Panoramas and wonders of a territory to be explored

The Val d’Orcia is a land for dreamers, where you can look for that secret and romantic beauty that only the places you love can convey.

ROMANTIC VAL D'ORCIA

837_novembre_val_dorcia_bagno_vignoni_parco_dei_mulini_mario-1920x1279

The landscapes of the Val d'Orcia offer in turn wooded views, rolling hills framed by rows of cypresses and harsher areas surrounded by a fantasy-film atmosphere and at times even alien. In each of these you can find natural or architectural wonders: monumental trees, small towns and churches, where you can stroll or stop for a rest, perfect for taking memorable pictures.

The countryside is crossed by unpaved roads and rows of vineyards so  perfect that they seem drawn, which invite you for a peaceful stroll: here you come across jewels such as the iconic and romantic Chapel of Vitaleta and the Cipressini (the famous stand of cypresses, both in the territory of San Quirico d'Orcia), as well as the scented vineyards that surround Montalcino and give birth to the well-known Brunello wine. Designed by the hand of man but just as attractive are the gardens, well cared for places enveloped in nobility such as the Horti Leonini, perfect for a stroll and an ideal backdrop for a dreamlike wedding.

1531_novembre_val_dorcia_san_quirico_dorcia_chiesa_di_vitale-1920x1280
1631_dicembre_val_dorcia_san_quirico_dorcia_scorcio_citta_ma-1920x1280

When getting deep into the woods that cover in green the slopes of Monte Amiata, an ancient dormant volcano of Tuscany, you will discover intimate places governed by a silent and peaceful atmosphere; in the forests of Vivo d'Orcia, where a pure water spring flows creating clear waterfalls, you can find La Contea, a romantic and very ancient town where time seems to have stopped: going through the arch covered with climbing plants you feel as if you are entering a fairy kingdom. Not far, near La Contea, you come across a small stone bridge, the Bridge of Lovers, a place where endless love promises are made.

The alleyways and hidden corners of the villages - and the even more secret ones of the small hamlets that dot the territory - invite you to indulge in exploring by playing hide and seek with the panoramic views that suddenly open up on the valley. Places such as Lucignano d'Asso, a charming medieval hamlet, and Bagno Vignoni, the kingdom of mysterious and relaxing thermal vapours, are the ideal destinations for an afternoon of discovery, whilst among the streets of Pienza some alleyways – Via della Fortuna, Via dell'Amore, Via del Bacio (Luckiness Street, Love Street, Kiss Street) – reveal themselves to daydreamers who walk with their heads in the clouds.

OTHER ARTICLES

Discover the stories, excellences and small secrets kept in villages and in the landscape of Val d'Orcia.