If you have ever seen the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” then you have already caught glimpses of the beauty of the Val d’Orcia. The Val d’Orcia is an UNESCO world heritage site and is what most Americans think of when they think of Tuscany. It is a very specific area of Italy which contains the towns of Pienza, Cortona and Montalcino and just rolling golden and green fields filled with vineyards and farms for as far as you can see. After visiting Pienza we stayed at the Castello di Velona for one night. This hotel is a former castle on the top of a hill in the Val d’Orcia. From the hotel, we basically had a 360 degree view of the Val d’Orcia. It was totally magnificent. The hotel also had an amazing natural thermal pool. I would definitely suggest spending at least one night somewhere in the Val d’Orcia. There is just nothing like it.
The Chianti region of Tuscany is located about an hour closer to Florence. If you visit the Chianti region, then you will see a very landscape of Tuscany. The Chianti region is much more thickly forested and does not have the rolling golden hills like the Val d’Orcia. They are both beautiful but in very different ways! Make sure you know the difference before you a book a hotel in a specific area. The Chianti region is a little rougher than the Val d’Orcia and I noticed more bugs there. That being said I loved both regions! The famous Brunello di Montalcino wine is produced in the Val d’Orcia in Montalcino. We stopped and visited the town of Montalcino for a lunch on our way back to Florence. Montalcino was filled with tons of wineries and the opportunity to have a million amazing wine tastings. We had a great lunch in the middle of town and it was a nice little stop before driving back home!
