We will be traveling to Italy with 6-8 family members who are very interested in participating in the culture of the Italian slow food lifestyle so we thought an agriturismo experience for a week might be just thing thing for one of our weeks. However, with so many people in our group we would like to not have to depend on an automobile for every little outing. Any suggestions for a farm/agriturismo experience within walking distance to a village or town in the central or northern part of Italy?
Posted by
Everett, WA
1299 posts
http://www.greve-in-chianti.com/
The above web site has listings for places in the hills of Chianti. The one we stayed at was this one:
http://www.greve-in-chianti.com/casanova.htm
You could use their apartment and supplement with other rooms. The apartment would give you a kitchen and a large living room area to all get together in. However, there are many choices and you might want to look at some of the others. What we liked about our stay at Casa Nova/Riptunra was that it was out in the country side. We could walk out the door and walk through the vineyards on long walks. It was also within walking distance of Greve. It is a smaller town, but but large enough to have a grocer, restaurants, and all the services you need. They have a great Saturday morning market. In Greve, you can catch the bus for Florence to the north or Siena to the south. (you are about half way between the 2, it takes about an hour to get to either one.) The scenery between Greve and Siena is beautiful and there are other towns you can visit along the way. I think your plan is a good one and you will have lots to research and choose from after other people's recommendations are posted.
Note: I just noticed on the web site that bus service to Siena is limited to the summer and with only a couple of buses. Quoting from the site:
In summer, from mid-June to the end of July, there is a bus connection from Florence to Sienna through Greve on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It passes through Greve at 8.30 am and takes another hour to reach Sienna. For the timetable, ask at the SITA station in Florence or at the outlets in Greve that sell the tickets (e.g. Café Lepanto, Piazza Matteotti). In other seasons, you have to return to Florence and take the express bus via the motorway to Sienna.
Posted by
Hartford, CT, United States
92 posts
We just got back from a week staying at Agriturismo Niccolai just outside San Gimignano and loved it. Here's a link to their website: http://www.agriturismoniccolai.it/index.php Keeping in mind that San Gimignano is at the top of a hill, it's a fairly easy 10-15 minute walk into the city. We had 2 great dinners at the agriturismo (accompanied by lots of the Niccolai wine, of course), and we also had a few amazing dinners at Trattoria Chiribiri, just inside the main gate of San Gimignano. It's a Rick Steves recommendation. Definitely make reservations-- the place is tiny. We also did day trips to Volterra and Siena from there. Loved it and can't recommend it enough.