Location: Asciano
Top Things to do in Asciano
Top 10 Things to do in Asciano, Italy
Asciano is a comune and hill town in the province of Siena in the Italian region Tuscany. It is located at the centre of the Crete senesi between the river Ombrone and the torrent Copra, some 30 kilometres (19 mi) southeast of the town of Siena by rail.
Restaurants in Asciano
1. Tours By Roberto
Overall Ratings
5 based on 157 reviews
Tours by Roberto is an Italian company which opened in 2016. While our most popular services are guided minivan tours of the countryside, we also will help you plan week-long trips to other areas of the country or assist you with customized and special occasion events.
Reviewed By maryga12 - Plano, Texas
My husband and I did 3 countryside small group tours led by Roberto - Chianti, Clay Hills, and Val D'Orca and the Etruscans. Each was special and unique in its own way. Roberto has specialized in providing off-the-beaten path tours for over 20 years. He is passionate about Tuscan history, culture, food, and wine and shares all of that, along with his entertaining sense of humor, with his guests. The maximum number of guests for each tour is 8 with Roberto driving everyone in his van. He takes you to places he knows and where the average tourist would otherwise not have an opportunity to visit. We developed such an appreciation for the Etruscan civilization, an extremely advanced civilization predating the Romans. Roberto belongs to an archeological club that has been responsible for uncovering Etruscan tombs and preserving their treasures. As part of one of his tours, you visit a museum run by the club, and on another you visit a tomb. Before our tours with Roberto, my husband and I did not think we had much interest in learning about the Etruscans. That all changed because of Roberto. In addition to visits to small villages and places of historical significance, nearly all of Roberto's tours include visits to and lunches at family run farms/wineries where you learn about the food and wine then feast on homemade cheeses, meats, and pasta, as well as home grown vegetables and wine produced at their wineries. There is no better experience than listening to the family members share their love of the land and the things they produce from it while sitting around a table eating and drinking the fruits of their labor. Most of these farms have been in the families for several generations, and multiple generations continue to live and work on the farm.
Roberto's staff is wonderful to work with through the Reservations process and beyond. They are well organized and happy to answer questions concerning the tours or make recommendations for hotels. They have many contacts throughout Italy and helped us arrange private guides for tours of Siena, Florence, and Rome. We can not emphasize enough how Roberto and his staff enhanced our trip to Italy and our appreciation of Tuscany's culture and people.
2. Area Sosta Camper Rapolano Terme
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Reviewed By Bene0Ph
It's a basic looking but very comfy place, literally two steps away from the Antiche Therme. The staff is friendly, we got a two euros discount on our pools daily passes and has Wi-fi too. I'd definitely reccomend it!
3. Ballooning in Tuscany
Overall Ratings
5 based on 329 reviews
Hot Air ballooning in Tuscany, experience the magic of flight. Hot Air Ballooning tours over Tuscan Valleys, hill-top towns, Castles, and vineyards. Fly in a hot air balloon in Tuscany from Montisi near Pienza and Montepulciano or Siena and see this magical region from a unique perspective with Ballooning in Tuscany,
Reviewed By ka2e2016 - Sammamish, Washington
Nick and his crew created an amazing experience for us and I highly recommend Ballooning in Tuscany to anyone looking for a balloon adventure. It was a first for us, and the team made us feel welcome and safe. They provided a most peaceful ride over beautiful Tuscany -- words don't do justice to the views, the feeling of freedom, the spiritual experience. We had the softest landing in a random field and celebrated with champagne and a buffet of delicious food, including a birthday cake for those celebrating milestone events. A gorgeous splendid soulful exhilarating way to start any day!
4. Serre Di Rapolano Vacations
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By PinedaP - Rome, Italy
Serre di Rapolano is a typical Tuscan village and it may offer a good sightseeing occasion when driving east from Siena to the A1 motorway.
