Activities and Attractions
The area is known for beautiful countryside walks, abbeys, hilltop villages, many wineries, bicycle touring and magnificent hot air balloon trips with Montisi-based “Ballooning in Tuscany.” In early August, Montisi hosts a week-long medieval festa culminating in a Sunday joisting tournament. Many other villages also host their own festas and tournaments. Villages throughout the area feature wonderful small shops of local wines, ceramics, cheeses, gelati, antiques, and art. Every village has restaurants with delicious local specialties. Many ancient hot mineral baths dating from Roman times are close by. Siena is a 45 minute drive on the beautiful ancient Cassia Road to the west. Once on the nearby A-1 autostrada, Florence is an hour and a half north, Rome is 2 hours to the south and the Grand Canal of Venice is within 4 1⁄2 hours. Across the autostrada are the towns of Cortona and Arezzo and the province of Umbria, with the towns of Perugia, Assisi and Lake Trasimeno. Arezzo hosts a famous antique fair throughout the city streets and squares, the first weekend of each month.
Modern-day visitors can fill their itinerary with an abundance of activities.
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Reprinted with permission of Romantic Homes magazine.