Special Experiences
We're here to help you have the best experience possible and would be delighted to help you arrange visits to many places ...
- Cesarine ... private chef in a typical Tuscan Home
- Cooking class making traditional pasta and sauce
- Bee keeping and honey tasting
- Small production winery in the Chianti
- Cycle hire and guide
- Pizza party
- Yoga instructor
... what do you want to enjoy ... we'll try and help you find it!!
Introduction to the small towns of the Valdarno ...
Cicogna (Italian for 'Stork')
Our little village is so special to us and we would like to share our experience with you. At an elevation of 240 metres above sea level, we enjoy far reaching panoramic views over the Valdarno towards the Chianti hills and across to Arezzo. Our local shop is a nice stroll away to collect your bread and essentials (their meat is wonderful from their own farm) and enjoy a chat with the locals. Pizza night at the local sports club is also a regular event of the summer, where you can enjoy some locally produced Pizza and maybe make some new friends!
Terranuova Bracciolini
Just down the hill from Cicogna you will find our closest town, Terranuova Bracciolini which still has a lot of its medieval walls and several perimeter towers. With it's weekly market on a Friday, independent shops, supermarkets, bars and cafes, square and church, it's our go to place for a quick lunch and to grab some local shopping. You can walk the town easily and enjoy the chatter of the locals, sit our for a late afternoon aperitif or an artisan Gelato.
Nearby, the balze (cliffs), a phenomenon of the surrounding landscape, is intriguingly stunning. The way the light hits the cliffs at sunset creates an atmosphere that uniquely characterizes this area. The warm colors of this eroded earth paint a gorgeous scene as fascinating now as it was in the past - so much so that even Leonardo da Vinci painted the landscape as the background to some of his most famous paintings ... you will recognise the bridge in Ponte Burriano in the background of the Mona Lisa!
Let us recommend some places to take in the views and enjoy some of the best gelato at sunset!
Loro CiuffennaEvery time we bring a guest to this town for the first time they are wowed ... with it's high bridge over the 'ciuffenna' and it's historic buildings including an old mill where they still produce flour this is a jewel not to be missed.
Montevarchi
Since ancient times, Montevarchi has held a strategic position in Valdarno, situated on the intersection between the roads that connect Arezzo, Florence and Siena.
Its medieval centre is structured around Piazza Varchi, the historic heart of city life where you can see the Palazzo Pretorio - whose façade displays the coats of arms of the city’s mayors - and the 13th century Collegiate Church of San Lorenzo. It’s well worth taking a visit to the Church of Santa Maria al Giglio for its miraculous apparitions that, over the centuries, have been attributed to the fresco of the Virgin above the altar.
Zoology enthusiasts and children of all ages may particularly enjoy Montevarchi’s Paleontological Museum, which houses impressive prehistoric animal relics.
Montevarchi is also our local train station (just 12mins from Cicogna) with great links to Florence, Rome and beyond.
The charming city of Arezzo in Italy is a true travel highlight in Tuscany - and only a 40 min drive from us in Cicogna, enjoying the old Settiponti road. Famous for its antique markets and shops it fascinates, especially with its charming old town which exudes a large portion of medieval flair. A city tour of Arezzo reveals many spectacular attractions ... we recommend you start your tour at the 'top' of the town, using the escalators from the Pietri carpark you can easily access the Duomo which you must visit ... take some time to wander around the park behind the Duomo and take in the far reaching views over towards Umbria. Then you can meandander down the narrow streets and find the main square where the The Saracino Joust takes place annually - you must attend if you are here in early September! There are so many delicious places to eat - whether it's a 'metre of pizza' or a gourmet experience, with the many Osterias and restaurants - you won't go hungry in Arezzo.
Radda in Chianti
This is my favourite hill top village in the Chianti. The beautiful, if a little windy, drive through the Chianti hills to Radda is well worth the effort to see the stunning picture postcard views over the vineyards and valleys. Visit the town, walk the narrow streets, stop and enjoy some pizza or a gelato and soak in the small town atmosphere. While you're here we can introduce you to a small production wine maker where you can enjoy a private tasting and learn some more about the production in this special area.
Sienna
The site of Siena was originally an Etruscan settlement that later became the Roman city ... built over several hills it's a wonderful day out about an hour through the Chianti. More than just famous for the Palio horse race, there is plenty to occupy you and all the family here.
Children's Museum of Art in Siena, located inside the museum complex of Santa Maria della Scala. The historic hospital for pilgrims along the Via Francigena offers an especially created path to bring little ones closer to the world of art. Inside, there's a vast collection of works dedicated to childhood, ranging from Etruscan, Greek and Roman art, to contemporary art.
Or Natural History Museum at the Accademia dei Fisiocritici in Siena: a visit to the museum collections – of stones and stuffed animals – allows you to discover the natural history of the Siena territory, including a 15-metre whale skeleton in the courtyard!
Montepulciano
On the ridge that divides the Val D'Orcia from the Val di Chiana, Montepulciano stands on a chalky hilltop. This beautiful Renaissance hilltown, which still adheres to its medieval plan, is embedded in a picture-postcard landscape: every way you turn, you are confronted with the iconic image of the Tuscan countryside, where waves of hills and golden fields, dotted with cypresses, roll and roll together.
Thanks to its superb vineyards, the Montepulciano area is considered one of the finest winemaking regions in the world, which makes it without a doubt one of the most frequented and beloved tourist destinations in Tuscany.
Florence
It's hard too plan a visit to Tuscany without including a visit to Florence: the city of the lily is a treasure trove of artistic treasures and wonderful sights, sounds and food. Aside from its exceptional heritage of art, Florence can be enjoyed in so many ways: promenading along the riverbanks at sunset, entering the bohemian alleys of the Oltrarno, or getting lost in the narrow streets of San Niccolò, where walking by the old city walls will leave you feeling as though you have been magically transported into another era.
Discovering Florence means following in the footsteps of Dante Alighieri and ending up in front of his house. But in this city, in the space of only a few centuries, there also lived Cimabue and Giotto.
Even if you are not that interested in 'history' it's a city that will never cease to delight and surprise you.
We recommend taking the train from Montevarchi so you can arrive to the centre of the town and make the most of your time in this most incredible place.
THERE ARE SO MANY MORE ... We'll keep adding to this list as we too discover extraordinary off the beaten track places
Things to do in Arezzo
Things to do in Florence
Things to do in Siena
Things to do in Lucca
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