The village was built around a guard post of the 6th century BC, which became a military outpost throughout the Middle Ages. The village is now part of the Borough of Rapolano Terme, and it offers a very attractive view of a small Tuscan town. There are some nice buildings to see, but the most attractive thing is really the atmosphere of a very relaxing little village; the town is not a tourist spot, so you will not be faced with crowds, unless you happen to visit during the village feast of Serremaggio (Serre-May) in spring, during the month of May, when the villagers themselves re-enact the way of living of the Middle Ages and there are small shops and food/wine tastings all around the town.
I have been there several times and I love returning there.
There are plenty of good options for both eating and lodging in the area, for all budgets. Driving by car is the best way to get there, but you can also use the local buses and there is a regular train service, that links Siena to Chiusi (where the main train line is), which stops in Rapolano Terme, 5 kms away, the main town and a spa resort.
Parking inside the walls is difficult and not necessary, and it is advisable to use the car parks outside the town, just 5 minutes walk away, both to the north and the south.
I would suggest to take a few hour to look around and soak the spirit of Tuscany there.
5. Tuscany Adventure
Overall Ratings
5 based on 194 reviews
Live Tuscany as never before Treat yourself to an exclusive adventure between the Crete Senesi aboard a Quad, a convenient and at the same time adrenaline, able to overcome any obstacle and make you live an unforgettable experience in contact with nature. The Tuscany Adventure expert guide will accompany you to discover stunning scenery along the routes that suit you. The routes of Tuscany Adventure take place between the Crete Senesi near Rapolano Terme, a lovely place surrounded by vineyards, olive trees and Forests in the province of Siena. Fun, adrenaline and nature await you: choose your tour with Tuscany Adventure! Watch now among our offers and find the one that suits you. Tuscany Adventure organizes guided ATV tours also for special occasions such as birthday parties, bachelor party or hen party. We offer: panoramic excursions, technical tours and wine tasting
Reviewed By BERENICE B - BUENOS AIRES
Amazing experience!! We took this 2 hour adventure with my husband and our 2 kids (11 and 8). It was my first time driving a squad, and it is very easy to learn and safe for the kids. Gionata is a great guide,and the landscapes were spectacular! We drove through hills, woods, saw deers, stopped for pictures and reached places that can't be reached by car. The kids loved it! Recommend it 100%. Thanks Gionata for a great time!
6. Saltalbero Parco Avventura
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 155 reviews
Saltalbero is a park in Tuscany immersed in nature, and full of games and attractions for children of all ages and for adults too. Close to Siena, the Saltalbero park is located in a natural and unspoilt environment where you can spend a day outdoors, cheerfully engaging in fun and thrilling activities: adventure park with high ropes courses, Minigolf, pic-nic and children area.
Reviewed By Roy Z
We spend a half a day in this amazing place. The kids had awesome time going from very simple climbing to much tougher ones. The crew is very friendly and welcoming and the equipment is very safe. We had a blast! very recommended with kids,...MoreThankyou very much Roy, we are happy that you spent a beautiful day with family, the park and specially the course are for doing a fun activity toghether, adults and kids. See you soon
7. Museo dell'Antica Grancia e dell'Olio
Overall Ratings
4 based on 9 reviews
Reviewed By Vicarmuddlebush
This place is another hidden gem in the rather remarkable collection of museums in the Musei Senese collection. It is woefully under visited, in part I suspect because of its "focus", but also possibly because the signage gets one almost there and then...well, thanks to a local fellow, we found the front door! We also found ourselves essentially alone in a remarkably preserved (and now curated) example of the "system" that organized grain (and flour) and olive oil production from the middle ages to the relatively recent past. The museum preserves the "work" and production area of a large "grancia" (or wheat storage and olive oil manufacturing) facility--part of an extensive network of such installations supporting the remarkable social service and religious network of Santa Maria della Scala...worth studying and possibly imitating for its capacity to help young folks (and many orphans) lead meaningful lives, in and out of the religious order. The facility gives you a