Tuscany - where dramatic landscapes meet scenic towns

When planning a road trip through Italy, most travellers are sure to include Tuscany in their itinerary. The region is known for its captivating landscapes, characterised by hills adorned with pencil pines, olive trees and vineyards, but also for its fascinating architecture, which combines classical elements with modern touches, giving Tuscan towns an old-world charm. Paired with a selection of renowned Tuscan wines, the region becomes the perfect destination for perhaps any traveller.

Taking a walk through the centre of Tuscany's capital, the stunning city of Florence, feels like being immersed in a renaissance painting. Therefore, it is hardly surprising that entire historic centre of the city was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982.

Florence's best known landmark is the iconic Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, a Gothic cathedral adorned with the famously huge masonry dome. You can access the cathedral free of charge, however, as in all of Italy's religious sites, your knees and shoulders must be covered in order to be allowed in. For additional fees you can also visit the Dome, the Duomo's Terraces or the Bell Tower. Tickets for these attractions are available on the official homepage, but are a bit too expensive in my eyes, costing 20€, 25€ and 15€ per person.

Another famous sight in Florence is the Ponte Vecchio, a medieval stone arch bridge that spans the Arno River and stands out for the stores that were built along it. Although it used to be pretty common to set up tanneries, butchers and farm shops on these kinds of bridges, nowadays they are rare to find. The stores, however, are still in use today, operated by jewellers, art dealers and souvenir sellers.

Florence also has plenty to offer for art-lovers, who can admire priceless treasures in the city's many museums. Florence's largest art museum, the Uffizi Gallery, houses a lot of famous sculptures and paintings such as Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus.

Art enthusiasts might also like to visit the Palazzo Pitti, which holds several museums, including multiple art collections in various styles and the Museum of Costume and Fashion.

Travellers who are less interested in art might still enjoy the Pitti Palace, as they can take a walk in the magnificent Boboli Gardens. Here, the Medici family created the iconic Italian style garden layout that would later inspire many European courts. The gardens are described as an outdoor museum holding several statues from ancient times and the Renaissance.

For more information on these exciting attractions and to purchase tickets, visit the Uffizi Gallery's official website.

A perfect way to end your visit to Florence is to admire a beautiful view of the city's skyline. You can head to Piazzale Michelangelo, which lies on a hill just south of Florence's historic center. Dedicated to Michelangelo, the square features bronze copies of some of the Renaissance sculptors' marble works. Most notable, a copy of David in the heart of the square, facing Florence's city centre, the original of which is located just a stone's throw away in the Galleria dell'Accademia.

Just one and a half hour's drive from Florence lies one of Italy's most famous sights, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which is the freestanding bell tower, of the Pisa Cathedral, known worldwide for its nearly four-degree tilt that resulted due to an unstable foundation.

Galileo Galilei is said to have dropped two spheres of different masses from the tower to prove that their fall duration is independent of their mass.

According to the story, through this experiment Galileo proved that the objects fell with the same acceleration, thus disproving the Aristotelian theory of gravity, which states that objects fall at a speed proportional to their mass. However, most historians consider the story to be a thought experiment rather than an actual physical test.

The Piazza dei Miracoli, including the Pisa Cathedral, the Baptistery of St. John, the Camposanto Monumentale Cemetery and the Leaning Tower, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987 as it is one of the finest medieval architectural complexes in the world featuring marble masterpieces build between the 11th to 14th century.

Various combinations of tickets for all four monuments, the Sinopie Museum and the Opera del Duomo Museum are available on the official website of the Piazza dei Miracoli, with the ones including the Tower being more expensive.

However, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, through being the most famous one, is not the only tilted tower in Italy. In Pisa alone, there are two other well-known ones, namely the Campanile of San Nicola and the Campanile of San Michele degli Scalzi. Not surprisingly, Venice, with its unstable soil, and its nearby island of Burano are also home to leaning towers. Other famous leaning towers are the Asinelli and Garisenda towers of Bologna.

Just an hour's drive from Florence, lies a beautiful city with a charming Medieval Gothic character, Siena. With much of townscape from the 12th to 15th century still preserved, the city's historic centre was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995.

One of Siena's most impressive sights is a gorgeous cathedral, combining elements of French Gothic, Tuscan Romanesque and Classical architecture.

You can enter the cathedral to marvel at the beautiful interior with mosaic floors and a pulpit carved from Carrara marble.

Inside the cathedral are also a crypt, a baptistry and the Museo dell’Opera, which houses beautiful collections of religious art and a treasury. You can read more about the impressive Duomo di Siena on the official website of the Siena Opera della Metropolitana.

Another remarkable sight is the Piazza del Campo, a shell-shaped square in the heart of the city, overlooked by an 102m (335 feet) tall tower, the Torre del Mangia. For an entrance fee of 10€, you can climb the majestic tower and enjoy the beautiful view from the top.

Twice a year, on 2 July and 16 August, the Palio di Siena horse race is held on the Piazza del Campo. The race involves 17 riders, each representing one of the 17 districts of Siena.

In addition to housing many interesting sights and museums, Siena is also surrounded by several beautiful routes that can be explored on a road trip, which in my opinion, is the best way to travel the breathtaking region of Tuscany. Even though there are train connections between the larger cities and the rides are probably incredibly scenic, I believe that a big part of exploring Tuscany's beauty is stopping along the way to take in the mesmerising views. South of Siena lies Val d'Orcia, which, with its beautiful hills that are now and then graced by picturesque towns and villages, is said to be the true heart of Tuscany. Its landscape has been depicted countless times in works of art from Renaissance painting to modern photography, resulting in Val d'Orcia being deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004.

When travelling the Chianti Route from Florence to Siena, you pass magnificent countrysides, imposing vineyards and only a stone's throw off the path lies the beautiful town of San Gimignano.

Also known as the Town of Fine Towers, San Gimignano is famous for its medieval architecture, including about a dozen preserved towers which downright form a skyline. Within the city walls are well-preserved remarkable examples of Romanesque and Gothic architecture, leading to the city's historic centre being declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When on road trips Italy, however, be careful not to drive into a ZTL, a so-called zona traffico limitato. These are zones that are only accessible to residents and you will be fined if you forget.

While many of Tuscany's sights are located in the north-central part of the region, southern Tuscany also has its own gems. One of these beeing the stunning Terme di Saturnia, a thermal bath located at an old mill, where ice-blue water cascades down forming fairly shallow pools for you to sit and relax in.

According to legend, Jupiter, during a violent dispute, threw lightning bolts at Saturn but missed him, causing the formation of the Terme di Saturnia.

Although the entry to the around 37.5 °C (99.5 °F) warm pools is free of charge, there are parking fees. Also, unfortunately, the baths are pretty much always busy, however, you can avoid too large crowds if you arrive quite early.

Just half an hours drive from the Terme di Saturnia, on an about 300m (1000 feet) tall cliff, stands the small town of Pitigliano, which is ideal for an overnight stay in the area. I found the remains of their rather tall aqueduct particularly impressive.

In conclusion, there is much to see and experience in Tuscany. Wine lovers will especially like the Chiati region, where they can attend wine tastings and enjoy the world-renowned vini of the Sangiovese grapes. Foodies can take a cooking class and bring their love of Italian cuisine into their own kitchen. Beach lovers can relax on the 320km (200 miles) of coastline bordering the Tyrrhenian Sea and adventurers can explore the charming towns and picturesque landscapes. I highly recommend experiencing the many wonders of Tuscany yourself, ideally by taking a road trip, so you can travel this marvellous region at your own pace.