What are your Tuscany favorites??? (sights, haunts, vineyards, villages, restaurants....whatever strikes your fancy!).

I was happy to see this post becuase I am interested in everyone answer. I havent been to this part of Italy except Florence and I am planning to spend a week in Tuscany in 2005. It is never too soon to start to formulate a plan. This year I will go to Venice, Ravenna, and Rome

I strongly recommend a pocket-size book called Top 10 Tuscany. It's one of the DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides. It's an outstanding resource for anyone going to Tuscany.

thanks Howard. I recently bought
Top10 Amsterdam
Top10 Venice
and Top10 Rome.
I love these guide books. They have alot of info and good maps and are only 10 dollars each.

Got the book and it is wonderful -- thanks for the tip!!

10. Siena - I din't like it as much as the other Tuscan towns I visited, but a good base (see below).

9. Pienza, or as I call it "pecorino heaven." We happened to be there during a classic car rally.

8. Montepulciano - We took the pecorino from Pienza and the Brunello from Montalcino and had a picnic. Good workout to climb steps from parking area.

7. Montalcino - Climb to the top of the castle, and then go into the wine store located inside and buy a couple of bottles of great (albeit expensive) Brunello.

6. Palazzo Ravizza was out hotel in Siena. Great food in their restaurant and a lovely garden. Get a room overlooking the garden and Tuscan countryside.

5. San Gimignano - The "Manhattan" of Tuscany would have been higher, but the crowds were so large that it lost some of its allure.

4. Volterra - My favorite town on our last trip. Picnic area in park was terrific. Great views of old ruins and Etruscan museum.

3. The drive from San Gimignano to Volterra. Breathtaking.

2. Driving. Just driving in Tuscany was a blast. Hilltowns abounding and beautiful scenery everywhere.

1. Attitude - Friendly people plus the great food and wine made this one of the most relaxing places I've ever visited.

I can see why so many people have relocated to Tuscany. I just wish I could come up with a gimmick to live there. When I return, I'm sure I will find another top ten in new places I visit.

PS - Don't forget Umbria. It's great, too!!!!

Just returned so here are my favorites.
1) Volpaia
2) Castellina in Chianti along with Radda (10 k apart)
3) San Gimignano
4) Gubbio
5) Chuisi (very small
6) Montepulciano
Have fun.

Favourites in no particular order...
1)"Chianti" route, s. of Florence through wine country-so picturesque
2) Drive from San Gimignano to Volterra-breathtaking
3)Saturday morning market in Greve
4)Dinner at Cane e Gatto in Siena
5)Pienza and pecorino!
6)Volterra
7)San Gimignano-end of a street, a park where you can climb and get an incredible view
8)Biking along the walls in Lucca on a Sunday
9)Pornanino olive oil seminar and tasting
10) Montalcino and Montepulciano

and can't forget the gelato, gelato, gelato-everywhere and anywhere you can find it....

as you can see i am wondering....which of these are easily train accessible? if someone has visited any of these spots (other than Sienna which i have visited on the train)has time to let me know I would appreciate it! thanks

Not ten, but a few places we really liked:

. Siena, Cortona, Volterra, Montalcino
. Sant Antimo abbey, a bit south of Montalcino
. Badia a Coltibuono winery, in Chianti
. The drive from San Gimignano to Volterra. As Maitaitom said, it's breathtaking. The gently curving road follows a ridgetop, with views in all directions, and it was my favorite drive of anywhere we went in Tuscany.

Listening to Gregorian chants at the Sant Antimo Abbey.