Mini Travel Guides

Just the word Tuscany conjures up visions of rolling hills, vineyards and Italian cypress spiking into a sapphire blue sky. We took this photo while driving to Florence for a day of touring, gelato and a wonderful dinner. If you plan to travel to Tuscany, here are some Restaurant recommendations in Tuscany

Written by Terri Fogarty and photo by Bill Fogarty for EuropeUpClose.com

Related posts:

1. Up Close Picture of the Week: Tuscany, Italy
2. Up Close Picture of the Week: Double Rainbow in Chianti
3. Up Close Picture of the Week: Fontenay Abbaye in Burgundy

europealacarte.co.uk posted a photo:

Our tips for things to do in Siena: www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2011/01/18/things-to-do-in-...

europealacarte.co.uk posted a photo:

Our tips for things to do in Siena: www.europealacarte.co.uk/blog/2011/01/18/things-to-do-in-...

The Italian region of Tuscany is very popular with visitors and for good reasons.  There are lots of beautiful, historic cities, towns and villages steeped in tradition, set in lovely rolling countryside. Here are our tips for some of the best things to do in Tuscany.

Florence skyline

Five of the Best Things to do in Tuscany Podcast

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Soak Up the Atmosphere in Piazza del Campo in Siena

The Piazza del Campo is the historic heart of Siena. It has to be a contender for the most beautiful square in Italy and is one of the finest medieval squares in Europe. Amanda wrote about “Ten Things to Do in Siena” and she recommends a visit to Siena during the Palio Horse Race which takes place in the Piazza del Campo biannually, on 2 July and 16 August.

Piazza del Campo , Siena

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Walk along the Riverside in Pisa

I’ve visited Pisa a couple of times and never been up to the Leaning Tower, it’s too expensive with a 15 Euro admission fee and the queue’s too long. Your time in Pisa would be better spent walking along the riverside. Here are some other tips from Europe a la Carte readers on things to see in Pisa.

The bank of the River Arno in Pisa

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Admire Florence from the Piazzale Michelangelo

In my opinion, the best views of Florence are from Piazzale Michelangelo.  It’s one of my three favourite piazzas in Florence.  Just behind Piazzale Michelangelo is the Iris Garden. You can get some other ideas on things to see in Florence in our readers’ tips post.

View of Florence from Piazzale Michelangelo

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Cycle Round the Town Walls in Lucca

Lucca is a lovely walled city and I managed to fulfil my ambition of cycling the town walls, despite the wet weather. We also visited a Tuscan market in the Real Collegio and had a delicious meal at Trattoria da Sergio. You can get more ideas of things to see in Lucca in our “Tips ‘n’ Tweets” post.

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Marvel at the Inflorata in Fucecchio during Corpus Domini

If you happen to be in Tuscany sixty days after Easter, look out for the amazing pictures made from flower petals (inflorata) that adorn the streets for the Corpus Domini Communion Procession.  By sheer coincidence we drove into the village of Fucecchio after getting lost while out touring, just at the right time to admire this floral artwork.

Inflorata in the village of Fucecchio

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Your Tips for Things to Do in Tuscany

If you have any recommendations for things to do in Tuscany, please leave a comment.

Five of the Best Things to Do in Tuscany

Browse through our Europe travel tips to find the best places to visit in Europe. Content published on Europe a la Carte.

A Tuscan holiday is on many people’s want-to lists, and the lovely medieval town of Siena is one of the key destinations within this region. Just arriving in Siena is incredible enough, with its beautiful old buildings making it quite postcard-like. But of course most people want to do more, and this list of things to do in Siena should help you plan a very enjoyable stay.

Siena Skyline by James Temple

The Palio Horse Race

Held twice each summer on 2 July and 16 August, the Palio horse race is one of Siena’s most famous attractions – we even have a poster of it on our bedroom wall! It has a grand tradition stretching back for a milennium and obviously, Siena is pretty crowded at Palio time – but the atmosphere is electric.

