4 activities you should not leave Tuscany without experiencing
For many people, Tuscany is a dream destination year-round as it provides exceptional and soul-gratifying opportunities to have fun and share memorable adventures with your loved one(s). Indeed, the popular Italian region with the captivating landscape, the delicious wines, and the charming Medieval towns is both a Renaissance cradle and the epitome of natural beauty and Mediterranean hospitality. For that reason, it comes as no surprise that Tuscany is so frequented in the fall season.
Truth be told, though, Tuscany will amaze you with its autumn allures, the thermal spas, and the postcard-perfect villages and sights even if you are a beach person. So, in the event that you are planning an October Tuscany getaway, expect to be spoiled for choice, the same way you would if you were visiting the area in the summertime. However, four must-haves that you should definitely try are as follows!
1. Explore Chianti
This is a superb option, especially if you love nature-based holidays that include sampling award-winning local wines. Without a doubt, Chianti will dazzle you with its stunning scenery, the rolling hills, and the vineyards that dot the countryside. And, please do feel free to join a wine-making tour or even a bike tour and paddle through quaint streets, scenic wine roads (aka strade del vino), imposing castles, luxury Chianti villas, impressive abbeys, and verdant lands. Combine with local tastes, and you’ll be on cloud nine!
2. Relaxation and Wellness Staples
Straying from the bustling city crowds, you can head to some of the many Tuscany resorts and spas for utmost pampering. Mixing the new with ancient traditions in stylish settings, you can give yourself a spa treatment or a rejuvenating dive in a thermal bath or natural source with renowned healing properties. Three of these are Chianciano Terme, Montecatini Terme, and Bagni di Lucca. Be prepared for a world-class environment and incredibly rewarding experiences.
3. Visit an olive oil mill
Besides great wine, Tuscany is also famous for its equally noteworthy olive oil. This is particularly true in the olive mills in the Valdichiana Senese region, where the microclimate contributes to supreme quality olive groves and crops. Montepulciano is also home to several oil mills, which will enable you to see how olive oil is made first-hand.
Either solo, with friends, your significant other or the children, this is a great activity to opt for, especially if followed by a small feast featuring local products! And, if you visit this place around November, you will even have the chance to participate in the olive harvest process and leave with a bottle of olive oil and crunch rusks and bread for your hard work!
4. Discover the UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Summer or winter, Tuscany is an acclaimed region to visit, with several monuments and places bearing a UNESCO World Heritage Site seal. Besides, the Italian countryside is full of absolutely magical towns with medieval characteristics and delightful natural resorts – modern-day protectors of rare plant and animal species. So, spending a day seeing these magnificent places is certainly more than worthy of your time and energy!
From the Old World charm of Anghiari and its Etruscan age remains to the evocative Florence and San Gimignano and their glorious heritage sites (and chic noble mansions), Tuscany offers a refined concoction of elegance, sophisticated beauty, and heart-pleasing endeavours that cannot (or should not) be missed.