Thermae & Slow lifestyle

The first stops of the Thermae & Slow Lifestyle blog tour were Siena and Bagno Vignoni. In Siena, on Wednesday February 19, we simply wandered and got lost in the historical streets, visited the Cathedral and enjoyed the splendid sight from the top of the Torre del Mangia. We had a relaxing dinner at Le Segrete Restaurant in town and then moved to the Hotel Le Terme in Bagno Vignoni, where we spent the night.

On Thursday February 20, in Bagno Vignoni and surroundings, we enjoyed the first glimpses of one of the most beautiful and famous areas of Tuscany: the Val d’Orcia. We went trekking from Vignoni Alto to Bagno Vignoni, a two hours’ walk in the heart of nature and the peace and tranquillity of the valley, and then savoured a light lunch at Osteria del Leone.

After lunch, we had the perfect moment of relax at Bagno Vignoni’s spa. Immersed in the hot water, we appreciated every second of Tuscany’s slow and voluptuous lifestyle.

We had dinner and then rest in the Spa Hotel, among the weeping willows and the rolling hills.

In the morning we visited the mining museum of Abbadia San Salvatore: a chance to experience the same conditions in which the miners used to live, venturing underground along the tunnels that the workers mined until the late 19th century. Then the chemistry workshop, where learned how mercury is made; we treated cinnabar so as to understand how mercury is extracted (we worked with the Technical Chemical and Industrial Institute of Abbadia for 1 hour).

Lunch at Enoteca Sala Carli in Abbadia San Salvatore.

In the afternoon we moved on to San Casciano dei Bagni: natural springs, small and welcoming. From the main square in San Casciano, we walked along a lovely path by sports grounds before reaching the "Bagno Grande" and the "Bagno Bossolo", complete with ancient washhouses.

The visit ended up with a relaxing bath on the swimming pools of hot water (42°C) at Fonteverde Spa Resort. Relax is never too much!

Dinner at La Filanda restaurant and night at Hotel Rossi in Manciano.

At Agriturismo San Vincenzo in Sorano some horses provided by the farmhouse Il Cornacchino (Castell’Azzara) were waiting for us to start a horseback adventure. Horses are the animals most akin to the work and customs of the Maremman people.

We visited the necropolis in Sovana, along via Cava di Poggio Prisca and explored the most important etruscan tombs: Ildebranda, Tifone and Pola. We then rode by horse through the Calesine valley below Sovana, where we saw the Colombaia tomb and the town centre.

At the end of the ride we went back to the Agriturismo where a delicious typical meal was waiting for us.

In the afternoon we took part in a guided tour to discover the most typical villages of the area. We visited the quarterdeck and panoramic tower of Manciano, the historical centre ad castle square of Montemerano, the historical centre and falls of Saturnia.

Dinner at Il Cantuccio di Anastasia and last night at Saturnia Tuscany Hotel.