pretty good idea of production--the "machinery" (early 20th c) is still intact. Very impressive also are the other imposing and palatial rooms of the "head person" who lived "above the store"--well above it, in rooms with decorative frescoes and lovely pietra serena fireplace mantels and door jambs (and a couple of painted wood "faux" ones as well). What made this experience meaningful--made it come alive, you could say--was the excellent tour we invited the docent to give us. We have some modest facility in Italian, but Silvia has fluency in English and she was unstinting in her generosity of time and infectious but moderated enthusiasm. She didn't have a "sticht" or over-rehearsed script that she turned on and off like a recording as so many bored guides do. Rather, she met us where our interests took her and then she suggested other things we might want to be sure to notice, based on what seemed to catch our interest. The rating of excellent I have given this place is really for Silvia (I hope I have that name right!). Like so many of the musei senese, this place is suffering in the aftermath of the "demise" of the chief philanthropic organization (Monte dei Paschi Foundation). As a result, it seems stuck, not able to realize anything like its real potential...a rather dismal display of band instrument as a temporary exhibit is eloquent testimony to the weakened condition this place. With some imagination, additional support, and attention to building an "audience" (and maybe some better signage!), this museum could take what I think would be its rightful place as a very attractive and important "monument" to a major social movement and an organization of agricultural production. I know it must be lonely for you now, Silvia, with so few guests, but we will be back and we hope that this review will stimulate others to experience the Antica Grancia along with your hospitality and scholarship.
8. Crete Senesi
Overall Ratings
5 based on 334 reviews
Reviewed By Anuj_Mithani - Mumbai, India
We detoured through the Crete Senesi en route to Montalcino from Siena. Crete Senesi means ‘Sienese clays’, where the landscape assumes a lunar appearance due to the exposed sections of grey soil.
The dramatic scenery began to unfold, as we took the SP438 from Taverne D’Arbia and headed towards Asciano. There is a panoramic viewpoint (hard to miss, several cars will have pulled up there), where you climb up a dirt path and enjoy terrific views of Siena in the distant background and the rolling hills of Tuscany, with a never-ending bank of cypress trees. That view alone was worth the entire drive.
This is a rural/agricultural area with natural/rugged charm ; we didn’t see many vineyards and olive trees, but farmlands with rows of cypress trees and solitary farmhouses. We stopped briefly in the small town of Asciano before driving further to the abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore, in a beautifully serene setting. We stopped briefly in San Giovanni D’Asso (some retracing needed), before heading towards Buonconvento where we halted for a snack/gelato break. We reached Montalcino about 3pm, after 5-6 hours of driving from Siena over a day very well spent.
9. Terme di San Giovanni Rapolano
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1 reviews
Reviewed By ValerieBottazzi - Castelnuovo Berardenga, Italy
I enjoy Terme di San Giovanni for several reasons. The first one and most important is that its sulphur filled natural waters have wonderful healing benefits. The second one is that I just love enjoying the different pools set amidst the most gorgeous Tuscan landscape. The third one is that the Spa is wonderful and massages are tops. The fourth one is that it is close to where I live! :-) shall I go on.
They are absolutely worth your while with a really good value for money.
Enjoy, relax, and have fun.
10. Pometti Vineyard
Overall Ratings
5 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By Dale T - Broadbottom, Cheshire
We had a lovely hour or so with the family owners of this vineyard and farm.
They were so passionate about their wine and olive oil and local produce.
We learned about the grapes, the super Tuscan blends and what makes a quality wine, olive oil and also balsamic vinegar. We tasted some lovely wines with bread, oil, cheeses and wild boar sausage. All delicious. We particularly enjoyed the 106 wine, which has won wine awards internationally and is named after the age of the grandmother, and the vino santo. Tasting is 15 euro each person and you can purchase wine and olive oil in any quantity with no obligation. I would recommend a visit to anyone. They also have rooms to rent/agritourism. Lovely people who deserve to be supported.
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