The Siena Area
Towards Siena, other lovely areas are the Montagnola Senese and the Crete, with their beautiful stone houses, the cypress-tree lined roads, the gentle hills and the beautiful abbeys and castles.
Abbeys and Castles in Val d'Orcia
From Poggiolungo it is possible to visit some very popular sights in Tuscany. Abbeys, castles and famous towns and cities are very easy day trips.
The Abbey of San Galgano, with its famous sword in the stone is only 15 mintues away. The church of San Martino and the Prepositura di San Michele next to Saint Galgano's birth house are also close-by.
In Val d'Orcia, guests of Poggiolungo can visit the hilltop towns of Montalcino, home to the popular Brunello wine, Pienza, also famous for its excellent pecorino cheese, and Montepulciano, home to another prestigious red wine. Near Montalcino, travellers can visit the beautiful abbey of Sant'Antimo which stands alone in one of the most beautiful countryside areas in the world. At Sant'Antimo it is possible to listen to the famous Gregorian Chants.
The Monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore is also located in Val d’Orcia, on the border between Tuscany and Umbria.
Crete Senesi
Going north, guests of Poggiolungo can visit the beautiful castle of Grotti, the ancient castle of the Della Gherardesca and Montalcinello Castle. In the Crete Senesi, San Quirico d’Orcia, Asciano and San Giovanni d’Asso are all very popular destinations for lovers of truffle and truffle hunting.
The Chianti area, San Gimignano and Volterra
The Chianti area is also an easy drive from Poggiolungo. Popular destinations such as Monteriggioni, with its perfectly preserved town walls, San Gimignano with its towers, the Chianti castles of Meleto and Brolio, the village of Gaiole in Chianti are great day trips.
Volterra can also be reached in about one hour by a very scenic drive through the Val di Merse and the Montagnola Senese.
The border with Umbria
Driving east, Arezzo and the town of Cortona, made popular by Frances Mayes’ novel Under the Tuscan Sun, can be reached in 1h and 30 minutes. Arezzo was the set of Roberto Benigni's Oscar award-winning movie "Life Is Beautiful" (La Vita è Bella).
