MAPPING TUSCANY

Considering Pitigliano's breathtaking setting on top of a steep and crumbly Tuscan tufa stone formation, it's surprising that the town hasn't become one  of the major film locations for Hollywood productions in Tuscany.  Montepulciano and countless churches and hamlets in the cypress lined Val d'Orcia have prominently featured in films like  Gladiator, the recent Twilight or - obviously - Under the Tuscan Sun.  But Pi tigliano's low exposure in the film world may change after its appearance in the latest Fiat 500 commercial.  No Photoshop needed, since Pitigliano's town center and the views from and onto the town are just as beautiful as seen in the fun commercial. Balancing on its rock, the southern Tuscan town is the ideal destination for a romantic getaway - with or without the little blue pill.  Read  What to do in Pitigliano  to find r ecommendations for best hotels, restaurants and sights in towns and great organic winery v...

It was the sea - not wine, food, a man or the rolling hills - that made me move to Tuscany in 1999. Having grown-up in a landlocked country,  from day one at work I pestered everybody in Montalcino for advice on  the best beach town and the perfect sea view on the Tuscan coast. It turned out to be an easy  mission since the locals sent me unanimously to Castiglione della Pescaia. The preferred seaside destination for people from Siena and Arezzo, Castiglione della Pescaia is also loved by the Swiss and Swedish, hence all the h oliday resorts and camping villages along some of its best beaches.  But unlike Marina di Grosseto or Principina a Mare, Castiglione della Pescaia has been a proper town way before the tourist boom took hold of the Tuscan coast. To  this day the  former fishing village has managed to keep its historic town center, clean beaches and even a handful of fishermen.  WHAT TO DO IN CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA  Swim and s...

In the wine world the Tuscan coast equals Bolgheri and Sassicaia. No other wine has done as much to turn the lay-back beach side paradise south of Livorno into a famous wine growing region as the prestigious Sassicaia from Tenuta San Guido. But whilst the rise of Supertuscans blended from French grape varieties may resemble a fairy tale story, it shouldn't keep you fro m drinking Sangiovese wines in the smaller and lesser known wineries along the Tuscan shore. 

Close to the border of Lazio, Tuscany's southernmost town resembles a Roman colony during July and August. Albeit not one with gladiators and soldiers, but with Rome's left-wing intelligentsia populating hillside bars and restaurants as much as the deck-chairs along Capalbio's endless beaches.  To balance things out, the seaside town Ansedonia a few kilometers up the Tuscan coast has been for decades the holiday destination of choice for the eternal city's right-wing fraction. These days it's hard to say whether this geo-political line  of division is still in place - with all the party hopping of Italian politicians it's impossible to discern which side they presently belong to. But whatever the current opinion of political visitors (a class of people also derisively called la casta - the caste),  Capalbio's own views have stubbornly stayed the same for centuries. 

Beer isn't like beer. Germany and Belgium are good places to find out about this. And Tuscany.  It may seem a little weird, but over the last decade the craft beer brewing movement has managed to take foot in winemaking territory and microbreweries keep springing up all through the Tuscan hills and Italy.  Most people may have downed some Nastro Azzuro or sipped a Moretti with their pizza, but the two best known Italian beers hardly ever induce long-lasting memories. No doubt, it's up to the microbreweries to prove that Italy deserves a space on the worlds' beer map.  Curious to taste the Tuscan version of artisan beer? Leave Brunello territory this weekend and make time for a stop at the neighbors in Mont enero d'Orcia to get to know the locals' take on the planet's  most widely drunk alcoholic beverage. Definitely time for a beer.  The small town at the foot of Mount Amiata has a lovely shady park with amazing views over the Val d'Orica and...

