Day Trips

Is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape, its cathedral and the Palio, a horse race held twice a year in Piazza del Campo, the central square of this amazing Medieval city.  The stunning architecture, Renaissance art, scenic countryside, cultural festivals, and easy transportation options make Siena a must-visit destination when in Italy.

Due to the characteristic medieval architecture of its historic centre, it has been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  The site of San Gimignano, despite some restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries, is mostly intact in its 13th and 14th century appearance.  San Gimignano is most famous for its medieval towers that still dominate its skyline, which have earned it the nickname of the Manhattan of the Middle Ages. Of the 72 towers and tower-houses that existed during the golden age of the Commune, remain fourteen, with other truncated towers visible in the urban fabric. The oldest is the Rognosa tower , which was built at the beginning of the 13th century. The tallest is the Torre del Podestà, also called Torre Grossa , which is 54 metres high.  San Gimignano is a farming town famous for its Vernaccia wine production and saffron cultivation . Vernaccia di San Gimignano is one of the most prized white wines, produced in a small area of ​​Tuscany between Siena , Pisa and Florence coinciding with the municipal territory of San Gimignano.

Among the most important monuments of the city is the famous Piazza del Duomo , known as Piazza dei Miracoli, declared a World Heritage Site , with the Cathedral built between 1063 and 1118 in Pisan Romanesque style and the Leaning Tower , a 12th century bell tower , today one of the most famous Italian monuments in the world due to its characteristic inclination.   Seemingly the ‘Must Have’ for any tourist is a picture “holding” the “leaning tower”.

Small hamlets and towns located in the vicinity of this famous Tuscan wine region.  Chianti (Italian pronunciation: [ˈkjanti]) is a mountainous area of Tuscany in the provinces of Florence, Siena and Arezzo, composed mainly of hills and mountains. It is known for the wine produced in and named for the region, Chianti.  

Cosimo III de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, even decided in 1716 to issue an edict in which he officially recognized the boundaries of the Chianti district, which was the first legal document in the world to define a wine production area.  In 1932, the wine designation specified the production limits for Chianti Classico, which is a DOCG (in Italian “Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita”, governed by Italian regulations).  The name of Chianti wine refers to a region strictly located in the provinces of Florence, Siena, Arezzo, Pistoia, Pisa and Prato.  The Black Rooster linked with the territory has antique origins.   A Black Rooster on a gold background was in fact chosen as the emblem of the Lega del Chianti, a political-military institution created by the Republic of Florence to control the territory of Chianti at the end of the fourteenth century.  Today the symbol is representative of the entire region of Chianti and its wine, the Chianti.   The name “Chianti” first appeared in the 13^th century. At that time, it referred to a geographical location. It eventually became the world’s first legally demarcated wine region in the early 1700s, made official by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III. In 1716, he issued an edict that allowed the region to use “Chianti” for its wines. That same edict also outlined the area we now know as Chianti Classico. In 1872, the second Prime Minister of Italy, Baron Bettino Ricasoli, wrote a letter outlining what we know now as the modern formula for Chianti. He stated that it should be a red blend consisting of mainly Sangiovese grapes. Makers could add other local varieties such as Canaiolo or Malvasia, too.

The capital of northern Italy’s Veneto region, is built on more than 100 small islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. It has no roads, just canals – including the Grand Canal thoroughfare – lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces. The central square, Piazza San Marco, contains St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and the Campanile bell tower offering views of the city’s red roofs.  Venice is known for the vast amount of bridges (417) and many are even private ones.  Also well known for its gondolas and gondolieri, a beautiful way to experience the water ways of this striking ancient city.  There are 77 canals in Venice of which one is the most famous one, is the The Canale Grande.   The San Marco Bell Tower was built in the 12^th century and is on the edge of the San Marco square.  Venice was used as one of the locations in famous movies and the most famous palazzo is the Doge Palace.

Cinque Terre is a string of centuries-old seaside villages on the rugged Italian Riviera coastline and also an acclaimed National Park, a registered UNESCO World Site.  Perfect for hikers!  In each of the 5 towns, colorful houses and vineyards cling to steep terraces, harbors are filled with fishing boats and trattorias that serve seafood specialties along with the Liguria region’s famous sauce, pesto. The Sentiero Azzurro cliffside hiking trail links the villages and offers sweeping sea views all around.  There is also a quaint regional train that connects all 5 towns, just mere minutes distance from each other.  The stunning views of the Ligurian coastline attract people from all over the world.  The first town is Riomaggiore, a short train ride from La Spezia where Cruise ships anchor to avail their guests access to this region.  Then come Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and lastly Monterosso al Mare. One more quaint than the other and of course yet unique.   You can explore the region simply by hopping on a train in Florence and a couple of hours later are in one of the most sought-after coastal areas. Exploring the region by car is also possible but will take days, as the coastal roads are tight and the entrances into the towns are difficult to manoeuvre, and parking is in proper distance way outside of their town’s limits.