SIENA
Siena, is filled with wonders of gothic architecture; and is a representative model of the medieval city, with its palaces, churches, monuments, and urban spaces. Due to this historic preservation, it was admitted in 1995 to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Siena is a bustling town with a walkable city center surrounded by rolling Tuscan hillsides. Anchored by 2 major universities, it is an educational center with a wide array of important cultural offerings.
SURROUNDINGS
The province of Siena – stretching more than 100 km north to south – enfolds a vast and highly varied territory.
The land hold many kinds of natural beauty that change as each sort of topography gives way to the next.
The province may be divided into the following areas, each characterized by its own distinct landform:
- the Val d’Elsa to the northwest of Siena;
- Chianti to the northeast, with its green, vineyard-covered hills;
- the city of Siena itself, set among soft hills;
- the Val di Merse, famous for the swimming spots along the lovely river Merse;
- the Crete Senesi, the clay hills to the south of the city, with their rugged, nearly lunar, landscapes;
- the Val d’Orcia further to the south, with its ancient mineral baths, also home to the world famous Brunello di Montalcino wine.