Montepulciano
 

If you have spent some time inside the walls here I would appreciate your feedback.
Searching here on Fodor's I've read mostly about the wine shops, a few restaurants and cafes, but not much regarding atmosphere or ambience. Is it bustling and busy? What is it like in the evening? How challenging is it really driving in and getting around?
What kind of shops are nearby, other than wine and cheese? I think I have read there is more going on at the base of the town? before you enter the walls? Are there common areas to sit out and enjoy the views like the park in Pienza? Thanks for any info!
Tiller

We were there last month. Because it was January, the atmosphere was not bustling at all. It is a little hard to drive inside the walls. We just parked the car outside our hotel and walked everywhere, which is most likely what you will do as well. Aside from the food and wine shops, of which there are quite a few, the notable buy here would be copper in all shapes and sizes. Good prices. At the base of the town there is a little congregation of shops, at least one hotel, and a few restaurants. There are outdoor cafes on the main piazza which is at the top of the town. Along the street linking the bottom with the main piazza at the top, the Corso, you will find shops and places to eat. The town is stone with narrow winding streets and steep inclines. Regardless of what Montepulciano is technically, I would class it as a town rather than a city.

I would not say that Montepulciano is bustling and busy, night or day. It's very quiet in the evening. Driving is challenging. We were in a tiny Italian car and still had to have Italians help us out a few times with instructions: "You have a centimeter on the left and two on the right," etc.
I'm not a shopper, but I don't recall much beyond the wine shops (the cheese shops I remember were in Pienza). The church of San Biagio outside the walls is worth a visit, but I don't recall that there was that much more activity there. The best place we found to enjoy the views was the terrace of the Caffe Poliziano.

Agreed. There is at least one covered car park outside the walls. Unless your hotel can give you a parking pass, just leave the car and walk inside the city. When we were trying to find our hotel, my partner got so annoyed at the steep narrow streets (and my lack of clear directions) that he stopped the car and refused to drive one more minute. Luckily, we were not far from our hotel.

SO: It is challenging to drive in and out of and not very lively? As compared to the other nearby towns? I know it's bigger in area and population
than surrounding towns. As a base it would be good? But outside of Florence-
Siena would be the liveliest? People here love Pienza and Montalcino and talk about the "good atmosphere" how does this compare with Montepulciano?
Tiller

Tiller, I have spent time in Siena, Pienza and Montepulciano. Most recently I visited all three last May. I found them to be busy in the order I listed them. Siena was quite busy, Montepulciano was almost empty when we were there, Pienza somewhere in between. There isn't much to the town like there was in Siena.

I'm not sure why you'd have to drive in the town itself, as it is extremely small and very walkable. We were on bikes, so we parked outside the walls, walked around for a couple hours, ate and shopped, and were back on the road again. I think Pienza has a bit more to see and do, and Siena would be worth a couple days easily.

I would think Siena is a city and the other two are towns. But Pienza and Montepulciano are within 20 minutes drive of each other.

amyb:

Thanks for your thoughts and experience there-to use the town as a base we would drive in and out of the walls, that's why I was curious about that part. I am surprised Pienza was busier, perhaps because it is more touristed? Thanks!
Tiller

ekscrunchy:

Appreciate your input-I read your trip report too-Asking about Siena as well because I know there's alot going on there and wondered how the other towns compare to(one another) in regards to being lively. My daughters would probably love Siena... and spending time (days )in some of the towns smaller too..
just trying to get a better picture. Its different when you have teens to think of- what my DH and I would be thrilled about could be a little dull for them after a few days....
Thanks,
Tiller

It is definitely not a shopping destination, but my wife enjoyed exploring small shops that sell ceramics, linen goods, etc., and she bought quite a few small items as gifts. There is a weekly market that is worth wandering through, but no designer stores that I am aware of.

You definitely don't want to drive inside the walls any more than necessary. We parked at our apartment and used the car only to leave and return to town.

When we were there in early June, most of the visitors were European, and primarily Italian.

Pienza is small town/large village which gets overwhelmed (IMO) during the day by tourists.

Siena is a large city with all that you would expect.

Montepulciano is reasonable size town roughly the same size as Montalcino. It is quite a walk up to the square at the top. But it is also easy enough to drive up (it's largely on a one way circuit from memory) and park in the car parks right at the top by the square. Just don't bottle out and follow the one way signs.

