WHY VISIT SIENA?

Are you planning a trip to Italy? Are you staying in Florence and wondering if you should visit Siena? Yes! You should visit Siena! This charming medieval town is located in central Italy's Tuscany region, and its proximity to Florence makes it easy to access.

Additionally, It is less crowded than Florence and can be seen in one day. My husband Henry, aka Mr. Travel, and I visited Siena a few years ago, stayed overnight, and fell in love with Siena. Here is what we discovered during our visit.

TRAVELING FROM FLORENCE TO VISIT SIENA BY BUS

The fastest way to get to Siena is by bus. The bus station is next to the train station - Via Santa Caterina da Siena 15. From the bus station in Florence, take the "rapida" direct bus to Siena (131R). The other bus to Siena is the "ordinaria," which is local and has a few stops, thus taking longer. The direct bus will take a little over an hour. A one-way ticket will cost between 7 and 10 euros. Be sure to validate your ticket before boarding the bus.

Once the bus drops you off, visit the piazza underneath and purchase your return tickets. The bus will drop you off near the city center. The rapida (131R) bus runs twice per hour. There may be some hilly roads on the bus, so the train may be better if you have motion sickness.

TRAVELING FROM FLORENCE TO VISIT SIENA BY TRAIN

Henry and I took a train to Siena. Although the bus is faster, we chose to take the train. The train takes just under two hours and provides excellent scenic views. The train does not take you into the city center, but some buses take you within walking distance to the main square. We took a cab from the train station to our hotel, a family-operated inn close to the city center. If you are traveling with children, the train is probably more accommodating.

A one-way ticket on the train costs about 8 euros. There are about 33 trains that run daily. You can search the schedule here at http://www.trenitalia.com/. Again, validate your ticket before you get on the train. There are no high-speed trains to Siena.

HIGHLIGHTS

Siena's medieval jewels include the Piazza del Campo, the magnificent Siena Duomo, and Torre del Mangia's Siena tower. And of course, the food and wine. Some of the best Chianti wines in Italy come from the Tuscany region.

If you are interested in using a walking tour guide to visit Siena, we recommend The Roman Guy at https://theromanguy.com/tours/italy/florence-tuscany/private-siena-walking-tour.

Piazza del Camp0

Piazza del Campo, one of Europe's most fabulous medieval squares, was established before the thirteenth century.

Today Piazza del Campo is the famous venue for the Palio. This bareback horse race in the U-shaped piazza occurs two times a year, on July 2nd and August 16th. People from all over the world visit Siena to attend the Palio. This is a significant event in Italy, attracting up to 40,000 visitors annually.

Aside from the Palio, the piazza is a great place to stop, have an expresso, and enjoy the gothic architecture.

Duomo of Siena

If you have been to Florence and think it can not get any better, you must step inside the Duomo of Siena. To say it is magnificent is an understatement. My words and photos do not begin to give this duomo its due credit. We have visited many duomos throughout Italy, and this is one of Italy's finest.

The Duomo is a museum in itself, boasting significant artistic works of Donatello, Michelangelo, Nicola Pisano, and more. The interior marble pillars, bronze dome, and carved marble pulpit are only a few of the architectural marvels.

Inside Siena's cathedral is the stunning Piccolomini Library. This library is dedicated to Pope Pius II and displays majestic frescos created using real gold. Visit Siena to see this duomo- you will not be disappointed.

Torre del Mangia

The Tower of Siena is the second largest tower in Italy, standing approximately 334 feet. For stunning 360-degree photos of Tuscany, you can walk to the top of the tower.

Beware. If you want to climb the tower, it has over 400 narrow winding steps, and there is only one path up or down. The steps don't bother me. What does bother me is that if someone is climbing down, you will have to back up against the wall to allow space for them to pass. If you have a bag or backpack, you will have to leave it in a locker. Did I mention "narrow"?

Henry was happy to do the climb and take photos. Not a chance in hell for me. The picture below is the view inside the tower, looking down. The stairs run along the side. Hell no!

According to Henry, my fearless husband, the views at the top were well worth the narrow path. I will take his word for it.

FOOD

We visited Siena in early October. Generally, this time of year is a cool 60 degrees in the evening with daytime highs of about 75 degrees. This climate is perfect for enjoying red wine (Chianti) and the hearty cuisine this region offers.

For lunch, we ate at La Sosta Di Violante https://www.lasostadiviolante.it. I loved the leather menus. I ordered the wild boar ragu with pappardelle, and Henry ordered a risotto dish. We also shared an appetizer of Reggiano cheese fritters with pear sauce. Delicious!

For dinner, we ate La Prosciutteria https://www.laprosciutteria.com/aperitivo-siena/. Here you will find authentic, no-frills tapas-style cuisine. There is also a large selection of local Tuscany wines.

Our meal was ordered and arranged on a charcuterie board as an elegant display of cheeses, prosciutto, ham, grapes, small slices of bread with truffle, and eggplant. We dined in the wine basement, and water was self-serve from the basement sink. Music plays in the background-everything, from roaring '20s to the Beatles. Siena had more music than any Italian city - and it was almost exclusively American music.

After several years, I still remember both meals in Siena.

There are still things in Siena that we did not explore, but this is an overview of our stay. Also, if you want to experience the local flavor of this town, make a reservation at one of the small family-operated inns and stay 24 hours. Make Siena a base, take a day or two, and tour Tuscany's wine country. Visitare Siena!

Stay calm and travel on,

Visit Siena - A Great Day Trip From Florence