Val d Orcia, the Tuscany of Your Dreams

GDN - The beautiful landscape is the absolute protagonist.

Tuscany is one of the most beautiful and popular places to visit for those traveling to Italy and within the Tuscany region.

Medieval castles, sinuous gills, ancient villages, splendid farmhouses, isolated farms, roads lined with cypresses, fabulous vineyards and olive groves and golden fields of wheat and sunflowers: these are just some of the elements that form the fantastic and harmonious landscapes of the Val d'Orcia. Its gently cultivated hills are occasionally broken by gullies, which in this case we can admire after a little dusting of snow, this atmospheric event is quite rare to find in this area.

There is also a small river, Orcia and where it takes its name, is located in southern Tuscany, which extends between the provinces of Siena and Grosseto. Its gently cultivated hills are occasionally broken by gullies, which in this case we can admire after a little dusting of snow, this atmospheric event is quite rare to find in this area.

The area is home to rolling hills carved with small towns and villages that date back to the Middle Ages. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Those who travel to this area will never forget their time, the places and the hospitality that can be found in this area, if we then add fantastic cuisine and excellent wines, the memory of Val D'Orcia becomes indelible.

There are places not to be missed for its beauty and interest, are Pienza (rebuilt as an "ideal city" in the fifteenth century under the patronage of Pope Pius II) with its beautiful Palazzo Piccolomini. The small town of Castiglion d'Orcia with its fortress seems to take you back in time. There is the hill town of Radicofani with its imposing castle tower, and if you go west, you come to the medieval walled town of Montalcino and the vineyards for the production of Brunello wine.

Don't miss the beautiful and evocative Romanesque Abbey of Sant'Antimo, one of the best examples of medieval monastic architecture left. After a day visiting museums, ancient abbeys and castles, you can relax in one of the many thermal springs in the region, such as those of Bagno Vignoni or Bagni di San Filippo. The villages throughout the area all have interesting histories and are worth visiting for the historical significance alone.

This region is rich in high quality food products such as pecorino di Pienza (a cheese made from the milk of the many sheep that graze the herbs of the area around the town), genuine extra virgin olive oil, the splendid wine deriving from a long and ancient tradition, saffron, mushrooms, chestnuts, truffles, game such as the wild table and other specialties along the wine route. A holiday in Val d'Orcia is a special journey through wonderful flavors and views that you will never forget.