A 2-day road trip in Tuscany: Val d'Orcia and surroundings
A weekend between horses and good wine in the Tuscan inland. Siena, Bagno Vignoni, and Montalcino are just some of the stops we did on our 2-day road trip.
23-24 Oct’ 21
Motivated by our desire to go horse riding in the Tuscan countryside, we ventured on a short road trip to the southern part of Siena.
Siena
Siena was a pleasant surprise. Honestly, I had always heard of this city, but it had never intrigued me before. Siena has the classic Tuscan charm that you can encounter in other cities like Lucca or Florence, but it is quite distinct. Its brownish colors will stick in your mind, not to mention all the wonderful architectural masterpieces that it presents. We only spent a couple of hours here, but it deserves at least a one-day visit.
Tip: Look for QR codes on historical landmarks, each link leads to well explained short videos.
San Quirico d'Orcia
We decided to drive all way long from Siena down to Bagno Vignoni. Google Maps sent us on a road through hills and countless rows of cypress trees. When we reached San Quirico d'Orcia (approx. 50 min by car from Siena) we noticed a group of cars parked in front of one of the most Instagrammable places in the Val d'Orcia (exact coordinates on Google Maps). With only a 2-minute walk you will be able to admire a group of cypress trees. Continuing the short walk you will find some sculptures of Helidon Xhixha.
Bagno Vignoni
Back on the road, we reached Bagno Vignoni after in 20 minutes by car. This small medieval and thermal village is considered one of the most beautiful places in Val d'Orcia. I was quite disappointed, as I probably had higher expectations. Anyway, If you decide to stop, don't do as we did, and buy a parking-ticket for 30 minutes only, that's enough.
Montalcino
We decided to stay in Montalcino in a B&B at a walking distance from the center to get around without a car in the evening. The hotel "Podere Bel Sogno" was very nice and at a good price. The view was superb!
We headed into the center of Montalcino immediately after checking-in. We were lucky enough to reach the best panoramic view, at the entrance of the town, for sunset. Montalcino is the largest town in the province, but nevertheless remains a small town. We didn't find many activities to do in the evening, so we decided to create our own revisited Brunello di Montalcino tasting—a glass of red wine each. Montalcino is very pretty and picturesque.
Pieve a Salti
On the second day, we scheduled a 1 hour of horse riding at "Fattoria Pieve a Salti", a riding school recommended by one of my colleagues. I recommend booking in advance (during peak season) to be sure to find availability (we paid 28 euros/person). Unfortunately for us, the 2-hour walk was sold-out. If you want to book you can contact them via email, Whatsapp or phone call (maneggio-toscana.com).
The horses they gave us were great and very docile. No knowledge was required, so if you are planning to try horse riding for the first time, go for it. However, keep in mind that if you are a little scared, it might be better to call the riding school before to see if you can try in a paddock.
Paradiso del Cavallo
Eager for more hours with horses, we looked for another place to do 1 or 2 hours in the afternoon. We found a place Paradiso del Cavallo, near Siena, that proposed us 2-hour walk in the forest. Our guide was fantastic and very thorough, while we were riding, he explained the various behaviors of horses. Two of them that have stuck with me: 1) when riding in line/queue, the first and last horses are the most alert to rumors and the ones that can get more nervous in case of unusual situations (e.g. sudden noises); 2) if you are by bike or on foot and you meet a horse on the road or in the forest, whether it is behind or in front of you, do not hide, this way the horse will get used to your presence and won't get scared. I really recommend to book a horse walk at "Paradiso del cavallo"! The guide was extremely knowledgeable and friendly.
San Gimignano
Before heading home, we decided to make a quick stop in San Gimignano to take a look at this town. We stayed for a time too short to get an opinion on it, but at first glance it seemed very characteristic.
We weren't able to visit Pienza and some monuments in Siena, so we'll have to come back for sure! If you want to visit Val d'Orcia and its surroundings, the best period is from April to June and from September to late October (good weather, long days, less tourists).