Country Inn, Guided Hiking and Walking Tours

Tuscany is a feast for all the senses. Less well known than Chianti but just as beautiful, the area south of Siena concentrates some of the most rewarding hikes to be had in Italy, with picturesque hill-towns, striking landscapes, hot springs and waterfalls, as well as the fascinating history of the ancient Etruscan people and their culture.
　
After meeting in Florence, our first night will be spent in Siena, a city founded by the Etruscans in 500 B.C. and home to a rich tapestry of medieval art and architecture. On the second day we begin exploring the area south of Siena with a hike to Monte Oliveto, a Benedictine Abbey still very much in use today. We then drive to the small village of Bagno Vignoni, site of natural hot springs used since Etruscan and Roman times and frequented as a summer resort by Renaissance popes. The town’s main square is a bubbling hot spring enclosed in a 15th-century pool. A few steps away lies the Spa Hotel Posta Marcucci, which will be our home for the next three days as we explore this fascinating place, including a hike to the highest mountain in Southern Tuscany, the extinct volcano Mt. Amiata (5,785 ft.)
　
Day five takes us farther south to the Maremma region, the wildest, and for many the most magical part of Tuscany. From our home base in the fascinating hill-town of Sorano, we’ll visit the breathtaking hot springs and waterfalls of Saturnia and journey to mysterious Etruscan ruins.

Our final day we visit the town of Populonia, set high on a hill above the Mediterranean Sea. Our hike will explore the Etruscan necropolis in the forest below the town, as well as the beautiful beach of the Baratti Gulf. Then we head back to Florence, where our final evening is spent at the gracious and welcoming Hotel Villa Villoresi.

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