Val d’Orcia, the Orcia river valley, is definitely worth a visit! Drive along the historic highway following the route of the ancient Roman road known as Via Cassia, enjoying the views of little villages perched atop the hills along the way. One of these that you will definitely want to stop and visit is San Quirico. You will surely have seen the famous photograph of a Tuscan hill topped with a ring of cypress trees, surrounded by rolling hills in green or gold, depending on the season. Well, the famous Cypress grove is right by the road on the way to San Quirico, in a spot called “I Triboli”. You simply must stop here for a photo!

Continuing on towards Castiglione D’Orcia, take a break in Bagno Vignoni, a little spa town famous for its Piazza delle Sorgenti: where you would expect to find the town square, there is actually a big pool of water, where such famous personages as Saint Catherine of Siena and Lorenzo the Magnificent have taken the waters. The naturally hot water bubbling up from under the ground in Bagno Vignoni is used for spa treatments.

Castiglione d’Orcia is another highly characteristic village. Walk from here to Rocca d’Orcia, a splendidly preserved village where tourists are few and far between. Only a handful of people live in the village, but the main square is home to the biggest well in Tuscany! Don’t miss the fortress of Rocca Aldobrandesca.