Surroundings

Just 20 minutes by bus from Florence, Fiesole is the perfect trip for anyone with only a few hours to spare. Its Roman theater, baths, and the remains of the Etruscan walls tell a story that began even before Florence’s own, while its lookout points give you a view of the city that’s worth the climb on its own.

Vinci, the town where Leonardo was born, is less than an hour’s drive away through the hills of Montalbano. The Museo Leonardiano, housed in the Castello dei Conti Guidi, tells the story of a true all-round genius — not just a painter, but a tireless engineer and inventor. For those who want to go a little further, the road continues up to Anchiano, where a simple farmhouse among the olive trees still marks the place where he was born.

Between Florence and Siena lies the Chianti, the land of vineyards that made Tuscan wine famous the world over. It’s worth losing yourself along the Chiantigiana, the road that runs through villages like Greve in Chianti and Castellina in Chianti, with stops at wineries for a glass of Chianti Classico and lunch at a village trattoria.

Its towers can be seen from a distance, which is why San Gimignano is known as the “Manhattan of the Middle Ages”: 14 of the many once built by the town’s noble families still stand today. The historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, gathers around the striking Piazza della Cisterna, while the surrounding hills produce Vernaccia, among the first Italian wines to earn DOC status.

An hour’s drive separates Florence from Siena, another of Tuscany’s great art cities. The shell-shaped Piazza del Campo hosts the Palio every summer, the historic horse race run between the city’s districts. The Gothic Duomo and the lanes of the historic center, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, round out one of the classic day trips from Florence.

Less traveled by mass tourism but no less interesting, the Valdarno is the valley carved by the Arno river between Florence and Arezzo. Small villages, Romanesque parish churches, and a still-genuine agricultural landscape make it the right destination for anyone who, after Florence’s museums, is looking for a more authentic Tuscany, with a few food-and-wine stops along the way.

Pisa is an easy train ride away and is known around the world for the Leaning Tower, the landmark monument of Piazza dei Miracoli alongside the Duomo and the Baptistery. A short stop, often just a few hours, but a hard one to cross off the list for anyone visiting Tuscany for the first time.

Lucca has kept its Renaissance walls fully intact, now open to walkers and cyclists with views over the city’s rooftops. Inside, a compact historic center of squares, towers, and Romanesque churches invites an unhurried stroll — the ideal trip for anyone looking, even just for a day, for a slower pace than Florence’s.