Volcano what? Right, Pitigliano, the famous tufa rock town, hosts the 2013 tasting of some of Italy's best volcano DOC wines. Which doesn't meant that the vines are raised on smoky mountain slopes with vignerons constantly watching out for the signs of a new break out. Even though in some cases - most famously mount Etna in Sicily and mount Vesuvius in Naples -  these volcanoes are in fact still bubbling away.  Many of Italy's famous volcanoes - like for an example  Mount Amiata  in Southern Tuscany - have been extinct for thousand or millions of years (ask for the exact number at the tasting). But even though long out of work, they have left behind a deeply colored and mineral rich soil; a true oasis for terroir wines! The color of volcano soil One of the vineyards at the organically run Sassotondo winery near Pitigliano VULCANIA 2013: PITIGLIANO, JUNE 15-17 Hosted by Pitigliano's vintners association (consorzio di tutela bianco di Pitigliano e S...

On top of a green hill Campagnatico seen from the South - East When approaching Campagnatico during stormy weather, one isn't surprised that the Tuscan village got a mention in the book of books: Dante's Divine Comedy . 700 years later, Campagnatico doesn't look too different from what Dante must have imagined - but probably never saw in person - as the ideal backdrop for a scene in the purgatory: a Maremma nobleman's repentance over the errors he committed during his life (too much haughtiness was already an issue in Dante's time!).  Campagnatico seen from Villa Bellaria Picture perfect (probably more so now than in the Middle Ages), the hill town in the Maremma has a lay-back atmosphere. Cats and the elderly sit on benches and the town's only bar tender is busy making Cappuccino, preparing Campari or selling newspapers. Population is low, but still high enough to allow for the survival of two  alimentari (small food stores), a post office, a p...

Pitigliano isn't just another Tuscan hilltop town. It's the  Tuscan hilltop town. No other of them manages to balance so elegantly on top of a rocky cliff. In fact Pitigliano is also called suicide town (at least by my Tuscan native). You'll get the idea once you look down from one of the buildings located right on the edge; but don't do it if you're having a difficult moment in  life.  Pitigliano's skyline

When they say a Tuscan hilltop town... Saturday morning chat at the barber

For reasons to me unknown (or at least too complicated to be explained), fate has me walking Massa Marittima's picture perfect town center every year once during winter. And each time I can't but stop and marvel at the timeless beauty of Massa Marittima's monuments against the backdrop of a crisp blue winter sky.  No need for a Fellini film, if you can spend a morning people-watching on the  tourist free main square  in front of the gorgeous cathedral (building it in an oblique angle towards the rest of the piazza was a true act of genius!). This February morning serendipity even went so far as having me run into Donna, the blogger behind Maremma Guide , who writes one of the most informative and useful websites for people exploring this part of Tuscany.  The archaeological museum and a slice of the cathedral

My Tuscan native is right. I spend far too much time in front of the computer because of my Tuscany blogs.  But what he forgets is, that I spend many a nondescript winter morning soaking in the rock pools of Tuscany's natural hot springs - because of this blog. Hot springs, Roman baths and exclusive spas can be found all over the world. It's the  natural  p art th at has gone amiss in most places over the centuries. This is where Southern Tuscany comes in with its wild hot water pools in  Bagno Vignoni, San Filippo ,  Saturnia and Petriolo . All of these locations are known for their exclusive Tuscan hotel spas and the public thermal baths. But whatever the historical reasons, they also managed to preserve their simple rock pools in the midst of pristine nature; and even more surprising - free access to all of them.  Petriolo is one of your best options if you want to explore Tuscany's natural hot springs , soak in sulfurous waters or -...

America's Indian Summer is what we call Estate di San Martino in Italy. But not just surprisingly warm autumn temperatures are related to St. Martin's day on the 11th of November. This is also the time of the year the fermentation of new wines has come to an end, a process described by another Italian proverb related to St. Martin: A San Martino ogni mosto diventa vino (by St. Martin every must has turned into wine).  And with the beach and festival season long gone and the weather forecast for Sunday looking wet and unfriendly, what better time to visit some of Tuscany's finest wineries . San Martino in Cantina is one of five national winery visit days the Italian Wine Tourism Movement organizes every year. Three dozens of wineries in the provinces of Siena and Grosseto adhere to the initiative and welcome visitors for a free autumn tasting in their wine cellars. On my quest to discover Tuscany's  vineyards with a calling for architecture , I'll be tasting...