The town has wonderful views over the surrounding countryside, lots of shops devoted to wine (unsurprisingly), church, tower to climb etc. Surprisingly few decent looking restaurants within the walls but we had a good lunch (can't recall where). One of my favourite memories of our last trip was spending an hour over a capuccino with the newspaper in the square watching the world go by.

Diz01

While I thought Montepulciano was beautiful and our apartment was wonderful with great views, I would not stay there again. In my opinion, you could do it in one day. It was just too quiet for me. The town pretty much closes up from 1 - 4 and then in the evening everything pretty much closes up around 9:00. There are a few good restaurants, but not much in the way of "shopping". I would much rather stay in Pienza, which I really enjoyed, or even some of the smaller towns. Montepulciano just felt a little cold to me.

I had the opposite experience. Granted, this was in January, but it seemed to me that Pienza was very dependent on tourism while Montepulciano, which is much larger, has other streams of revenue. The only shops I saw in Pienza were those selling pecorino and other food products. After lunch we walked around Pienza and I could count the number of people I saw in the streets on two hands. Take all this for what its worth, cause the entire region was not exactly crawling with people in January! In season, there are quite a few (at least a half dozen) restaurants in Montepulciano that, to me, seemed worth at least one meal. The Corso, which winds through town, is lined with both shops aimed at tourists and those selling things like lingerie and shoes that look as if they depend on local custom.
But do keep in mind that these two towns are within 20 minutes of each other with a car so you can shuttle between the two. I believe that Montalcino is much smaller than Montepulciano but I have no numbers close at hand to double check.

Barb:

I'm curious to know if you spent a week there in an apartment-if so, what towns did you visit? I have read it is a good location, but I appreciate all of your input because it's not really information I will read in a guide book. What time of year did you stay?
So, you are saying, if you were to stay in that area again you would choose another town with "more" happening? A smaller town? I'm confused? Did you mean a larger town? You really like Pienza, you felt it had more to offer while you were there,
I do understand that it is smaller. We are seeing Venice and Rome and this area will be the inbetween time. Thanks for your thoughts, anything else you would care to add, feel free!
Tiller

eksrunchy:

Did you get to Siena to visit? Montalcino?

Tiller

Tiller: I had been in Siena in the past. We did not get to Montalcino, as we had only two nights in the area and we stayed both of them in Montepulciano. I did lots of reading beforehand and chose that town over Montalcino which, from what I read, is pretty heavily oriented toward wine and the selling of wine. Not that this is at all negative, we just did not have the time to explore all that much. We went to Pienza for lunch and a walk around and also to a winery near Montepulciano. Forget the driving around if yu stay there, it is small enough that you can park someplace and walk everywhere you want within the walls. Pienza, too, has parking outside the walls and is easy to walk everyplace as it is really small.

We spent a morning in Montepulciano a few years ago, we toured the town, bought a bottle of wine and a copper pot and then walked through San Biagio outside of town, then ate a great lunch at La Grotta, next to San Biagio, We then had enough time to do Montalcino that afternoon, where we walked around the very small town and drank wine at the fortress.
I do agree that Montepulciano seems to survive on more than just tourists. We did not spend a night here, but I would think a night or two here would be wonderful.

Tiller: This is obviously just my opinion, as others really loved staying in Montepulciano. I normally prefer cities rather than smaller towns, just for the ease of walking around different neighborhoods, soaking up the atmosphere and in the evening going out to dinner and then walking around afterwards and back to my hotel/apt. After one day there, I had pretty much done this and it was pretty dead after dinner and in the afternoons. I was there for a week and stayed in an apt. the name of which has totally slipped my mind, but it was at the top of the hill. If I did another trip to Tuscany, I would either base myself in a larger city like Siena, or I would stay in a smaller, more charming town, which was a little livelier like Siena, or even a small town that was just plain charming, warm and beautiful like San Quirico D'Orcia and then do day trips from there. I guess the bottom line is Montelpuciano just didn't do it for me. Although I LOVED the La Grotto - had a wonderful dinner there.

That should be smaller livelier town such as Pienza, not Siena.

