The Maremma and Monte Amiata
A beautiful village where the medieval street plan and features have been perfectly preserved is Pari, only few kilometres away from Poggiolungo and from the Petriolo hot springs.
From the top of the village travellers can enjoy breath-taking views over the valley of the river Ombrone. The area where Pari is located is known as Upper Maremma, and includes other villages of interest such as Civitella Marittima (there is an excellent restaurant there, La Locanda nel Cassero), Paganico, with its unique medieval town walls and the frescoes in the village church, Roccastrada, Sassofortino, Roccatederighi and Montemassi. These villages are located on the hills which border the plains of the Maremma and from there one can enjoy a superb view of the countryside of this region. On clear days the view stretches down to the sea.
The Maremma
The coast of the Maremma is also easily reachable from Poggiolungo. The sandy beach in Marina di Grosseto and the pine tree forest that protects it are very popular in the summer months. Other lovely coast towns are Castiglione della Pescaia and Punt'Ala.
In the Maremma, a place that should not be missed is Massa Marittima, a medieval jewel standing on its own in the Metalliferous Hills.
Further south, sea lovers should not miss the Nature Park of the Maremma and the beautiful beaches of the Argentario peninsula.
In the hills of the Maremma, Pitigliano, Manciano, Sovana and Sorano make for a lovely day trip in through the ancient Etruscan empire.
For lovers of good wine, the village of Scansano is home to the Morellino DOC wine.
Monte Amiata
From Poggiolungo it is easy to visit one of the least touristy (but no less beautiful) areas of Tuscany: Monte Amiata, the highest peak in the region (more than 1700m a.s.l.). Monte Amiata is famous for its beech and chestnut tree woods, for its chestnut recipes, for the lovely towns which dot its slopes, such as Arcidosso, Castel del Piano, Santa Fiora, Castiglion d’Orcia and Abbadia San Salvadore. The ancient church Pieve ad Lamulas and the abbey in Abbadia San Salvadore should not be missed. The views over the Val d’Orcia from Castiglion d’Orcia are breathtaking. The road that leads from Castel del Piano to Pienza makes for a beautiful and scenic drive. The top of the mountain is a popular destination for picnics in the summer and it is very lively in winter when people go there to ski.
Along the way, the castles of Monte Antico, Porrona and Casenovole are very interesting.