Preparations for the Palio by One for RM

Piazza del Campo

The Piazza del Campo square in central Siena is not only the venue for the twice-annual Palio Horse Race, but also a beautiful square which provides an orientation point for all your strolls around Siena; it’s also famous for being uniquely built in a shell-like shape.

Piazza del Campo by benleto

Duomo

The Duomo is Siena’s large cathedral, and easily one of the most beautiful churches you’ll find in Italy. Dating back to the thirteenth century, it’s built in a Gothic style and features distinctive (and photogenic) black and white marble on the outside and a very detailed mosaic floor inside. Within the Duomo’s complex you’ll find the Baptistery and the Museo dell’Opera but unfortunately you have to pay separate entrance fees for each of these.

Siena’s Duomo by dottorpeni

Palazzo Pubblico

The  or town hall is located on the Piazza del Campo and is a medieval stone and brick building. You can climb up the tower (Torre del Mangia) for great views over the square and of Siena in general.

Looking up at the Torre del Mangia by Paulo Bertinetto

Casa di Santa Caterina

The Casa di Santa Caterina is the birthplace of Saint Catherine, one of the two patron saints of Italy (the other is Saint Francis of Assisi), and it’s a convenient short stroll from the Duomo. It is set up to demonstrate Saint Catherine’s early life with the family kitchen and bedroom.

Pinacoteca Nazionale

The Pinacoteca Nazionale or National Picture Gallery is the place for art-lovers to head to, with paintings from Siena masters from the twelfth century through to the seventeenth century.  Many of the famous artists from the Sienese School of painting are represented.

Your Siena Recommendations

Do you have any tips for things to do in Siena? Let us know in the comments.

Where to Stay in Siena

You can search for the best deal on hotels in Siena on the HotelsCombined price comparison site.

Things to Do in Siena, Italy

Browse through our Europe travel tips to find the best places to visit in Europe. Content published on Europe a la Carte.

Follow me as I journey from the southern tip of Italy’s Puglia region all the way up to the Trento Alps. I’ll be focusing on budget-friendly travel, and I’ll rarely use a car. Along the way I’ll sample traditional foods, visit lesser-known ruins and cities, sample excellent wines, and visit local cooking schools, the entire two months living out of a backpack…

Day #43
I’m writing poolside at the Relais Riserva di Fizzano resort  in Tuscany’s Chianti region. “Resort” isn’t really the right word. The enclave of luxury apartments was once a medieval village. Located on top of one of the tallest hills around, its grounds offer a panoramic view of Tuscany’s countryside, hills of cascading grapevines included. Architect Fabio Zingarelli, son of Director and Winemaker Italo Zingarelli, converted the village into what it is today, retaining its original medieval atmosphere. Rocca delle Macíe winery opened the renovated village to offer visitors of the winery a place to stay.

I arrived yesterday after the wine tasting at Rocca delle Macíe, and was immediately overcome by the resort’s natural beauty. I visited the Chianti region for the first time three years ago, when I was 24. During that trip, my girlfriend and I had balanced our budget by sleeping in our rental car. We tasted wine by day, then found a secluded road beside some vines, and spent the night. It wasn’t always comfortable (one night we’d planned on cooking over a fire only to have it rain: we ended up cooking hot dogs on the car’s engine), but it had its charm. Relais Riserva di Fizzano is a direct shot in the other direction. It is pure luxury.

Our two-room apartment includes a complete kitchen and a large bedroom with immaculate views. The décor is rustic and expertly fashioned. Because it is located on a hilltop, the resort and its grounds feel particularly exclusive, as though you are a temporary citizen of a utopian town. An apartment runs between 100 and 185 euros a night—a bargain, if not a budget-friendly option. The resort has a restaurant, which often features pairing menus, where we ate lunch.

Surrounded by so much beauty, we should have stayed put beside the pool, where unobstructed views of the countryside could be had from lounge chairs. Instead, we decided to use the resort’s mountain bikes, which are offered gratis. It wasn’t a good idea: the area is composed completely of steep hills. We were either soaring at breakneck speeds downhill or laboring uphill at a snail’s pace. I love bicycling, but mountain biking in Tuscany is simply a bad idea. I think we lasted half an hour total, and my legs are still aching today.

