A fall day in Siena

I shot this video on a beautiful fall day in October of 2005 in Siena. Don't worry -- you'll be here soon!

If you'd rather see a somewhat larger version, click here!

Ciao,

Steve

Siena updated

The Siena website has been updated, with better navigation, new city maps and lots more photos.

We hope to have plenty of new stories and updated information later next month after our next trip to Tuscany.

In the meantime we'd like to hear from you if you have any thoughts or suggestions about what you would like to see in future updates of www.sienaitaly.com!

Ciao,

Steve

"Urban trekking" in Siena

As soon as you get settled in Siena and ready to head out to explore this remarkable city, you'll want to find yourself copies of the urban trekking series of walking maps. (photo right: Vicolo degli Orefici in the Terzo di San Martino.)

Produced by the Siena tourist agency these are readily available around the city but I have found them in the central bus station (beneath Piazza Gramsci), in the tourist office itself, 56 Piazza del Campo, and even by the escalators at Porta Fontebranda.

You can download the three maps and guides in English for these treks directly from the tourist agency website, just click here. You can see the three urban treks in the left hand sidebar; just clik on the one you want and at the bottom of the page you will see a link to download the respective pdf for that trek.

(We took all three of these urban treks in fall of 2005, and most of this information was posted on another one of my blogs, and you can see accompanying photos by clicking here. Frankly, I think these "urban treks" are the coolest things you can do in Siena, aside from hanging out on the Piazza del Campo.)

There are three "urban treks" in the series, each corresponding (roughly) to one of the city’s terzi. The square mile or so which comprises the centro storico (historic center) of Siena divided into thirds, or ‘terzi” (the Italian word for third is terzo) and each terzo comprises a certain number of contrade, or “neighborhoods”, although they re certainly much more than that in both a physical and spiritual sense. There are a total of seventeen contrade in Siena. In fact it is the contrade that drive the world-famous bareback Palio horserace, held twice a year ont he Piazza del Campo in Siena.

Anyway, each little trek takes you through about one-third of the centro storico (or just centro): the "Alleys and Gardens" trek in the shadow of the Torre di Mangia (the large tower that dominates the Piazza del Campo) follows much of the Terzo di San Martino, while the "Breathtaking Views" trek takes you though the Terzo di Camollia and the "Between Art and Nature" trek leads you through the Terzo di Citta.

Aside from one or two glitches in the maps and directions (see below) we can strongly recommend these little walking tours. The brochures are easy to read, handy to carry and help you find some largely unrevealed treasures (at least they were unrevealed to us).

For example, we discovered the views from the Villa Rubini on our first day in the Terzo di Camollia and walked beneath an absolutely fantastic grape arbor with the grapes still clinging to the vines. In the Terzo di San Martino we walked or rather got lost walking through the grounds of the old psychiatric hospital but did eventually find out way down into one of the beautiful little valleys still inside the walls where an organization has created a typical medieval kitchen garden. And in the Terzo di Citta we found our way to a largely unexplored old fonte (fountain), which was used by the nuns of a nearby convent and where you can still see how they got to the multi-tiered fonte to wash their clothes virtually completely underground. It was absolutely beautiful there and we had a truly unique view of the city walls – we also discovered a typical Tuscan rosemary bush at one of the entrances to one of Siena’s “hidden fountains”.

Wear sturdy shoes, carry some water and pack a light lunch. For example there is a beautiful spot on the "Between Art and Nature Trek" where there is a lovely little park just outside the Porta San Marco and you can sit and take in some of the spectacular views of the Tuscan countryside. There is also a nice sitting in front of the fonte On Viale Vittorio Veneto next to the fortezza where you can have your lunch, as well as a small park next to the church of San Francesco.

Problems with these tour maps are few but can be a bit exasperating. My only general complaint is that it would have been nice to include opening/closing times in the stop descriptions particularly of the churches they recommend you see.

Specifically, on the "Breathtaking Views" tour, under stop no. 6 we could not find the Vicolo del Fontino let alone the "newly discovered fountain."

