Tuscany map & highlights

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Tuscany map & highlights

If you think Tuscany starts and finishes with Florence then you’re way off, as from the coastline of Maremma to the mountainous landscapes of Garfagnana there’s much more to this region than just tourist hot spots. Putting away the guidebook might seem impractical, but it can lead to ad hoc adventures. No sooner than you’ve set off you’ll be winding your way through the rural roads that surround the likes of Arezzo, Lucca and San Gimignano, en route to who knows where. Strolling to the sound of church bells and ascending pigeons makes for a mood-enhancing morning, and once you've embraced the Apennines and raised a toast in Chianti, you’ll be planning your next trip to Tuscany faster than steam dissipating from an early morning espresso.

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1. Arezzo
2. Cortona
3. Florence
4. Garfagnana
5. Greve
6. Lucca
7. Maremma
8. Montepulciano
9. Orecchiella Nature Reserve
10. San Gimignano
11. Siena
12. Volterra

Arezzo

1. Arezzo

The sloping, red-brick Piazza Grande is the perfect place to sit and take stock of life in Arezzo, with an intriguing border of dusty antique shops and Gothic-style facades adding to the sleepy Sunday morning ambience. Like most Tuscan towns, Arezzo takes its heritage seriously with several medieval processions making their way through the cobbled streets over the course of the summer.

Arezzo

Cortona

2. Cortona

Towering, terraced houses make Cortona a maze of honey-shaded walls lined with peeling panelled shutters, while steep gradients make good excuses to pause for breath and take in the Val di Chiana from the Piazza Garibaldi. Numerous churches, including the nearby Santa Maria Nuova, open their doors to visitors, and the abundance of artisan food, drink and craft shops are super for souvenirs.

Florence

3. Florence

Many tourists come for Florence but are pleasantly surprised when they find Firenze. There is a difference. Florence is expensive ice creams by the Ponte Vecchio, queues for the Uffizi, and jousting with selfie sticks in the Piazza della Signoria. Firenze is the Piazza Michelangelo after dark, picnics in the Giardino di Boboli, talking Italiano at the Mercato Centrale, and lingering looks over the Arno.

Florence

Garfagnana

4. Garfagnana

This lesser-known region of northern Tuscany is one of the most fulfilling for hikers. Thanks, in no small part, to the highly impressive Apennine Mountains. Following well-tramped donkey trails over alpine ridges and through dense beech forests filled with wild mushrooms is a banquet for the senses, and there are several challenging ascents, including Tuscany’s highest peak: Monte Prado.

Greve

5. Greve

For many visitors, no trip to Tuscany is complete without at least one glass of Chianti, and Greve’s Saturday morning market is the perfect place to pick up some accompanying bread, olives and fresh Pecorino. The local butcher, Macelleria Falorni, is the toast of Tuscany. Pop a hunk of his cinghiale (wild boar) in your backpack for an extra treat to unwrap in those charming Chianti hills.

Greve

Lucca

6. Lucca

Lucca is one of the few Tuscan towns that doesn’t sit atop a hill, though the city walls and the views from the Torre delle Ore make up for the lack of elevation. Highlights of a visit here include strolls around the Passeggiata delle Mura (look out for the drop), and photo ops through archways leading to the Piazza dell'Anfiteatro. Lucca can also be a prelude to family fun in the Garfagnana Valley.

Maremma

7. Maremma

All the way to the south, the Maremma region is where you come if you want to see Tuscany beyond the postcards, and beyond the tourist crowds. Make a pitstop in Pitigliano (the ruins in this ancient clifftop city date as far back as the Copper Age); soak in the thermal mineral baths and beneath the waterfalls of Saturnia, or enjoy a week-long gastronomy retreat with your own poolside apartment.

Maremma

Montepulciano

8. Montepulciano

Tuscany is not short of medieval hilltop towns with spectacular views, but even that said, Montepulciano is a knockout. Wander the car-free centre to admire its Renaissance palaces and bustling squares, take a table at an enoteca for a glass of wine and a bite to eat, or find a viewpoint to drink in patchwork panoramas of the surrounding vineyards and valleys.

Orecchiella Nature Reserve

9. Orecchiella Nature Reserve

A high point, literally, of family holidays in the Garfagnana Valley, the Orecchiella Nature Reserve spans 500 sq km, most of them covered in forest, and lined with walking trails. Follow a guide up into the Apennine Mountains for a picnic lunch to remember. And be alert for sights and sounds around you, as these landscapes are home to birds of prey, wild boar and bears.

Orecchiella Nature Reserve

San Gimignano

10. San Gimignano

San Gimignano’s well-preserved towers, piazzas, and art-filled churches and cathedrals make the town a huge draw for visitors, especially those with a passion for medieval architecture. The streets can get very busy, but step off the main tourist routes or visit either side of May or September and you’ll discover a calmer side to the town, especially when appreciated over a cool glass of Vernaccia.

Siena

11. Siena

It’s hard to imagine the atmosphere of Siena’s world-famous horse race, the Palio, when visiting the bowl-shaped Piazza del Campo, with posing couples and chiming church bells replacing the colourful pageantry and thunder of hooves. The fierce rivalry between the city’s 17 contrada typically fades into the background as Siena welcomes its tourists, but come for the summer races and you’ll feel it.

Siena

Volterra

12. Volterra

Medieval heritage is everywhere you turn in Tuscany and the walls surrounding Volterra paint a picture of what life was like back in the Middle Ages. The city’s lifeblood stems from the Piazza dei Priori, which makes an ideal starting point to discover Volterra’s Romanesque cathedrals, Roman amphitheatre and 13th century gates, as well as an assortment of traditional alabaster workshops.