Photo: Vignaccia76 · CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Val d'Orcia
Cypress roads, hill towns and Brunello in Tuscany's postcard valley.
The Tuscany of postcards: rolling wheat hills, cypress avenues and Renaissance hill towns (Pienza, Montepulciano, Montalcino), plus a village with a thermal pool for a square. A UNESCO landscape best seen slowly. Buses are few, so many travellers hire a car.
Places to see
PienzaWalk · A tiny Renaissance town on a ridge, with a walk along its walls over the valley and lanes…Free
MontepulcianoWalk · A long, steep hill town of palaces and wine cellars, climbing to a grand square; its Vino…Free- Chapel of the Madonna di VitaletaViewpoint · A little chapel with two cypresses on a bare hill, one of Tuscany's most photographed…Free
Pienza Cathedral
When to go
- Jan11° / 2°Some rainQuiet
- Feb12° / 2°Some rainQuiet
- Mar16° / 4°Some rainQuiet
- Apr19° / 7°Some rainBusy
- May24° / 11°Some rainBusy
- Jun28° / 14°Mostly dryBusy
- Jul31° / 17°Mostly dryBusy
- Aug31° / 17°Mostly dryBusy
- Sep
Staying and getting around
Good areas to stay
Pienza. The small Renaissance town on the ridge, central for the valley.
Montepulciano. The bigger hill town of wine cellars, with more beds and buses.
San Quirico d'Orcia. A quieter walled town on the old pilgrim road.
Montalcino. The hill town of Brunello wine.
Flying in
Florence Peretola (FLR): Tram, train to Siena, then the bus, about 3 h 20 min, ≈ A$28. A hired car takes about 1 h 45 min.
Flewaway's estimate for the usual budget way into Pienza; check times and fares before you fly.
By bus
The train doesn't reach Val d'Orcia: take it to Siena station, then the bus. Buses from Siena to Pienza and Montepulciano a few times a day, about 1 h 15 min, fewer on Sundays; a car is much easier (check)
Getting around
You'll need buses or trains. A single ticket is ≈ A$7. Each town is walkable, but the valley is rural: buses between Pienza, San Quirico, Montepulciano and Montalcino run a few times a day, fewer on Sundays (check). Most travellers hire a car; tours run from Siena and Florence.
