaches.
The hills are outlined with rows of vines, dotted with olive groves and cypress trees: a perfect view that leaves you breathless as you travel across Chianti country. Val d’Orcia and the nearby Val d’Elsa are just as pretty. The latter is near to Siena, on a road that runs through oak and holm-oak woods.
Further south in Tuscany, we come to the Maremma area. This is a wild, unspoiled area, protected by the Nature Reserves that protect the environment. Maremma also has wonderful beach, lapped by the crystal clear, blue seawater and with its nearby islands: Capraia, Elba and il Giglio.
Tuscany’s thermal spas, used since ancient times for well-being and cures, are also not to be forgotten. Some of the most important spas where the waters have beneficial properties are Saturnia, Chianciano Terme and Pitigliano.

The Siena Chianti area is full of pretty landscapes, gentle hills where vines and olive trees grow, and there are centuries-old oak woods and charming Medieval villages.
In addition to the wonders of Nature and the historical and cultural places of interest in Chianti, there is also the chance to discover the real tastes of this area, such as the famous Chianti wine, the tasty cinta senese and the strong sheep’s cheeses produced in the Siena Crete.

How to get there

Getting to Siena from any Italian city is very easy:

By car: From Rome and the South generally take highway A1 to the exit at Valdichiana/Bettolle and continue on Statale 73 up to Siena. From Milan or Bologna take highway A1 towards Florence, exit at Firenze Certosa and continue on Superstrada Firenze-Siena. From Venice and the Northeast take A13 Padova-Bologna and continue A1 up to Firenze Certosa. Those coming from Genoa, Pisa or Lucca, must take A11 Pisa-Firenze, and then take A1 towards Rome, and exit at Firenze Certosa, to get on the highway for Firenze-Siena.

By train: Siena is well connected to Rome and Florence by train. From Rome there are many connections, which take about three hours, with a change at Chiusi or at Grosseto. From Florence there are several runs that last 1.5 and 2 hours, in some cases with a change over at Empoli. For times please consult the Trenitalia site or call the green number 89 20 21. There are other options and companies that link small Tuscany localities (Tra-In: +39.0577.204246) and major Italian cities (SENA: 800.930.960).

By plane: Florence Airport "Amerigo Vespucci" (FLR) connects with all major Italian airports and 13 European destinations. From the airport there is a direct coach bus service for Siena offered by Train (tel. +39.0577.204111) or take the train from Florence S.M. Novella station. Pisa International Airport "Galileo Galilei" (PSA) is the most important in Tuscany: it links the city with major Italian and European destinations. Pisa is connected to Siena by many trains (app. two-hour trip) with a change at Empoli.

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