Beth Marciel

Anyone have info on this town, i.e., charm, historical significance - proximity for day trips in Tuscany. Also any hotel recommends in town. Have only stayed in San Gimignano and Cortona before.

sam ludu

We stayed in the nearby town of Radda in Chianti (8 miles west of Castellina)and really enjoyed the Relais Fattoria Vignale, which you will find more about in the 2000 Fodor’s on Italy (page 189 - I know these things because I'm leaving for Italy in 10 days.) Anyway, this farmhouse/vineyard/inn in Radda is lovely and has a fine restaurant down the street. The minibar comes with a complimentary bottle of the Vignale chianti. Highly recommended!

Beth Marciel

is Radda worth visiting - heard its a windy road to get there? Also the Vignale is kind of expensive for the location, etc. Its usually booked - I'll stop in for a look see.

Ruth

We stayed outside Castellina two years ago and acquaintances stayed at the main hotel in town whose name I don't remember. Anyway, they liked the hotel a great deal and they had a lovely room.

alex

Beth <BR>By coincidence, I just got back from Tuscany two days ago. We stayed at the Villa Casalecchi just 2km outside of the village. You can find it on venere.it. It has 19 rooms and was pretty good, though rates at 330,000 and 370,000 for the main villa. It was very quiet and glad we chose it, though I would not recommend the restaurant. Try Antica de Torre and the pizza place near the old tower as well as the ice cream near the main junction to Greve etc. This place was tonnes better than the overated Vivioli in Florence! I chose Castellina as it was right in the heart of the Chianti region and only 20km to Siena, 30kn to San G. It was perfect for these short trips. The village is pretty small - one street with piazza and the Tower - only a couple of restaurants and lots of wine shops. Not too many tourists in Oct, but be sure to reserve for dinner or get there early as the places we dined at were packed in the evenings.Enjoy!

Colleen

We stayed at Castello di Spaltenna in Gaiole in Chianti which we thought was great. Have breakfast overlooking the vineyard and countryside - so charming. Were there last year at this time. Just be sure to ask for a room away from the kitchen. They have a great restaurant there but it can be a bit loud at night.

Dan

Beth Marciel: <BR> <BR>We stayed in a small "agriturismo" called Livernano which was located midway between Castellina and Radda. It's about 7km away by rough dirt road - very secluded - but wonderful food, wine, service, views and rooms - worth the 380,000 ITL price in my view (we had a suite). Castellina was very charming as was Radda and the myriad other small Chianti hilltowns, can't go wrong with any of them and there are nice places in all too. (The main hotel in town Ruth mentioned looked nice but I can't remember the name either - try www.chiantinet.it for a good list and links of hotels and agriturismos in Chianti Classico.) Our best dining experience was "Gallopapa" in Castellina - in an ancient wine cellar underneath the town - one of our best meals in all of two weeks of Italy. As for sightseeing getting beyond Siena or Florence from this area in an unhuried manner is tough because the area is very mountainous with curvy roads, but there is enough to see and do (and wine to taste!) in Chianti Classico to last for weeks. <BR> <BR>Buon Viaggio! <BR> <BR>Dan

diane michlig

This is one of my favorite memories of my trip to Italy a few months ago. Castellina in Chianti is amzingly beautiful. Do not miss the restuarant Il Tinello. It is not a fancy but the food is very good, the people so genuine and welcoming and the prices so reasonable. I have their card that I have carried in my wallet. Two quick stories... 1 When we first arrived we enjoyed talking to a German couple. At the end of the conversation they explained they ate here every night... for the past two weeks. It is so good and so reasonable they couldn't bring themselves to go anywhere else....We did come back again as well later in the trip. The night we ate there the owner was so kind and the waiter so funny and genuine I left them a $50 tip. I have never ever even considered doing this anywhere else. THe waiter was older and when we came back the next week or so. He had gone to see his mother on her birthday.... Please tell them hello, they won't remember us by name or anything (don't bring up the tip) just tell them a mother and her college daughter (blond) from the US remembers them fondly..2. Go to Greve in Chianti and see the hauntingly beautiful photographs of Andrea Rontini. <BR>We bought one of his works and found him and his wife again so friendly. Eventually a week or so later they invited us to their home. Italy has many treasures... but to us it is the warmth of their people that will always be remembered. We had a magical trip! <BR> <BR>The agritisimos... they are something worth looking into.So many people have had wonderful experiences. And there are several around that area... Take a chance and stop in when you get there... Just wing it a little... <BR>Diane