With its rolling hills and vineyards, medieval walled towns and beautiful Renaissance cities, Tuscany ticks all my boxes for a holiday combining culture, countryside and Chianti. So my husband and I booked a week-long escorted tour with Riviera Travel, one of several European destinations in their Walk & Discover portfolio.
Chianti harvest at Greve
With just 23 people on our tour, our twin-centre itinerary started in Florence with three nights B&B in a large but good quality hotel on the edge of the historic centre, followed by four nights’ half-board accommodation in a country hotel with ground floor bedrooms and a large pool, around an hour’s drive south-east of the city.
Guided walks in town and country were balanced with free time for independent exploration, and for us, the itinerary offered the chance to revisit old favourites and discover some new ones.
Florence
Cathedral and bell tower, Florence
Regional capital of Tuscany, Florence is also ranked as one of the world’s most famous art cities, home to the Uffizi Gallery, the Bargello and the Accademia. But you don’t have to be a massive fan of Botticelli or Michelangelo to enjoy wandering these historic streets and squares.
Our guided walk took us through the lesser-known Oltrarno district, before free time to enjoy lunch overlooking the Ponte Vecchio and a free afternoon to visit the extraordinary marble cathedral and indulge in some retail therapy. Resist the leather handbags if you can!
Ponte Vecchio, Florence
We found eating out to be good value for money, especially if you step away from the tourist hotspots. Try the famous Chianina beef as a T-bone bistecca to share or maybe succulent beef cheeks. Tuscany has a pasta dish to tempt every palate and multiple flavours of authentic creamy gelato to round off the perfect Italian meal.
Lucca
Around an hour’s drive west of Florence, Lucca had long been on my bucket list and did not disappoint.
Lucca from the Torre Guinigi
After a short walk and talk from our tour manager along a section of the broad perimeter walls – a 4.2km circuit some 30 metres wide – we were free to explore at leisure. Our first stop, the lofty Torre Guinigi, is topped by holm oak trees and offers panoramic views over the rooftops to the surrounding hills.
Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca
We enjoyed the buzz of the restaurants and market stalls in Piazza Anfiteatro on the site of the old Roman amphitheatre, but also the quiet maze of little streets that seem to have changed little across the centuries. Definitely a town to revisit.
Pisa
Piazza dei Miracoli, Pisa
If the Leaning Tower had stayed vertical, Pisa would probably not have been the international must-do of travellers to Tuscany, which would have been a shame. The Piazza dei Miracoli is very beautiful with its triple-whammy of baptistery, cathedral and tower, but also very busy, largely because of That Tower. Escape the selfie posers inside the Campo Santo, a tranquil burial ground inside a frescoed gallery.
Campo Santo
Our tour included tickets to all monuments in the square apart from the Leaning Tower which needs to be reserved ahead online for a timed slot. We didn’t bother.
Siena
Many years after my first visit, Siena was every bit as beautiful as I remembered it, a medieval gem with, at its heart, the famous scallop-shaped square of Piazza del Campo.
Twice a year, this is the scene for the frenetic Palio horse race, where professional jockeys are hired by the town’s various districts – the contrada – to risk life and limb as they speed round on a specially laid track that slopes down towards the vast medieval town hall and bell tower, both open to visitors.
Piazza del Campo, Siena
There are numerous galleries and museums to explore, but if time is limited, head to the cathedral. Striped in black and white marble, it boasts the most extraordinary floor with 56 inlaid marble panels depicting Bible stories. We also loved the vibrant painted scenes on the walls of the Piccolomini Library.
Piccolimini Library, Siena cathedral
San Gimignano
Another medieval gem, listed – like Siena- as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is San Gimignano. An estimated 72 brick towers, a symbol of medieval wealth, once dominated this small hilltop town.
The skyline still looks crowded today with the 14 that remain, so as we viewed it first from a countryside walk, beneath the walls, we could imagine the impact on medieval pilgrims following the Via Francigena.
Piazza della Cisterna, San Gimignano
However many frescoes you have seen already, it still worth a peek inside the modest cathedral. Follow the rampart walk, browse the craft boutiques, and enjoy a gelato from award-winning family business Gelateria Dondoli.
Dondoli
Monteriggioni
On our final day, we combined leisure time around the hotel pool with a short walk across farmland to the tiny hilltop town of Monteriggioni.
Monteriggioni
Lying within a complete circle of ramparts punctuated by 14 towers, the main square is lined with restaurants and small shops. The perfect spot for an atmospheric Tuscan lunch and a leisurely last gelato!
Monteriggioni is lined with restaurants
More information:
Riviera Travel run Walk & Discover tours to a number of European destinations, including the Italian Lakes, Croatia, and the Amalfi Coast. www.rivieratravel.com