adventureseeker

We'll be a week in Tuscany and are planning to do Chianti/Greve, Val d'Orcia, Cortona/Arezzo, Siena/San Gim.

Honestly, I've researched the "Majors" (Siena/San Gim) so much (numerous books, Fodor's talk forum, shows: Rudy Maxa, Rick Steves, Samantha Brown, PBS: Tuscan Hills, da Mosta's Head to Toe) that I feel like I've been there. And...the massive tourist crowds that descend upon these towns make me want to scratch it off our list.

We don't need to see any more famous churches or artwork. We want to admire the architecture and local culture.

I'd love to hear about your discoveries/experiences in towns that are off the beaten path and unique.

nini

Radda (not far from Florence) is definitely worth a visit. There is a great little wine store there and nice restaurants for lunch--sorry I can't remember the names but the one we ate at was right in the center of the town with outside dining and the food was very good.

bobthenavigator

The tour busses have discovered most of them but you can still get some authenticity in Volterra and Massa Maritimma. There is no where in Chianti that is not homogenized now. You are 20 years late for that. In extreme south Tuscany you can also try Radicofani and I do find San Quirico to be very pleasant and few tourists.

Mario06

Agree with previous post about Volterra and Massa Marittima (still get some authenticity), but in my opinion, Volterra is not any more off the beaten path especially during the high season.

Here is some info about those towns:

http://www.tuscanweb.com/news/?ID=326

http://www.tuscanweb.com/news/?ID=100

Hope it helps.

adventureseeker

Bob,

How busy is Tuscany (overall) is late-October?

I hear the drive to Volterra is quite lovely, but then again, where isn't?

I haven't heard of MM, but I'll surely check it out.

Many thx.

adventureseeker

Mario06,

Great links. I'll be adding tuscanweb.com to my bookmarks.

Thank you for sharing....

adventureseeker

One more question.....

Are you familiar with any towns nearer to Rapale/Bucine that are worth a visit?

bobthenavigator

Late Oct. will be good--much smaller crowds. Be sure where you stay will turn on the heat for you--some balk.

charnees

Again -- Lucca. It still has the encircling walls, which are so wide they are now a city park with paths, trees, picnic spots. The central piazza was built on a Roman ampitheater and still has an oval shape. Not too terribly crowded, more low-key. Nicely walkable. The old town inside the walls is also less congested and crowded with cars.
You could even use it as a base while visiting some other spots.
Charnee

vetralla

Check out the towns where popes, cardinals took their summer holidays (thus magnificent Renaissance castles, gardens) and royals, film stars still do (incognito): where the Tuscan/Umbria/Lazio borders meet, Etruscan sites, lakes, folklore,traditions,great food,inexpensive wine . The only info in English is on www.elegantetruria.com

Lexma90

We very much enjoyed exploring Casole di Val d’Elsa, which is south of San Gimignano. I can't remember where I first heard of it, but it's an adorable little town. You park below it, and follow stairs and a small elevator to the main part of town. The elevator is located in an old tower that's also used as town offices. If you want to go to the top of the tower, you walk through the office portion of the tower - it was pretty funny.

Last year, when we stayed in San G., I was looking for smaller but still beautiful villages to visit. I worked backwards - I looked on the map for towns near where we would likely be driving, then googled those town names to see what was there.

Keep in mind, re the "massive" tourist crowds that (like I've heard about Yellowstone National Park) 90% of those tourists stay on whatever the main street of the town is. Even in San Gimignano, even mid-day, if you wander away from the center, you will soon be on quiet side streets with few other tourists. And I was amazed last year at how few other people (about 2) there were at the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre located just outside Volterra's walls.

jabez

Umbria seems to have more places that fit the "off the beaten path" criteria.
All the towns listed here are good.
toward's Lucca there's Barga and Vinci that have less tourists.
Further south head to Asciano and take the wonderful Crete Senese drive. Make sure and stop at the Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore .
Stop at Montefioralle above Greve.
Radda is nice and usually seems uncrowded.Near Radda is the Cashmere Goat Company. Get directions at their visitor center.
Have lunch in Castellina at Antica Trattoria La Torre (may need a reservation).
Between Castellina and Radda is a great ceramic shop that we stop at each year. It’s the Ceramiche Rampini and they have beautifully crafted and painted ceramics.
If you are there the last weekend (as we will be)you can join some big crowds for a great annual festival at Montalcino;the Festival of the Thrush.

sandi_travelnut

Vinci. Tiny town, beautiful surroundings, great museum and 30 miles from Florence.

adventureseeker

Thank you all.

Vinci and Lucca looked very intriquing (definitely places we'd add in future trips). This trip...I'd prefer to concentrate more in the Tuscany below Florence.

Lexma90,

I like your approach of checking out towns on your route.

Jabez,

Great advice, thank you.

2010

bookmarking

toscoman

There is an entire area of Tuscany off the beaten path and full of authentic Tuscans and interesting things to see - the Alta Maremma: http://www.bella-toscana.com/maremma.htm
Visit Casal di Pari, Torniella etc http://www.casa-reasco.com/en/photogallery.htm

clz

I'm not sure how far off the path Volpaia is but when we visited, it was lovely, deserted, and a perfect spot to sit with a bottle of wine and enjoy the scenery.

tuscanlifeedit

Ditto Colle val d'Elsa. Pretty town. There is a lower, newer section, but the upper town was lovely. Not at all busy with tourists.

GregP60

Montichiello is a small hilltop village south of Montepulciano. It has a few vacation rentals (Residenza La Maribelle), a good restaurant (La Porta), a few hundred residents, load of character and no tour busses. A great base for exploring Val d'Orcia.

packed

I also like Lucca although it is not in the direction that you want. Pitigliano and Sorano while not in Tuscany are very close and very interesting towns. Pitigliano sits on top of a tufa ridge. Sorano has some amazing rugged scenery and tufa walls cut by hand by the Etruscans. This is an area with lots of caves to explore also. English is still not spoken much in these towns. Also thought that the small town, Magliano in Toscana, was a very pretty town with pretty views. They were filming a movie when we were there.