SIENA and surroundings
Just an hour from Florence yet a world apart, Siena is sophisticated and elegant. There are few places in the world with a more manifest sense of self than Siena. The Sienese simply adore their prosperous, well-tended town and it shows. Visitors come for the magnificent marble Duomo, the impressive Town Hall and the Sienese Masters in the Pinacoteca. But it is really atmosphere which is the major attraction. An evening spent dining al fresco on the central Piazza del Campo provides a life-long memory, Shopping is great - particularly for ceramics and antiques. Accommodations are excellent. In the nearby area, superb lodging options can be found at Borgo la Bagnaia, Monteriggioni, Montalcino and Castelnuovo Berardenga. Siena can also be a great base for excursions into the Chianti County to the North and the other-wordly beautiful Crete Senesi to the South.
