Certosa of Pontignano
Posted in: Day Trips Localities Small Towns
Tourists would greatly enjoy a trip to Castelnuovo Berardenga, a butterfly shaped town encompassing surrounding villages and hamlets of the same name in Tuscany that are brimming with exciting things to do and see! On one wing is the famous wine producing region of Chianti, with many hills covered in ripening vines and the other side are the town and suburb villages of Berardenga named after the nobleman Berardo who dominated the area in the 9th century. These two contrasting landscapes combined into a unique Tuscan region have helped to earn Castelnuovo Berardenga, an Orange Flag Award which is an official seal of tourism and environmental quality. Visitors wishing to stay for a few days have plenty of excellent vacation rentals to stay in and around the town.

Tourists might like to start their day of exploration with a trip to the landscape museum which helps one to appreciate how the rich array of natural resources helped to shape Castelnuovo Berardenga into the place it is today. It is also part of the Chianti cycling trail which is wonderful way for people to see the best scenery of the area.
Front view of The Rocca di Pierle
Posted in: Castles & Palaces Localities Small Towns Tourist Attractions
A trip to Tuscany wouldn’t be complete without a visit to one of the biggest and most majestic castles in the region, The Rocca di Pierle in the Cortona area, beside the village of Pierle. The ruins of this magnificent structure still stand tall over Val di Pierle and many of its walls are still intact! Visitors would thoroughly enjoy a close up view of the castle and could stay in one of many farmhouse accommodation in the Cortona area for a day or two while they explore this beautiful area with a nice selection of historical and cultural activities to engage in.
Castiglion Fiorentino landscape
Posted in: Day Trips Localities Small Towns
If you’re holidaying in the Tuscany region of Italy, a worthwhile visit is to the Orange flag awarded town of Castiglion Fiorentino located in the centre of a triangle connecting the cities of Florence, Siena and Perugia. Castiglion Fiorentino is situated in the province of Arezzo in Tuscany and its origins date back to Etruscan times in the fourth century BC.

With its seal of tourism and environmental quality, it’s a wonderful reason to book into an amazing villa with pool in Castiglion Fiorentino where visitors can immerse themselves in the historical, cultural and environmental delights on offer here!
View of Casale Marittimo
Posted in: Day Trips Localities Small Towns
If you’re holidaying along the Tuscany coast, it would be a worthwhile venture to visit the beautiful stone built town of Casale Marittimo a few kilometres inland. Visitors have plenty of picturesque villas available to them and other rental accommodation in Casale Marittimo that offer stunning views of the colourful Tuscan hills and the coastline.

Casale Marittimo, built on the hill of Poggio al Bruno was awarded an Orange Flag Award, which is the ‘seal of tourism and environmental quality’ so visitors can be assured that a day trip here will be one of great enjoyment and interest.

One of the biggest tourist attractions in Casale Marittimo are the Etruscan tombs dating from the sixth and seventh centuries. It’s most famous tomb was discovered by accident in 1896 dating from the fifth century. It was one of a very wealthy Etruscan man who’s tomb was very decorative and even had a ‘thorlos’, a type of forged dome.
View of Castelfiorentino
Posted in: Day Trips Localities Small Towns
For a peaceful yet fascinating place to visit during your holiday to Tuscany, Castelfiorentino is perfect for the tourists that like to see the little Tuscan towns off the beaten track. Situated between the Arno River valley and the north face of Elsa valley, Castelfiorentino was once a military base because it was of equal distance from the main Renaissance cities of Pisa, Siena and Florence. It was originally built on the side of the famous Via Francigena pilgrim route to facilitate the many travellers who passed by and needed somewhere to eat and rest for the night.

Visitors have a fantastic range of exclusive villas in Castelfiorentino with excellent customer reviews. The town’s original name was Castelvecchio, meaning ‘old castle’ because it grew on the site of an ancient Roman castle known as Timignano. It was a huge fortress with doubled layer walls with five gates and a lookout tower. Some of its ruins can still be seen today by tourists. In 1149, the town’s name was changed to Castelfiorentino because of its close relations with the city of Florence.