Barb:

I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and experiences. I don't know what time of year you were there, but we will be there early spring and one of my concerns was having enough to do for everyone in the family if we didn't want to get in the car and head off down the road every day if the weather is lousy. Lots rave about Pienza but have also said Montepulciano had more to offer for an extended stay, but your experience does not reflect that, just the opposite. I understand as you said, just your opinion. By the way, you didn't mention your daytrips, did you have a car?
Thanks,
Tiller

Tiller: I was there in Oct/04. It was cold while I was there, which might have affected how I felt. I think the steep streets was a negative for me as well. We did have a car, which I really recommend for getting out and seeing the area. I just remembered the name of a little town we visited, which was my favorite of the whole trip - Montichiello, not far from Pienza. I don't think I would stay there as it is very small, but it was so picturesque and as an artist, I took many photos for future paintings. Also remembered the name of the apt. in Montelpuciano - Poggiolo Apartments. Very nice apt.with parking and with a small balcony/terrace. Very nice to sit there with a glass of wine and enjoy the gorgeous views. If I return to Tuscany, I think I will stay in Pienza.

Barb:

Thanks for the reply. I've researched the other towns you mentioned, Monticchelio and Pienza. Montepulciano
had the best choices for apartments to rent. Monticchelio looks beautiful, and so many say as you, a favorite, but could be lonely. I guess the trade off for you, having a great apt(Poggolio) didn't offset your preference for staying in Pienza or San Quirico, where lodging is limited (apts) but the towns livelier? Where did you shop for groceries, in Pienza? I know Montepulciano is steeper, I don't know how that might affect one's stay other than the most obvious, I am very curious, aren't there alot of locals that live inside the walls of Montepulciano, or is it basically commercial? I just thought one would have alot of interaction with local citizens, staying inside the walls...I know we are going to spend at least a week in the area, in one of the towns...I just have to decide which is more important I suppose, a comfortable apartment for a family of 4 or a livelier town with a smaller accomodation and 1 bathroom!
I am an artist too, handpainted tiles, and my daughters, who are very creative, will very much appreciate the beautiful landscapes and all the details.

ttt

As I said before, it's just my opinion based on the circumstances while there (weather and travel partner who had a very hard time with all steep streets and steps. Pienza is more level and it just seemed cheerier to me. There are small grocery stores within the city, but most of the larger markets are outside. Interestingly enough, even though we didn't stay in Pienza, we shopped at a grocery store on the outskirts of town. I think there were some really good restaurants in Pienza, including my fav Latte Luna. One great little place right on the Piazza, can't remember the name, but I had THE best grilled pecorino, OMG, my mouth waters just thinking about it.

There are locals of course who live right in Montelpuciano, and I'm sure you could have lots of interactions with shop owners, etc., I just didn't think they seemed as friendly as other towns. Except, the lovely owners of the Poggiolo Apts. Two sisters who were very friendly and helpful. The apt. we stayed in with the small terrace had two bedrooms and two bathrooms. One bedroom had two twin beds and a sort of loft with another small bed. The other bedroom had a large bed. One bathroom had a shower and the other just a toilet and sink. In the large bathroom you could sit on the throne and look out the window over the rooftops - very cool - also heated towel racks. There was a fireplace in the living room and on the terrace was a built in wood barbeque. So, for a family, it would be perfect. You might love Montepulciano and, if not, you can day trip to lots of wonderful places.

We spent a week of our honeymoon in Montepulciano, and it was truly heaven for us. We were there in early June. I found the town charming and endearing- To me, it defined everything I dreamed when I thought of Tuscany (it was our first trip).

However, I will say that after the craziness of our wedding, we were really looking for a place that would be relaxed and intimate, rather than busy and bustling (we got that in Florence and Paris). The town enabled us to enjoy "slow travel" in every sense of the word. We were never bored, just completely and totally relaxed.

We spent a week there, in an adorable apartment called Politian (www.politian.com). We chose not to rent a car, and only left the town once. On that day, we went on a hike to Pienza, stopping in Montichiello. We really enjoyed NOT venturing out every day to a different place. Though we had plans to explore the bus routes to other towns, we found that if we really slowed down and looked, there were lots of interesting things to do in Montepulciano.

For example, we went on a "wine tasting tour" and sampled at many of the larger places, really tasting and enjoying the differences in each place. We also bought a little guidebook at the tourist center which really served as a detailed walking tour- it described many of the major buildings in town and the history behind them. We also walked down to San Biagio and spent some time there.

Every day we would have breakfast at Caffe Poliziano (at the bar, for 3 euros each). We leisurely lunches and long dinners, and were more than enough places to try a different one each day (though we returned to Acquacheta more than once!) We also explored all the little shops, including "the oldest shop in Montepulciano," which sold beautiful leather goods (my husband bought a briefcase).

The advantage of having an apartment is that we also were able to prepare meals for ourselves. Many of the stores sold jarred sauces, and so for a few evenings we bought ingredients to make our own Tuscan meal.

