Tuscany does something mean: The landscape looks exactly like on the postcard. Sloping hills, rows of cypresses and villages that appear to have been put down on top of a hill by someone with an excellent sense of composition.
We visited three well-known places, but they never felt like three variations on the same theme. San Gimignano was compact and medieval, Florence grand and almost overwhelming, Siena warm and relaxed. We walked a lot, looked even more and tried not to finish the cities as a shopping list.
That worked. Although we also discovered that Tuscan beauty rarely poses for you alone. At least in the middle of the day there are often a few hundred other admirers in the picture.
Medieval and compact
San Gimignano:
Leaded towers
San Gimignano will see you before you get there. The stone towers rise above the landscape and give the place a skyline that you expect earlier at a modern city. Only without glass, high-rise plans and coffee chains at every corner.
We started wandering through the narrow streets around Piazza della Cisterna and Piazza del Duomo. That is actually the best plan here: not a tight schedule, but occasionally hit an alley because the light falls there nicely. From the higher parts of the city we looked out over the hills around San Gimignano. That view was perhaps even more impressive than the towers themselves.
The city is small enough to discover quietly and big enough to always find a new view. Especially early or later in the day the decor feels almost cinematic.
Around lunchtime, the center gets crowded and some streets feel very decorated with tourists. If you're looking for silence, just leave the main route a few turns earlier.
In Tuscany, wrong driving is not a disaster. It's usually just a detour with better views.
Checkedout
Great, busy and impressive
Florence:
almost too much for one day
Florence immediately felt different. Here you're not just looking at a beautiful city; Here you walk through a history book whose pages have been replaced by palaces, statues and churches.
We walked towards the Duomo and saw the dome pop up between the streets. Up close, the cathedral is almost absurdly detailed. Then we continued through the historic center and over the Ponte Vecchio. Not original, but mandatory beautiful. In between we looked for a terrace and did something that Florence is excellent for: people look.
A store you can't skip as far as we're concerned is Nino & Friends. It is not the cheapest place to store chocolate, truffle products and other Italian delicacies, but the products are delicious. Besides, you can taste it extensively. Dangerous for your planning and your wallet, but highly recommended.
Also covered Mercato Centrale is definitely worth a visit. Under the historic roof you will find all kinds of stalls and dining spots with Tuscan products. It's a nice place to look around, taste something and have lunch right away, even though it helps to go in with pull not exactly when making sensible decisions.
The amount of art and architecture is unprecedented. Even without a museum ticket, your eyes are short. The city also has energy; something happens on almost every square.
The rows, the crowds and the traffic sometimes take the peace out of the experience. One day was mainly enough to make sure we want to go back.
Great, rich in details and just a little too much to catch in one visit.
Photo Casey Lovegrove / UnsplashHot, lively and surprisingly relaxed
Siena:
the city where we stayed
Siena is not empty and certainly not unknown, but felt calmer than Florence. Maybe it's the warm brick colors, maybe it's the winding streets that slow you down. Or maybe just because we had the Tuscan pace.
We walked to Piazza del Campo, the shell-shaped square where the city naturally meets. Instead of walking straight ahead, we stayed there. Then we went into the streets around the square, with the Torre del Mangia as a convenient landmark above the roofs.
Piazza del Campo is impressive without feeling distant. Siena invites more to crash somewhere and let the city pass.
The height differences are atmospheric until you walk them up for the fourth time. Also here parking outside the center requires some preparation. Your calves get a city trip for free.
Checkedout conclusion
Three cities,
Not a clear winner.
San Gimignano was the most photogenic, Florence the most impressive and Siena the place where we preferd to stay a little longer. Tuscany thus largely met the cliché and that is what we mean as a compliment.
What are we gonna do next time? Less planning on one day, leave early and leave more time for the route in between. Because right there, between the hills and cypresses, was sometimes the most beautiful part of the journey.
- Atmosphere
- 9,2
- Sightseeing
- 9,1
- Rest
- 6,8
- Comment
- 9,5
About the images
The photographs in this example article come from photographers on Unsplash and are used under the Unsplash License. The creator is listed with each image.