Skip to main content

MAP IT OUT'S SIENA GUIDE ON NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC


Il Grattacielo - a fabulous osteria (restaurant) in Siena's medieval town center
Siena's Osteria 'Il Grattacielo' - hard to get more Tuscan than this


Don't want to schlep bulky guide books through Italy? I know, I too prefer filling my suitcase with bottles of Tuscan red instead. And neither are you a friend of tourist guides? You need the hand of a local then. And if you're too shy to chat one up on some Tuscan square, just check out my Siena guide - from local to traveller. It can be found on National Geographic's 'I Heart My City' series; a great project that involves locals giving visitors an introduction to their favourite sites, restaurants and hidden gems in town.

My and my Tuscan native's take on Siena, and on what to do whilst in town, where to chill out and even more importantly what NOT to do and when NOT to come can be found on National Geographic's Intelligent Travel Blog: I Heart My City - Katja's Siena.

If you're trip to Italy doesn't just take you to Tuscany but also to Rome, hang around a bit more on NG's Intelligent Travel and also check out Katie Parla's tips for visiting the eternal city. 


Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

TUSCANY'S BEST HOT SPRINGS: A MAP OF SULFUROUS SOAKING AND WILDERNESS DIPS

A quick round up of my favorite wild hot springs and historic bath towns in Tuscany (more detailed information on spas and rock pool bathing can be found in the single articles the links will lead you to).  WILDERNESS POOLS   PETRIOLO  half an hour to the south of Siena. With its steaming hot water in the upper row of pools a favorite of mine on icy cold winter mornings. The Farma river passes right next to the hot springs. So be courageous and have a splash to try the benefits of kneipping.   SATURNIA  the biggest, most southern and also Italy's best known (and loved!) wilderness pools. The closest option for a soak if you arrive from Rome. To be avoided on weekends.  FOSSO BIANCO  in the Val d'Orcia is a spectacular sight hidden away in the woods below Bagni San Filippo. The shady surroundings make of these natural springs a nice location in the summer.  BAGNO VIGNONI  has a lovely pool below the small waterfall. However, the water arrives from the medieval t
Read on

FONTEMORSI: ORGANIC WINE TASTING ON THE ETRUSCAN COAST

In the wine world the Tuscan coast equals Bolgheri and Sassicaia. No other wine has done as much to turn the lay-back beach side paradise south of Livorno into a famous wine growing region as the prestigious Sassicaia from Tenuta San Guido. But whilst the rise of Supertuscans blended from French grape varieties may resemble a fairy tale story, it shouldn't keep you fro m drinking Sangiovese wines in the smaller and lesser known wineries along the Tuscan shore. 
Read on

TUSCAN HOT SPRINGS - FOSSO BIANCO in BAGNI SAN FILIPPO

The Fosso Bianco hot springs and natural pools in Bagni San Filippo If there's one thing I didn't expect when moving to Tuscany, it's the multitude of freely accessible natural hot springs. Day spas and thermal baths can be found all over the world. But when talking hot baths in the wilderness my first guess would always have been a geyser in Iceland.  The generous natural pools near Saturnia  and the hot springs in Petriolo taught me differently. Both places are well known in Italy, a fact that can make them packed on weekends and public holidays. If you like to take your bath a bit more privately, move on towards Val d'Orcia and explore the Fosso Bianco hot springs   near Bagni San Filippo. The waters are as hot as they should be for some comfortable soaking and high in sulfur and calcium (which explains the formation of the white rock and the name of the place).
Read on