I would not advise driving your car within the town walls, and there's really no need to do so. You can walk anywhere, and there is a small city bus that you can take if your legs are tired.

If you're planning to daytrip to other towns, I would not overestimate the value of relaxation at the end of the night. Montepulciano may not have hopping nightlife, but after a long drive you may find that kicking back and enjoying a bottle of wine is the perfect end to your day.

Enjoy, whatever you decide!

Tiller, There is a lot more to do in Pienza than many think (many seem to go there for 2 hours and move on). I spent 3 nights there in Sept and never left. If you want more details about what is there and restaurants, here is my trip report:
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34687434

Have fun deciding!

Tiller,
We stayed in Montepulciano for a week last June. We really enjoyed the town. It was very charming and the people were very friendly. We rented an apartment that had incredible views. We enjoyed exploring the quaintness of the town, but we also did some day trips to other towns. One day we took an early train to Rome for the day. We travelled with our kids and only wanted to do a quick visit to Rome. We loved Montepulciano. As for shops, there are leather shops, linen, pottery, cookware, and many others. We bought a number of small gifts. And of course plenty of wine. The views are incredible. It is a wonderful and quaint town.

Hope this helps, have a great trip.
Travelatte

Hi Tarheels-
Sounds like a wonderful honeymoon!

How long did it take to hike to Pienza from Montepulciano, and what was the terrain like? Do you think we could do it on bikes?

thanks!
Dina

Hello dina! From what I recall, it took us about 5-6 hours to get to Pienza, not including a stop in Montichiello. However, it was very very hot, so we probably walked a bit slower than usual. If you're going in the summer, I would definitely recommend starting out earlier than we did! Also, be aware that during much of the trip there is no shade, so you'll definitely want a hat and lots of water.

The trip is pretty much along one major road, but it is very hilly. If you're a strong biker you may be just fine. There were some people that passed us on bikes, so it does seem to be possible. Perhaps someone else can comment on this?

Thanks for the info, Tarheels!
It may be too hot and too hilly to walk or bike in late June.
Our family loves to take bike rides, though, so maybe we can do something around Montepulciano??
Has anyone done this?
tHanks,
Dina

Dina4, I rode from Montepulciano to Pienza last year on bike. I don't recall exactly, but at a rather leisurely pace with stops for photos and water (there is some gorgeous scenery) it was less than an hour or so. The last hill up to Pienza though is a killer! This was one of the more traveled roads I rode on that week, but I didn't think it was dangerously so.

Hi Amy,
Wow, that sounds fun!

Regarding the hills, do you think you have to be in exceptional shape, or just good shape?

Are there other bike trails in the area?

Thanks for your help!
Dina

Dina, the hills are not easy, but you can always walk up them too! I spent that week on a bike tour of Tuscany so I was a hardened veteran by that last day in Pienza! ;) I am not in biathalon shape but I do work out a lot and managed 20-30 miles a day on average at that point in the trip. But of all the rides that week, that was the easiest until the hill up to Pienza. A lot of it between Montelpulciano and Pienza is either downhill or flat.

Thanks, Amy!

I have a VERY IMPORTANT question:
When you say that you park OUSTIDE the walls, or TOWNS, what do you mean? Where? is there like a parking lot?
Sorry for my ignorance, this is going to be my first time in Tuscany and I'm confused where to park in the small towns.

We stayed in San Gimignano (La Cisterna Hotel) and parked outside the walls. It was a great homebase for touring the small wine towns. San G is packed during the day (when we were gone) and then when we got back in the evening it was peaceful and charming. Since it is a big daytripper destination there is an above average number of restaurants. Have lunch at Il Pozzo if you get a chance (in Montereggioni sp?)

ItalyLove, I can speak only for Montepulciano, Siena, San Gim and Pienza...but literally, there are walls around the town and it is either impossible or next to impossible to drive and park within them. At all of these towns I visited, you parked outside the walls (sometimes just outside them, up against them!) in lots or on the street and walked in.

We used an apt in Montepulciano as a base for a week and really enjoyed the town.

While there we witnessed a wedding celebration one day..and a funeral procession another day. The people marching throught the streets...and especially the reacion of the locals...reminded us of the Godfather.

If you go, be sure and see the copper (http://www.pbase.com/dickp/image/22954598) and woodworking (http://www.pbase.com/dickp/image/22954604) workshops at the top of the hill. It's like going back a 100 years.