Waking Sienna

From Piazza del Campo follow Via Giovanni Dupre, a very charming narrow street with local bars, pasticcerias and other small stores. When you reach the end you will see the Fountain of Contrada de la Onda with a dolphin in the middle.

Walks in Siena Off the Tourist Track:Walking Itineraries to See More of Siena

Take the path going right which will take you to Orti Dei Tolomei, a nice park with grass, benches and a climbing frame for children. Take the same path back and enjoy the views of Siena. You can also see the city wall below on your left. At the end turn right and then take Via Stalloreggi back toward the Campo. To get away from the main crowded street, turn right at Casato di Sopra and then left at Casato di Sotto , which leads back to the Campo.

The suggestions above are mapped out below, to make it even easy for you to find your way around. I encourage you to take your time and don't hesitate to go beyond the blue and orange lines to discover your own special corner of Siena. Helle is a Danish citizen currently living in Siena with her Rwandan husband and their one-year-old son.

She has lived in several countries around the world and loves to explore every part of the place she lives. She is in the process of exploring Tuscany, especially Siena and its surroundings, and would love to pass on her experiences. According to legend she fell down the steps leading to the Cathedral whilst tempted by the devil.

The suite has two big door-windows that open on to the terrace. From the terrace, where there is a table with two chairs for relaxing, wine tasting or making breakfast, the view to Siena's rooftops and the two churches Santa Caterina and San Domenico is lovely. Check our special offers See Packages.

Friendly, interesting owners look after you impeccably. Immersed in the hilly heart of the city, this narrow, elegant four-storey palazzo on Piazza San Giovanni sits right by the gothic Baptistery. Local owners, Giovanni and his mum Cinzia, passionate and knowledgeable about all things Sienese, have cunningly restored this building. Modern design rubs shoulders happily with centuries of intriguing history a Pope, famous authors, artists and architects have all stayed. Venture deep below the building and piazza to a stone cellar, to find a medieval aqueduct — a secret path once used by Pope Alexander VII.

Throw open the bedroom windows Italian film star style for jaw-dropping views out to San Domenico and a puzzle of terracotta rooftops. Interiors hum with ancient beams, original artwork and some good modern furniture; bathrooms are snazzy - choose from a freestanding claw foot tub set on 17th-century tiles or a rain shower with a delightful glimpse of the Basilica. A choice of breakfast menus will fuel you for your adventures; pick up a map from the welcoming reception area and step outside into the thick of it" from Alastair Sawday's Special Place to Stay in Italy.

There is even an underground secret passageway which once led to the Cathedral and that you can still visit today, a real window to medieval life.

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Piazza San Giovanni is unanimously recognized as one of the most beautiful sites in Siena, the divinest of beauties. Critics say that this square is city's parlour. We are at n. Trust us, we guarantee you won't be disapponted. Our staff take pride in making our guests feel welcome, comfortable and in helping them get the most out of their stay. From made-to-measure breakfasts to detailed restaurant suggestions and tailiored itineraries though the ancient city and the countryside, we ensure your demands are met.

We have five rooms and two apartments. We decided to focus on design, as well as the emotions and experiences it can create. Our aim is to create a very individual promise.

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We try offering a guests emotional experiences along with a connection to their surroundings in order to create a new kind of hospitality, a word we will never forget. We truely hope you have an unforgettable stay.

Il Battistero Siena is for those who want an authentic Italian experience. Il Battistero is not a hotel. The E80 should be the SS1, aka the Aurelia. It has the same name of the road built by the Romans and it goes in the same direction, but it isn't the same! It's not tolled so it may be crowded and a little slow. The Aurelia goes by seaside towns like Porto Ercole , nice hilltop villages like Capalbio , the Maremma Park and the etruscan tombs and the museum of Tarquinia.

The E35 is the famous A1, a tolled and divided highway with 2 or 3 lanes. Like all A-somethIng roads, the A1 does not cross at grade with other roads. It's fast, easy to drive and trucks free on Sundays. Bear in mind that in Italy there are camera controlled ZTL areas in all urban settlements and many speed traps on motorways. Do not overspeed, locals know where the cameras are. I have heard of the speed cameras and I was not familiar with viamichelin. I do not much like either of those routes. I like the old SS2 going by way of Viterbo towards Siena.

It is quite scenic once you get away from Rome , and not all that much traffic. First question, where are you picking up your car?

Il Battistero Location

Secondly, I like heading north on the Aurelia finding it a quieter, more relaxing drive than the A1 yes, do please forget the E numbers, they do appear nowadays on roadsigns but few people know what they refer to. There are tolls on this road, which is now dual carriageway most of the way, between just north of Rome and Montalto. There are three tolls and it's a fixed fee of Euros 2. You can pay by card but it's quicker if you have cash, ideally the right money as there's a separate lane for that.

Just south of Grosseto you'll turn off towards Siena on an equally good, fast, toll-free road that will have improved hugely with the newly opened bridge previously there were frequent tailbacks. That said, the A1 is a lovely drive too with beautiful scenery all the way as you go through a succession of national parks.

Lastraniera, we will be picking up the car in Milan.