Any news? Buonconvento, Tuscany The internet is a fantastic place. Information abounds, small Italian restaurants which you'd never have found 20 years ago have easy accessible websites and my favorite Tuscan wine estates can be quickly drawn up on a  google winery map .  All over the world thousands of bloggers share their local knowledge and give you the inside out of their favorite locations. And what a relief that Italians and travelers alike no longer have to despair over ripped out pages in phone books when looking for contact details of a  museum in Siena  or for the number of that perfect little  beach restaurant   in Southern Tuscany. But there is one drawback with all this accessibility. You need to have time.  With spare time becoming an ever more unattainable luxury good than the next Prada bag, this is a problem. At least until you've found somebody like Susan Van Allen. The American writer with a passion for Italy h...

Meeting place in Magliano:  the square in front of the Renaissance church San Giovan Battista  Thanks god for the Vox Mundi festival!   Who knows when I would have discovered Magliano in Toscana  otherwise? Tuscany is such a treasure trove of beautiful villages and hilltop towns that even after 13 years in the region's South I still haven't seen it all. 

Siena's Osteria 'Il Grattacielo' - hard to get more Tuscan than this Don't want to schlep bulky guide books through Italy? I know, I too prefer filling my suitcase with bottles of Tuscan red instead. And neither are you a friend of tourist guides? You need the hand of a local then. And if you're too shy to chat one up on some Tuscan square, just check out my Siena guide - from local to traveller. It can be found on National Geographic's 'I Heart My City' series; a great project that involves locals giving visitors an introduction to their favourite sites, restaurants and hidden gems in town. My and my Tuscan native's take on Siena, and on what to do whilst in town, where to chill out and even more importantly what NOT to do and when NOT to come can be found on National Geographic's Intelligent Travel Blog:  I Heart My City - Katja's Siena . If you're trip to Italy doesn't just take you to Tuscany but also to Rome, hang...

I always avoid Sundays at the beach:  no parking, too many beach towels, too much noise, too much queuing up for ice-cream - basically too many people.  Unless you talk winter in Tuscany. At that point Sundays at the beach mean c lear skies, warm and sunny afternoons, long walks on empty beaches and... queue-free ice-cream.  Winter walk on Castiglione della Pescaia's north beach

Just when you counted out that you'll have to get through another three cold months, you are surprised by the incredible blue of a Tuscan winter sky. And you think of your friends in Zurich, buried under months of fog. And then the friends in Britain. Buried under months of rain. And you remember the reason why you moved to Tuscany. Even in the winter. In fact above all in the winter! It's only a madly hot and crowded  Italian August , that will make one reconsider some major life choices.  

Another one!? I know. From October to December Southern Tuscany is all about Olive Oil festivals . But remember, we are not talking about yet another old and greasy oil; we are talking about Tuscany's prime and freshly pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO). So even if you have already run into  Gerard Depardieu  tasting EVOO in the Crete Senese or you are still hanging in the trees, busy with your own  olive picking  - it's time for a break. Grab your car keys and get down to San Quirico d'Orcia.

The last grapes have been picked, the leaves are turning reddish - it's time to get going on those olives. And Gerard Depardieu is with you on this one. Tuscan olives waiting for their destiny If you join in the fun at the Festa dell'Olio Nuovo  in Trequanda, you may end up sharing your first Bruschetta of the season with the French actor. He is is as infatuated with Tuscany's green gold as you and me.  In fact Gerard Depardieu uses  Trequanda's fabulous extra virgin olive oil  in his very own  restaurant in Paris .  And whilst you can eat away he will have to cut out a minute on Sunday to hand out the 'Premio Giordana Carpi Oliva d'Oro' . 

Almost every small town in Tuscany will be a delight to holiday in with kids. Car-free historical centers, good pizza, restaurant owners who adore children and local bars that sell ice-cream. But a place like Buonconvento even manages to have a few more extras to throw in. The beautiful little town is one of my favorite museum destinations to the south of Siena. And it's flat - which is a relief after all those Tuscan hilltop towns: you'll be at last able to wear your new high-heels - or who knows - you might even end up riding a bike. And it's a perfect place if you just want to hang out and do some people watching, as even in high-season Buonconvento is above all populated by Italians and not tourists.  Buonconvento's town walls