Tuscany is one of those regions where the tourist industry has built a very efficient narrative: Florence, the Uffizi, the Duomo, Siena, the Palio. These are real and extraordinary, but they are not the whole story. The Tuscany that most visitors miss is the one that requires getting off the main roads.
Visiting only Florence is like reading the first chapter of a book and saying you’ve finished it. The Tuscany worth knowing is made of white gravel roads, thermal springs, cellar tours, village markets and Tuesday mornings with no one around.
Why Tuscany is more than Florence
Florence is a masterpiece. But visiting only Florence is like reading the first chapter of a book and saying you’ve finished it. Tuscany extends for 23,000 square kilometres, and most of it is hills, vineyards, thermal springs, medieval villages and food traditions that have nothing to do with the Uffizi.
The good news: much of this “other Tuscany” is accessible from a central base. Hotel Alcide is in Poggibonsi, in the heart of the Val d’Elsa, 25 km from Siena, 12 from San Gimignano, at the gateway to the Chianti. Since 1849, the Ancillotti family has been welcoming guests who use this position to explore the region without the crowds.
Wine tasting in the Chianti Classico
The Chianti Classico DOCG is one of Italy’s most important wine regions, extending between Florence and Siena. The main grape is Sangiovese, a variety that produces wines of remarkable character: vibrant acidity, firm tannins, notes of cherry and dried herbs.
A wine tasting in a Chianti winery is not just about the wine. It’s about meeting the people who make it, walking the vineyard, understanding why the same grape tastes different in different corners of the region.
The practical approach: book a tasting at a small family winery rather than the large commercial estates. Look for producers in Castellina in Chianti (15 minutes from Poggibonsi), Radda in Chianti or Gaiole. Many offer tours that include the cellar, the barrel room and a tasting of three to five wines, often with local cheese and charcuterie.
From Poggibonsi, you’re at the southern edge of the Chianti Classico zone, in twenty minutes you can be in the middle of it.
Thermal baths: Saturnia, Bagno Vignoni and beyond
Tuscany sits on a geologically active subsoil. Volcanic heat warms underground water, which rises to the surface as hot springs, some sulphurous, some bicarbonated, some saltwater. The result is one of Italy’s densest concentrations of natural thermal baths.
Saturnia: the most famous. The Gorello cascades, natural travertine terraces where water flows at 37.5°C, are completely free. No ticket, no infrastructure, just hot water in the middle of the Tuscan countryside. Best visited on a weekday morning in spring or autumn, when the crowd is manageable. About 110 km from Poggibonsi.
Bagno Vignoni: a medieval village whose main square is a thermal pool, still and steaming, but not swimmable. For bathing, there are free natural pools along the Orcia river and paid establishments nearby. In the heart of the Val d’Orcia UNESCO landscape. 60 km from Poggibonsi.
Bagni di San Filippo: lesser known, more natural. Hot springs in a forest create white travertine formations around small natural pools. Free access, 10-minute walk from the car park. 80 km from Poggibonsi.
Medieval villages: the Tuscany that time forgot
The density of well-preserved medieval villages in Tuscany has no parallel in Italy. Many are still lived-in communities, not open-air museums, which gives them an authenticity that staged reconstructions cannot replicate.
San Gimignano: 14 surviving medieval towers on a hilltop, UNESCO heritage. The most visited village in the Val d’Elsa, and rightly so, but it is best experienced early in the morning before the tour buses arrive. 12 km from Poggibonsi.
Monteriggioni: a perfect ring of medieval walls with 14 towers, cited by Dante in the Inferno. Small enough to walk in 20 minutes, extraordinary in its visual completeness. 20 km from Poggibonsi.
Volterra: an Etruscan and Roman city built on a rocky promontory, with extraordinary archaeological museums and a tradition of alabaster craftsmanship. Less visited than the others. 35 km from Poggibonsi.
Certaldo Alta: the red-brick medieval village where Boccaccio was born and died. Quiet, authentic, with the Palazzo Pretorio and the Casa del Boccaccio. 15 km from Poggibonsi.
Trekking and cycling in the Tuscan countryside
Walking or cycling in the Tuscan countryside is a completely different experience from visiting its cities. The landscape is at human scale, no peaks, no dramatic gorges, but the visual quality is exceptional.
Cycling in the Chianti: the white gravel roads between vineyards and olive groves are ideal for cycling. With an e-bike, even moderately fit riders can cover 40-50 km comfortably. Bike hire is available in Greve in Chianti and other towns.
The Via Francigena: the medieval pilgrimage route from Canterbury to Rome passes directly through Poggibonsi. Walking even a section, say, the 12 km from Poggibonsi to San Gimignano, gives a direct experience of the landscape that the car cannot.
Val d’Orcia walking routes: footpaths around Bagno Vignoni and Pienza allow exploration of the UNESCO landscape on foot. No special equipment required, and the rewards are extraordinary.
Tuscan food experiences worth planning around
Tuscan food is not complicated, but it is deeply territorial. Every valley has its own cheese, its own olive oil, its own way of making pasta. Understanding it requires eating locally, not in the tourist restaurants of the main piazzas.
Some experiences worth planning:
A Chianti winery with food pairing: most wineries offer tastings paired with local charcuterie and cheese. Some offer full lunches made with the estate’s produce.
A local market: Poggibonsi’s Monday market, Colle Val d’Elsa’s Wednesday market, Greve in Chianti’s Saturday market, all offer direct contact with local producers, at prices significantly below the tourist shops.
The Macelleria Cecchini in Panzano: Dario Cecchini, the world’s most famous butcher, has made his butcher’s shop into a cultural experience. He quotes Dante while cutting meat, offers free wine to customers, and operates three restaurants next door.
Hotel Alcide: your base in the heart of Tuscany
Poggibonsi’s central position, equidistant between Siena and Florence, at the gateway to the Chianti, within reach of the Val d’Orcia, makes it one of the most strategically useful bases in Tuscany.
Hotel Alcide has been receiving guests at this same location since 1849. The family knows the territory, and the position does the rest.
Planning a trip to Tuscany?
Hotel Alcide is in Poggibonsi, in the heart of the Val d’Elsa.
25 km from Siena, 12 from San Gimignano, in the heart of Chianti.
The Ancillotti family has welcomed guests here since 1849.
