03/06/2012 - Pienza and Montepulciano

A reneissance utopia

Roll along the clay hills of the Crete Senesi, bare in winter, velvet green in spring and golden yellow during summer. Climb up the characteristic hill towns and walk the streets of the Pienza in the morning. Then sit down and enjoy a traditional Tuscan lunch on a farm. In the afternoon visit the town of Montepulciano built on a hill top and filled with elegant churches, palaces, piazzas and high walls designed by famous artists of the renaissance. Discover the flavours of the Nobile di Montepulciano wines and visit cellars that have been hewn out from the ground under the city.

On this tour we will follow one of the more panoramic roads in Tuscany across the Crete Senesi and the Unesco world heritage site of the Val d’Orcia. We will stop and enjoy a walk in either a small non touristic medieval village or an ancient Benedictine monastery and then visit the renaissance town of Pienza before sitting down for lunch. According to availability, we will have our meal on a farm of the area where we will have the opportunity of tasting the local products.

In the afternoon we visit one of the biggest of the Tuscan hill towns, Montepulciano. Here we can try some of the oldest Tuscan reds the Nobile di Montepulciano wine in one of the many wineries carved out of the ground below the city. Then spend some time wandering and admiring the sights and views and learning about the ancient legends that this town overlooking the Tuscan-Umbrian border has to offer.

Departure at 9:30am from San Domenico, Siena
8/9 hour tour
€135 per person, includes lunch and all tastings

Number of participants: 2