Siena
Siena is one of the most remarkable art cities of the world. It keeps the medieval structure with long districts of old houses which branch off windingly as far as the peaks of the hills. Siena is a cultural centre of main importance with its well known Universities, like Chigiana Music Academy. Besides the tourism, the most remarkable activities are linked to the agriculture, very developped in the province, with wine and oil production and cattle-farming.
Events
Without any doubt the most important event of the city is the Palio, very old costume celebration which goes back to the sixteenth-century and takes place twice a year: the 2nd of July and the 16th of August. The Palio is a brave horse race which takes place in the central Piazza del Campo: there, it pours out the harsh competition amongst the seventeen quarters which the city is divided by.
Weekly local market: on Wednesday
Distance: 40 minutes

Perugia
Perugia is an Umbria city, typical and curious for its tentacle plant, that is five districts which branch off to as many hill ridges leaving the central point. Cultural centre rich of picturesque views and monuments, it’s also famous for its many universities, like Foreigner University and the University of the Fine Arts. Perugia is also a farm, commercial and industrial centre, well known for its food and confectionery, textile, mechanical, wood and printing industries.
Distance: 1 hour

Montepulciano
Charming Sienese town that overlooks Val di Chiana and Val d’Orcia and is singular for its town planning layout: main streets situated longitudinally in different levels and linked through steep lanes sometimes scaled by arches.
Native town of Poliziano, it had a great artistic flourishing in the late Renaissance.
Distance: 30 minutes

Monte Oliveto Abbey
Monte Oliveto Abbey dates back to 1300 and was founded by a hermit, scion of the Sienese aristocracy who decides to retire to this lost place of Crete together to two friends.
It is situated exactly in the countryside of Asciano and is rich of works of art and typical products, like for example the famous liqueur of the monks, the honeys, the infusions, oil and wine.
Distance: 40 minutes

San Galgano Abbey The ruins of the monumental complex of San Galgano Abbey rises lonely and stately at the feet of Montesiepi hillock in the Sienese south-west countryside and despite their incompleteness they are one of the most significative witness of the gothic cistercian architecture of the central Italy.
It is attracting the sword which thrusted into the rock by Galgano like symbol of his renounce to the ground things to devote himself to the asceticism.
Distance: 1hour and 30 minutes

San Quirico d’Orcia
San Quirico d’Orcia is a fortified village situated along may be the most charming part of Cassia road. The fifteenth-century walls are almost undamaged and rimmed of 14 small towers which have inside the wonderful thirteenth-century roman collegiate church.
Close to the walls there are Horti Leonini, a public park adorned by an Italian garden and an ilex wood.
Distance: 40 minutes

Gaiole in Chianti
Wine and holiday centre surrounded by green hillocks which are fully cultivated. It develops in the middle of 1200 like market place. Amongst the main attractions Brolio castle, built by Fiorentini after 1484, represents one of the first examples of fortress fortified by bastions in Tuscan area.
Distance: 1 hour

Colle di Val d’Elsa
Arranged through three urban sloping levels, Colle Val d’Elsa is famous today for its production of artisan crystals of great value, but it represents also an important touristic destination.
Flourished during the Middle Age indeed, it matches typically medieval views (like the Castle, the oldest part rich of charming houses-towers and narrow paved streets) to a look of pure Renaissance shape (Town hall Palace and praetorian Palace).
Distance: 1 hour

The thermal baths
The Sienese thermal resources scatter through all the province in a flat way: at the furthermost eastern area the sulphur waters of Rapolano, at the south the springs of Bagno Vignoni and where Siena ground slopes down the Maremma, Petriolo thermal baths. Deep in Val di Chiana it is famous the thermal centre of Chianciano.