City: Italy
Top Things to do in Italy
What to do and see in Italy, Italy: The Best Valleys
Coordinates: 43°N 12°E / 43°N 12°E / 43; 12
Restaurants in Italy
1. Valchiavenna
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 12 reviews
2. Chienti Valley
3. Val d'Orcia
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 423 reviews
Reviewed By SJWilson - Rome, Italy
Here’s a nice, winding, country walk we did from Gallina to Montichiello in beautiful Val d’Orcia, which you can do if the Orcia is pretty dry and is easy to cross. There’s nothing much in Gallina, but you might be in an agriturismo nearby, you never know, there are so many. All references to Google maps! Right, so walk straight up Via del Colombaio with the local church there on your left. Keep going up, cross the road that curves back right towards the industrial area, and follow the country track round to your right, passing a ruined house to your left. Follow the track all the way up to a nice-looking agriturismo called Locanda in Tuscany and turn left there along the country road between fields, heading towards another agriturismo called La Rimbecca, passing the driveway in front of you up to agriturismo Poder Nuovo and turning right. Yes, lots of agriturismos round here! Walk up to Rimbecca, another nice looking place, head right towards the main gate, then cut left across the car park, where you’ll find a nice long, straight tree-arched alley running down left, probably once the original driveway, and walk straight down it towards the River Orcia. Follow the curve of the road left, passing what looks like an old mill on your right, and you’ll come to the river bank. We did the walk in summer, so there wasn’t much river, just a few large puddles. Climb down into the riverbed and head left, after about 200 metres on the opposite bank you should see an exit point. We had to paddle across one of the puddles, very refreshing on the toes. About 10 metres up this track you’ll find two paths heading left, both going in the direction you want, the first running closer to the river, the second skirting the trees. Take your pick! They meet up near the river, where you continue along the main path and at a certain point, on the right, you’ll find another long straight path heading up towards the main road, Strada Provincial 53 and, yes, another agriturismo/farm called Le Checche. Cross the road and head up past the farm, the road curving round right behind it, then curving back left as you follow it up towards Villa Il Tiglio and a lovely property called Casanova, with a beautiful plump blonde horse and his sheep mates in residence if you want to say hello and nobody objects. But the main road passes under these properties, with a small body of water on your left, following a really lovely country path, my favourite of the day. You’ll come to a bend with a driveway to a house on your right, follow the bend round left and you’ll see a road heading right that goes up past two very nice little properties, highly covetable. After the second of these, when we were there, the actual road seems to vanish into a field with a hedgerow on your right, and the path should continue up to the right of that hedgerow, on the other side. But we found it pretty overgrown, so carried on up the fields with the hedgerow to our right, to the road that passes Aurora Festival on the right, where a nice lady refilled our water flasks. Continue straight on, till you pass Agriturismo Fonte Senesi on your left. Take the second road on your left, which leads down towards the main road, Strada Provinciale 88. Then all you have to do is follow that up as it evolves into Viale Marino Cappelli, which curves round left and leads you up to the main gate into the lovely little town of Montichiello! It was a very very hot day when we walked there so we immediately stopped at the nice little garden bar on the right just before arriving at the gate and had some very welcome cold beer and ice-cream.
4. Piana di Castelluccio di Norcia
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,254 reviews
Reviewed By socridielu
Even if you don't go in the best moment (end of June-beginning of July, it depends) the Piana di Castelluccio worth a visit! . The atmosphere is enchanting.
5. Langhe landscapes UNESCO
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 292 reviews
Reviewed By 840gabrielh - Bellaire, United States
Rolling hills, soft breezes, intense sun around harvest time, the entire Langhe is a treasure. Its curving roads deliver one scenery after another, with medieval castles, classic churches, cozy restaurants and lively wine bars. No wonder UNESCO listed the entire region as a patrimony of mankind. The region needs to be explored slowly: drive leisurely or ride a bike, or, if that is your style, hike. There are hundreds of hostels and B&Bs, hotels ranging from the inexpensive to the luxurious, and a similarly broad range of dining options. But you visit because of the wines. Arneis, Favorita, Cortese and the enormous flexibility of Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Moscato offer you an endless selection of wines for all tastes.