In the evening we decided to cook a meal incorporating Tuscany’s traditional ingredients. The apartment’s kitchen included every apparatus you’d need. We bought store-made fresh tagliatelle and made a ragu from scratch (recipe below). One of the many secrets for making a good ragu is blanching the tomatoes. It takes seconds and allows the skins to be removed easily, making for a smoother sauce. With luxurious flare, we used some of Rocca delle Macíe’s 2005 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano in the ragu.

After dinner, during which we opened two bottles of Rocca delle Macíe’s wine, I took a walk alone among the surrounding vineyards. It was probably around midnight, and I lit a Tuscano cigar. The combination of the local produce and cheeses, the local wine, the local tobacco, and the cool night air made me feel truly connected to a part of the world that I was, in actuality, just passing through.

Recipe for Mattie and Kristin’s Ragu

Ingredients (for 2 people):
2/3 lb fresh pasta
8 medium-sized tomatoes
½  head of chopped garlic
½ chopped onion
3 small sausages
½ cup red wine
2 tbsp whole milk
2 tbsp chopped rosemary
Grated cheese (Pecorino, Parmesan, Grana, etc.)
QB salt (QB is an Italian cooking measurement. It can be translated, roughly, as “to taste,” although it literally means quanto basta, or use as much as you personally want. I think “QB” reveals the intuitive logic of Italian cooking)

Directions:
1)    Boil a large pot of water. Cut the tops off the tomatoes and cut a slit in each. Carefully add to boiling water. Blanch until skins begin to separate from the tomatoes (15 seconds-1 minute). Drain and cool with cold water. When tomatoes are cool enough to touch, peel and discard skin.
2)    Meanwhile, in a deep pan, lightly sauté garlic and onion. Remove sausage from the casing, chop, and add. When sausage has browned, add red wine. Allow to reduce.
3)    Set a large pot of water to boil. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, then add to the onion and sausage sauce mixture. Allow to come to a simmer, then add salt and milk.
4)    When your sauce has stewed long enough and your water has come to a boil, add pasta to the water. Cook until tender (30 seconds-3 minutes) and drain. Put pasta into bowls and spoon ragu on top. Serve with grated cheese.

Tomorrow I’m heading to Verona. See you there.

Written by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Follow me as I journey from the southern tip of Italy’s Puglia region all the way up to the Trento Alps. I’ll be focusing on budget-friendly travel, and I’ll rarely use a car. Along the way I’ll sample traditional foods, visit lesser-known ruins and cities, sample excellent wines, and visit local cooking schools, the entire two months living out of a backpack…

Day #42
An hour of curvy roads brought me to Rocca delle Macíe winery in Tuscany. It’s a special time of year because the olive trees are in flower, the tiny, white, star-shaped flowers lasting only five to six days. This morning, I had a private tour and wine tasting with the winery’s top sommelier, Georgeta Perhald. Georgeta’s personality is laudable: She’s honest and direct and has an interesting opinion about everything.  After four hours together, I got to know and appreciate her style, as well as her passion for the winery.

Georgeta told me about the winery’s philosophy during a tour of the facilities. The winery had just been cleaned (owner Sergio Zingarelli is as obsessed with the cleanliness of his winery as he is with the maintenance of his vineyards), and the cold concrete floors were damp. I’ve been lucky enough to hear the “mission statements” of many wineries, but I’ve never encountered one as completely realized as that of Rocca delle Macíe. The winery believes in hospitality and the arts and goes out of its way to make a positive impact on the world. Two ways it does this are by promoting Italian artists and by giving aspiring winemakers the opportunity to stay on the property and experience the wine making process firsthand. Just driving up to the beautiful estate made me realize what a privilege it would be to be accepted into the wine making program.

As we emerged from the wine making facility, Georgeta said that she still receives cards and letters of thanks from artists and winemakers that the winery has helped in the past. We were standing in the hot sun, but she had goosebumps.