On the "Between Art and Nature" tour we thought the best stop on the walk was very difficult to find, the Fonte delle Monache: you actually have to leave Via delle Sperandie and walk through the gate of the provincial police barracks and then look hard for the footpath which takes you down to the fountain complex (none of which is mentioned in the description). Still the search is worth the effort we thought. Also on that same tour they misplaced stop no. 2; they have it on Via E. Bastianini and it should be back on Via del Fosso di S. Ansano. One wonders if they meant to number both of these stops since they have placed view symbols at each.

Finally on the "Alleys and Gardens" tours we found the walk fine until we got to the psychiatric hospital grounds, which is (and has been for some time) undergoing major renovations (it's apparently owned by the University of siena now). As a result we got lost several times trying to find our way through the maze of old buildings, new buildings, buildings being built, well you get the point. Still it was a beautiful day for a walk and it’s not as if you’re going to be lost forever. And since both of us did attend university we eventually found our way out of the maze and back onto the tour.

Note also on this walk that stop no. 7 is actually where stop 8 is listed and stop 8 should be just beyond where the little eye symbol is located.

We found each of these tours to be roughly 2 and 3 hours long but then we have been down many of these streets before and felt a certain sense of confidence in trekking through parts of the city. We thought that the maps suggesting all day for any one of these tours is a bit much. Still when you add in potential stops – like for pranzo – and for just relaxing and seeing the city maybe spending a day on each one of these isn’t such a wild thought after all.

Buon viaggio e buon divertimento!

You want to stay where in Siena?

So you're coming to Siena and now you're looking for a place to stay. OK. Do you want to stay inside or outside the walls?

Whoa! What's the big deal about "walls"?

Siena today is still virtually surrounded by its ancient medieval wall system, and entry into the historic center or centro storico (also known as just the centro) of the city is through one of several gates or porta. By the way, it's right at those gates where they catch all of you entering the city without authorization. If you look overhead as you come through the gate you'll see electronic sensors sweeping each vehicle that enters and if you don't have the proper transponder in your vehicle (like the ones used on tollways in the US) you're going to get fined.

"Well, OK, but everything I want to see an do are probably insdie the walls, right? So what's the difference between in or out?" Money, for one thing, as well as space, and convenience.

OK let's talk about staying outside the walls first.

There are all types of accommodation available outside the walls, from five-star hotels to small tourist rooms, all within easy walking distance of the "centro." Bus service is reliable, inexpensive and goes even further out into the nearby suburbs. You can have a nice room for a week, at a place with a pool and ample parking for your car, leaving you free to roam the city at will, enjoy the self-guided urban treks provided free of charge by the local tourist agency, have dinner, or just stroll and wonderul back streets of this incredible city. (For long-term rentals we have usually opted to stay outside the walls.)

"Yeah OK that sounds nice so why stay inside the walls?"

Not to sound redundant but the answer is, simply, to stay inside the walls. To stay eat a late dinner, to wander around this near-perfect square-mile of Italian life, to roam the streets late at night (there is virtually no crime in the city) since most of the tourists have long gone and you're alone to savor the past and the consider the future, to just be in Siena!

"Sounds good to me. How do I decide?"

Rooms inside the walls will be on the average a little or a lot more than outside. There's also the issue of finding (and paying for) parking. If you have a car parking could be an issue, although certainly not an insurmountable one. (See my previous post on coming to Siena.)

"But we want to explore the Tuscan countryside!" No problem. Buses (the blue Sita ones) go just about everywhere you will want to go, and they are usually fast (look for the "rapida" not "diretta" where offered), inexpensive and run all day long. Hey, you don't have to worry about looking for parking in Montalcino, Montepulciano, San Gimignano, Volterra, or wherever, you just get off and start wandering around looking clueless but happy. Your only concern is where to find the perfect lunch (pranzo). . .

I can tell you that if you're staying for a couple of days you'll probably be looking for a hotel. We've stayed at the Hotel Duomo twice and enjoyed it each time (the last time was summer of 2006; and no we don't get any remuneration for mentioning their place). It's got a great location (hey it's close to the Duomo naturamente) with nice rooms and a good breakfast (italiano not nord americano.)

