SAN GIMIGNANO:Within a short drive of the Chianti Country and offering the same magnificent setting and touring possibilities, San Gimignano can boast easy connections to Siena and Florence (both less than an hour away) and the tremendous charm of a perfectly-preserved medieval village. Invaded by the masses by day, when the last tour bus leaves and the village is virtually yours, it is easy to imagine you have stumbled into the 13th century. Rendered famous by Tea With Mussolini, San Gimignano does not disappoint for charm and atmosphere. Shopping is great - particularly for ceramics and olive wood. Restaurants are rustic and authentic. Lodgings are good quality and highly atmospheric.
SIENA: Just an hour from Florence yet a world apart, Siena is sophisticated and elegant. There are few places in the world with a more manifest sense of self than Siena. The Sienese simply adore their prosperous, well-tended town and it shows. Visitors come for the magnificent marble Duomo, the impressive Town Hall and the Sienese Masters in the Pinacoteca. But it is really atmosphere which is the major attraction. An evening spent dining al fresco on the central Piazza del Campo provides a life-long memory, Shopping is great - particularly for ceramics and antiques. Accommodations are excellent. In the nearby area, superb lodging options can be found at Monteriggioni, Montalcino and Castelnuovo Berardenga. Siena can also be a great base for excursions into the Chianti County to the North and the other-wordly beautiful Crete Senesi to the South.
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