The winery’s story is long and actually pretty interesting (the founder, Italo Zingarelli, was first a boxer, then a stuntman, then a world-renowned director of Italian spaghetti westerns), but let’s talk about wine. Rocca delle Macíe is not a small producer. Yearly, they create over 3 million bottles of their trademark wines alone. Georgeta opened 9 bottles for Kristin and me, while telling a story about accidentally making fresh ricotta cheese using an old sock (strange but true). The standout wines were the 2007 “Sasyr” (60% Sangiovese, 40% Syrah) and the 2005 “Riserva di Fizzano” (85% Sangiovese, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Merlot). I think that the Riserva might appeal to American palates even though it is quite dry: the Cabernet softens the Sangiovese, giving it a very dark character with rich dried fruit.

It was interesting to taste the differences between traditional and modern Chiantis. Rocca delle Macíe uses three types of barrels to age their wines: huge Slovenian oak barrels (purchased back in ’78), very large French oak barrels, and regular-size French oak barrels. Each imparts unique flavors to the wine, giving different structures and degrees of tannic flavor. When comparing two Chianti Classicos, the “Rocca delle Macíe” and the “Tenuta Sant’Alfonso,” the fresh fruitiness of the “Rocca delle Macíe” was remarkable; it is only aged in barrels for 6-10 months. The “Tenuta Sant’Alfonso,” which is aged longer and made entirely of Sangiovese, tasted quintessentially Tuscan: dry and smooth.

The differences between two Chianti Classico Riservas were even more striking. The “Riserva di Fizzzano,” made using small oak barrels and a higher percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon, had more depth than the “Rocca delle Macíe Riserva.” The latter is aged in large oak barrels, which impart less oak flavor. The “Rocca delle Macíe” is a purist’s Chianti Classico Riserva.

I told Georgeta that I was interested in weighing the restrictions of tradition against the desire for innovation and we had a brief interview, which can be read on my blog. The winery is open for wine tastings and tours daily. The tour and tasting are free, and advanced reservations are required and can be made with Rocca Delle  Macie

By 2:30 pm, I needed some lunch. Kristin and I thanked Georgeta and she gave us a hand-drawn map to Riserva di Fizzano resort, where we’ll spend the night. More on that in my next post.

Follow me as I journey from the southern tip of Italy’s Puglia region all the way up to the Trento Alps. I’ll be focusing on budget-friendly travel, and I’ll rarely use a car. Along the way I’ll sample traditional foods, visit lesser-known ruins and cities, sample excellent wines, and visit local cooking schools, the entire two months living out of a backpack…

Day 39
Last night, to celebrate the dollar’s dramatic comeback against the euro, Kristin and I scoured Florence for the famous bistecca alla fiorentina. Made from a unique breed of cow, Chianina, the steak is served in huge slabs of between 1.5 lbs and 3 lbs, and traditionally cooked al sangue, which means “bloody.” I say “scoured” because the prices of bistecca alla fiorentina vary, and I was looking for the best combination of price and quality. I discovered that most restaurants charge 45 euros per kilo (2.2 lbs); the cheapest I found the steak for was 30/kilo, and the most expensive was 55/kilo.

We ate at Gusta Osteria, and the meal was excellent. The house-made pastas are authentic and inspired. The bistecca alla fiorentina was excellently simple: a very, very thin cut of beef, cooked to a succulent crisp on the outside, barely warm on the inside. I’ve only eaten raw beef that tender once before, and that was a porcini carpaccio in Puglia. Gusta Osteria is an impressive restaurant. During the day it operates a panino bar that serves cheap and delicious panini (3-4 euro) to go. It’s called Gustapanino. Right across from Chiesa di San Spirito, it’s a good way to grab lunch on the go.

Another traditional Tuscany dish is a soup called ribollita. So far I’ve sampled it at two restaurants. It is a rustic soup composed of bread, fava beans, black cabbage, and other vegetables. The bread makes the soup very light. Certainly a good example of a dish from Italy’s culinary past that’s still alive today. I highly suggest sampling it for yourself.