For longer stays we rent an apartment, and if you're angling for that sort of thing consider this: you will probably spend almost twice as much inside as you would for an apartment twice the size outside. OK maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but costs for apartments in the centro are very high. And they are few and far between. Tourists pay a hefty premium over and above locals so be prepared to spend as much per week or two as the Senese do for a month.

In 1999 and again in 2005 we stayed at Le Meridiane overlooking the city and have recommended it on our website (no we don't make any money off this one either).

Located just a 15-minute bus ride from the centro, Le Meridiane today has the best of both worlds: you can almost touch the towers of Siena you're so close and yet you are tucked away in a place that offers a large outdoor pool, ample underground parking, with a bus stop only 200 mtrs up the quiet residential sidestreet, you can rent an apartment for a day or a month with no minimum and the prices were reasonable as well!

Whatever you decide will be right. Trust me on this.

In boca al lupo!

Steve

Coming to Siena

OK so you've made the decision to stay in Siena. Now how do you get there?

You can forget flying to Siena -- the nearest major airports are in Pisa (1.5 hours by car), Florence (1 hour) and Rome (2.5 hours).

Train travel is one option of course. You can take a train directly from Pisa's airport to Siena, or one from Florence (be aware that some trains change in Empoli). If you're coming from Rome you will need to change trains in Chiusi. The train station in Siena is 1.5 kms outside of the historic city center ("centro storico") and you will either have to walk into town (pretty much uphill) or take a local bus (they're orange) or taxi (they're white).

Bus travel in Italy is easy, reliable, and fast (usually); and the buses are clean with a noticeable absence of the sweet smell of chemicals found on North American buses. Bus travel from Pisa airport to Siena is easy but a bit clunky: Terrevision has direct lines into Florence where you can connect to the SITA buses to Siena.

From Rome you need to take the train to Tiburtina station (not the Leonardo express to Termini) and then walk across the street to the bus station and pick up your ticket to Siena. (Sena is the name of the bus line; a bit confusing.) The nice thing about taking the bus is you get dropped off right in the city center, and you're 10 or 15 minutes form just about everywhere you need to go.

That leaves the automobile, God's gift to the Italians (or considering Ferrari and Lamborghini and Maserati maybe the other way around). And there is no question that having a car in Tuscany is a pretty good thing, but we'll talk more about what you can do with and without a car in future posts. For right now let's just talk about getting to Siena.

If you are driving to Siena remember the cardinal rule that in nearly all cases non-authorized vehicles are prohibited from entering inside the walls of the city. (This is also true of Florence by the way.) You will be ticketed believe me. Exceptions are made for the guests of some hotels so be sure to check first with your hotel to about their parking arrangements.

Finding parking outside and yet near the city center has become very challenging over the past few years. As recently as 1999 we used to be able to park with ease near the fortezza in the free lot there but those days are long gone: the locals tend to park there now and so you're left with finding a paying spot somewhere, probably over the rainbow if you're lucky. All the more reason to find the right place to stay. I know of one hotel, a very reputable place otherwise, but they advertise "free parking" and only in the fine print do you see that the parking is indeed free but it is on the street and in their neighborhood you would spend pretty much all your vacation looking and looking and looking. . . Who needs that?

If you want to stay inside the walls -- and who doesn't right? -- then make sure your hotel can provide you with parking nearby. If you don't mind being outside the walls then just leave your car at the hotel and either walk or take the bus into the city center. Semplice and facile! Simple and easy! Just be aware of the bus schedule, unless you want to walk back to your hotel at 1 a.m.

Ciao,

Steve

Welcome to Siena!

If you're thinking about traveling to Tuscany consider staying in Siena. It's ideally located between the gorgeous hills and vineyards of Chianti and Montalcino, just two and a half hours north of Rome, an hour from the coast, 45 minutes from Florence, and of course it is the quintessential Tuscan hill town.

With less than 60,000 people it is also less hectic and overrun with tourists than it's perennial rival to the north, Florence.

Over the nexst few weeks I'll be adding posts covering topics such as where to get a good's night rest, a good plate of pasta and wine to go with it of course, what to do and how to do it (at least for the curious traveler) and much more so stay tuned!

Ciao,

Steve