Southern Tuscany
The hill towns and valleys south of Siena comprise what is perhaps Tuscany's most captivating and picturesque region. Much of the area is filled with the expansive and beautiful Val d'Orcia (most people's idealized picture of Tuscany). It is a land of medieval castles guarding narrow passes, isolated farm houses sitting atop long, eroded limestone ridges, clusters of cypress and ribbons of plane trees against a rural setting, and thermal spas dating from times long ago. Most of the region has been landscaped over thousands of years, turning the low, rolling hills into farmlands and vineyards that produce Tuscany's mightiest red wines.
Visit and discover Montepulciano, Pienza, Chianciano Terme, Terme di Petriolo, and Bagno Vignoni, the necropolis near Sovana, thermal spas, and vineyards that produce two of Italy's top red wines.