I’ll leave you with a tip for finding cheap accommodations in Florence. Online booking sites do not include many of the cheaper hotels in Florence. This means that, if you’re willing to roll the dice, you can shop around upon arrival. There are probably 30 hotels just around the train station, most of which are respectable, offer free WiFi, and cheap. Go door to door and get the best price. We found ours for 40 euros/night with WiFi. Not bad for peak season. However, I don’t recommend trying your luck during July or August.

Tomorrow I’m renting a car and heading for Tuscany’s wine country, where I’ll taste the latest Chianti wines. I can’t wait to hit the road.
Gusta Osteria
Via De’ Michelozzi 13/r
Florence, Italy

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpCLose.com

Follow me as I journey from the southern tip of Italy’s Puglia region all the way up to the Trento Alps. I’ll be focusing on budget-friendly travel, and I’ll rarely use a car. Along the way I’ll sample traditional foods, visit lesser-known ruins and cities, sample excellent wines, and visit local cooking schools, the entire two months living out of a backpack

Day 29:
Upon arriving in Perugia, I picked up the rental car (26 euros/day) and headed for the nearby town of Assisi. The hilltop city, complete with gothic steeples, looked beautiful, and I’m sorry to leave before fully exploring it. Fortunately, I’ll be returning after tomorrow’s Cantine Aperte, Italy’s epic wine-tasting event.

I’m writing to you now from a wooden tent in the Pian di Boccio Campground, located in Bevagna, a town right next to the famous Montefalco wine region. This is the perfect place to begin tomorrow’s wine tasting. This wooden tent, at 24 euros a night (8 euros for sheets and towels if you need them), comes with two beds and electricity, making me almost happy that I didn’t bringing a tent on this trip. I’ve never wanted to travel with a tent because it adds too much bulk to my already bulky luggage, and camping in Italy is actually rather expensive: campsites generally charge per person, per tent, and per car. If you want to rent a car and get into the countryside, campgrounds like Pian di Boccio offer a solution: inexpensive wooden tents and bungalows.

Earlier, I visited the hilltop town of Assisi, the chosen home of Italy’s patron saint, St. Francis. The son of a wealthy clothing maker, St. Francis rejected the path of commerce, symbolically (and literally) shedding his clothes and walking into the woods. He believed in living a humble life, and became a beggar before founding the Order of the Friars. That’s right, St. Francis was the original founder of the Franciscan monks.

Assisi is breathtaking. Its many churches fill the skyline with spires. It is the quintessential Italian hilltop town. Kristin and I packed a picnic of Umbria’s traditional foods: Mortadella di Campotosto, caciotta di Norcia, and a bottle of Fongoli winery’s 2008 “Grechetto dei Colli Martani.”

When I visit a region, I love to compose a meal entirely of that region’s specialties. After all, each region in Italy is a culinary microcosm: its components are traditionally designed to be eaten together. The Mortadella di Campotosto, which is made in nearby Norcia, was nothing like the commonly found mortadella. It was an aged salami with a smooth texture and a wonderful pepperiness. Strangely, it had a large piece of lard in the center. I’ll have to ask a specialist to explain that later; I’ll get back to you. The caciotta cheese, also made in Norcia, was barely aged, making it fresh and creamy. This was my first time trying the Grechetto grape, and it was superb. A perfect summer wine, it had a nose of citrus and vibrant flavors. It was a classic wine, one that immediately made me think of Italy, but it was also toasty, reminding me of California and sweet home San Francisco. I look forward to tasting more of these tomorrow.

After lunch, I toured Assisi. Beautiful views of the Tiber Valley framed by alleyways and walnut trees were everywhere. Expansive, perfectly planned countryside spread out in all directions. The churches I visited were also impressive, but very busy with visitors. Assisi is definitely on the map when it comes to tourism.

Well, the sun has set, the night is warm. Our wooden tent came with patio furniture, so we’re going to play a game of scopa (a traditional Neapolitan card game) then head over to the campground’s restaurant. Tomorrow is a big day.

Written by and photos by Mattie Bamman for EuropeUpClose.com

Tuscany is one of our favorite areas of Italy. The green rolling hills and red-tiled roofs welcome visitors with their warmth and beauty.  Here’s an article about Tuscany for Lovers.

Photo by Morgen Young