The Val D'Orcia is one of the most photographed places in Tuscany. Imagine beautiful rolling hills, cypress lined drives, stone farmhouses, and quaint medieval villages. The landscape also offers fields of grain, olive tree groves, and vineyards with meadows and open pastures for livestock. Due to its culturally preserved and authentic nature from the Renaissance era, it is considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And because of this designation, you will never see any new development crop up, however, there still remains a threat from the pressures of tourism and modernization of farming.
For me, it is one of the most romantic places in the world and beautiful in any season. In the spring months (April/May/June), the landscape becomes this vibrant green and as the season changes to late summer early fall (July/August/September), the green fades but the juxtaposition of the beige pastures against the dark evergreen cypress trees, presents a much different, yet still beautiful, place to visit. If you want to experience the magic of this place, we have the perfect itinerary for you!
By Giuseppe Paris - Imported from 500px (archived version) by the Archive Team. (detail page), CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=73723085
Itinerary
The entire trip takes about 1.5 hours but we recommend taking your time and stopping at each location for a walk about, shopping, snacks, or lunch. Given that, from the B&B to Pienza, the tour, and back to the B&B will likely take you ~ 6 hours or a full day. See below for the itinerary.
For step by step directions on Google Maps, click this link or use the QR code below.
From the B&B, drive to Pienza (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site). This should take about 30 minutes and is also a gorgeous drive. Pienza has great shopping, views, and restaurants. Ask for recommendations.
From Pienza, you will drive to Cappella Della Madonna di Vitaleta. From the parking, you will walk about 15 minutes to the Chapel purchased on the hill.
From there, drive to a lookout point to see "The Gladiator" house. Some scenes from The Gladiator were filmed here.
Then on to the small village of San Quirico d'Orcia. This is a great place to have a glass of wine, lunch or a snack.
From San Quirico, you will drive on to Bagno Vignoni which is known for their natural hot springs. (Check out our blog spot on spas in this area). The town itself is built around the thermal waters and surrounding the area are a number of spas or natural springs to go swimming in.
From Bagno Vignoni, you will take a short drive to Viale di Cipressi. It is one of the most famous and well photographed cypress-lined drives. Stop, take a photo, and enjoy the views.
From there double back and go to Quercia delle Checche. This is a 370 year old monumental tree named the first green moneument in Italy in 2017 by the Ministry of the Environment. It is the biggest oak tree in the Val D'Orcia.
From Quercia delle Checche, you will head on to Monticchiello, another beautiful medieval hilltop town. Stop for a spritz, walk around and enjoy the views. This town also has some great restaurants - ask for recommendations.
From Monticchiello, you will head back to Pienza.
Best Way to Get Around
The best way to get around is by renting a car (see the blog post for best ways to get around Tuscany). Another fun way to experience this area is to rent a vintage car, vintage Fiat 500, or a vespa! Check out Vintage Tours Tuscany for a great rental spot just outside of Pienza (~30 min from the B&B). They even have convertible top vintage cars which are perfect for a ride through the countryside.
Vertigo Experiences also does e-bike tours in the Val D'Orcia if you prefer exploring by bike.
This can be a half or full day but we highly recommend you take the full day and soak it all in.
Any questions, just ask!
Comments