To farm stay or not ... in Pienza

Old Sep 14th, 2015, 01:03 PM
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To farm stay or not ... in Pienza

My spouse and I are looking forward to a nice few of days visiting wine country and enjoying the Tuscany countryside in October. Have any of you experiences to share about fabulous (or avoidable) farm stays near Pienza? We are planning three nights near the end of the month. Gratefully yours, Italy bound
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 12:42 AM
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Pienza makes a great base for discovering the area. Not quite sure what level of comfort/price range you are looking for so I will just offer you what we have experiences and/or seen.

Pienza and all the surrounding small towns offer fantastic views of the hills/countryside even while staying within the town walls, so you don't necessarily have to do a farm stay to enjoy the Val d'Orcia. For ease of entrance/exit and parking options we like http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/affi...=total;ucfs=1&
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 12:46 AM
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Though we have not stayed here, we do stop in their mill and purchase their lovely freshly made pasta any time we are in the area. If you arrive early enough, you can watch them make whichever kind of pasta is scheduled for that day. This one is a "true" agriturismo, smack dab in the middle of the country, and quite impressive to look at. http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/agri...=total;ucfs=1&
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 12:53 AM
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Montepulciano is at only few minutes from pienza...the best red wine in the world
Stefano
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 12:55 AM
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For that "pinch me, I must be dreaming I'm in a fairytale" experience...we like Monticchiello. This is not too far for Pienza. We did not stay in the room that they have in the tower, but rather stayed in the Villa that abuts the high town wall on the opposite end of this tiny hill-top village. There are 4-6 rooms but we had the whole place to ourselves as it was out of season during our stay and it was absolutely marvelous and relaxing. Do be sure to reserve a table at their restaurant (we consider this a worth-the-detour restaurant experiences) and to ask for the terrace. Arrive at opening of service to assure you have that table with the fantastic view of the valley below that they will keep for their B&B patron who made that reservation http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/b-am...=total;ucfs=1&
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 12:56 AM
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You don't necessarily have to do a farm stay to enjoy to enjoy some of the Val d'Orcia -- unless of course you are going to Tuscany because you are interested in historic agricultural life of the Tuscan valleys and eating fresh off the land. Then it is worthwhile to experience staying on a working Tuscan farm that serves its guests dinners rather than staying in a town and eating in restaurants. The website agriturismo.it has very good search features for looking for farms serving food to guests in the province of Siena, but you can increasingly find such places on booking.com as well, and read reviews. Another way to look for agristursmi around Pienza would be to use Google to get a map of Pienza, and then do a search on the map for "agriturismo near Pienza". Google will pinpoint for you a lot of options, and you can usually find loads of reviews on Tripadvisor or booking.com.
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 01:06 AM
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For the ultimate is relaxation and pampering, especially during cooler weather, our ultimate choice to stay at is in Bagno Vignoni. Important note: there is nothing to do here but relax in the natural pools and enjoy some great food once you've discovered the very tiny centro storico. If you are looking for an active night life, don't stay here; if you're in need of extra-tender care after a rough day of sight seeing....this is the place for you! We have also stayed at the Albergo Terme in Bagno Vignoni--it is nice as well but for the same price we stay at the Post for sure. (note: there is private parking at hotel, to reach it, go to the end of the long public parking lot on the outside of the village and you will see a little street that you are allowed to enter to get the the hotel) http://www.hotelpostamarcucci.it/
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 01:17 AM
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romeanditly is correct...gotta love Montepulciano for its wine and great historic buildings. For many, Montepulicano is THE favorite hill-top town this south-end of Tuscany.

If you are considering staying here, there is an agriturismo we have stayed at "La Pievina" that was a little hard to find but fantastic. It' a full-on farm. We stayed in the 2 bedroom apartment in the detached house--it had everything you needed to fix meals and just relax in the country. Owner does not speak English but is super accommodating.

We prefer to stay right at the top of Montepulciano, however, here: Not luxury but everything is "correct". If you come up the back (San Baggio side)and pass the big parking lot, there is a 4-5 space parking for dropping off your bags...if it's late enough in the day, you can park there overnight too. Appartamenti Ballarmino. http://www.booking.com/hotel/it/pala...=total;ucfs=1&
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 01:30 AM
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If you are able to get your hands on a copy before you visit, I highly recommend the short historic diary, "War in the Val d'Orcia". The "tiny village" referenced at the end of this review IS Montepulciano and you can visit and tour today the actual location, La Foce. It's a fascinating read.
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...in_Val_d_Orcia
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 01:30 AM
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i know few "agriturismo" in the area... depends about your budget
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 06:03 AM
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There are a lot of rural facilities, but if you prefer dinner in restaurants, you might want to stay in a town or at the edge of one.

You can book directly with many of the places listed on booking.com by using the Portale Pienza website.

http://www.portalepienza.it/agriturismopagina.html

http://www.portalepienza.it/alberghipagina.htm

http://www.portalepienza.it/affittacamerepagina.html
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 06:43 AM
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Many agriturismi have restaurants open to all the public. Some only serve to guests. But you if you prefer eating in restaurants, you can still stay in agriturismi. You don't need to stay in town or on the edge of one. In fact, many people who live in Montepulciano or Pienza go to the agriturismi to eat if they don't feel like cooking dinner or have guests.
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Old Sep 17th, 2015, 09:12 AM
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shkanaia,
These may give you ideas
http://www.prolocomontalcino.com/en/...-of-the-thrush

http://www.slowtrav.com/italy/tuscany/hs_planning.htm
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