Tuscany – North of Siena

Our representative will meet you in Siena and will introduce you to your walking tour. If you arrive in enough time have an exploratory walk in the main roads and narrow alleys. Siena is one the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe, a true masterpiece of art and architecture with its gothic Duomo, the museums and famous buildings and the shell shape  square “Il Campo” the scene of the holy (because dedicated to the Virgin), and mad horse race “The Palio”

A walk today on paths and gravel roads across rolling hills. Some small sections are steep. You will walk through some beautiful woods of the Montagnola Senese – a home of wild boars.

Today you will see some wonderful views of Tuscan towns and countryside, the evergreen oak wood of the Montagnola Senese and the stunning medieval citadel of Monteriggioni. Strove is a small medieval Tuscan village. Monteriggioni is a medieval hilltop village with its very well preserved crown of city walls and watchtowers.

Today you continue your walk across this wonderful Tuscan countryside. Of course, stop for lunch or take a picnic but enjoy this shorter relaxing day. Your destination Colle Val d’Elsa is a medieval market town. Today Colle is famous for its crystals (a medieval tradition). There is also an interesting Etruscan Museum.

Views of Tuscan towns and countryside today as your path will enter the medieval  Pilgrim way to Rome “Via Francigena”. This is still today a popular pilgrimage route as the “Camino di Santiago”. San Gimignano one of our favourite towns lies on the site of an Etruscan settlement dated 3rd century B.C. It developed during the middle ages thanks to the pilgrimage route, the Via Francigena,  which runs through the town. Of the original 72 medieval towers, only 14 remain to witness the great power and richness of the past.

Today you can continue to admire beautiful views of the countryside and the Vernaccia vineyards. Then you will pass near the ruins of a medieval castle and will cross a beautiful evergreen oak wood. Volterra is surrounded by two defensive walls one Etruscan the other medieval, it is one of the most important centres of Tuscany for its monuments that testify to 3000 years of civilisation and its traditional alabaster craftsmanship.

End of tour after breakfast. From Volterra, bus connections are available to Cecina on the coast. From Cecina train station you can reach Pisa,  Florence and Rome. If you wish to stay longer we can book you a wonderful 4-star hotel, formally a farm estate but now a stunning hotel with a nice pool, gym, wellness and stunning surroundings.