Hi All! I'm planning a 3 weeks trip next year in Italy. I want to stay in the Valley of Val D'Orcia, known for his gullies hills and by picturesque towns.
I'm pretty sure that most of see the nice pictures of the Valley. I'm wonder, for the color and beauty of the landspace, is it better to visit in June or September? I would say in September but I'm not sure. Another factor would be the wheather. I hear that in June it might be less rainy.
Any advise would be appreciated!!
Merci!! André
Hi Andre,
We were just in the region the last week in September and it was still very warm--summer-like in fact and not a drop of rain! Not a lot of color with changing leaves but still very beautiful. The grapes were still on the vines!
I think that either would be fine, but I think that June (though I've never been there at that time) might be really nice with wildflowers in bloom, etc.
We were there in June and it was quite hot, though by then most hotels are turning on their air conditioning for the season...late May was hot too, and no AC to speak of. None of the agriturismos we stayed in had AC, but the high ceilings and stone floors helped keep things seeming fairly cool.
There were a lot of yellow flowers on the roadside in May and June. I think they said they were broom plants or something like that. And roses were blooming everywhere.
For spring color, early-to-mid May is probably better (and cooler).
For fall color, mid-to-late October is probably better (and cooler).
Thanks for your recommendation!!
Cheers!
Hi!
I wanted to mention a town in the Val D'Orcia region that we would have missed if our hotel owner hadn't told us about it--it's called Monticchiello. The town is lovely and the drive to get there is beautiful! It's just a little southeast of Pienza.
Sharon
I advocate Monticchiello every chance I get. We discovered it by mistake. We were in Montepulciano and wanted to go to Pienza. I popped up the list of nearby towns on the GPS (it lists them in order of nearness to our current position) and apparently my finger tapped Monticchiello by mistake since it was right by Pienza on the list. So it led us there.
Serendipity.
I'm planning to go spend a week there next year, just to enjoy the feel of the place and the peace and quiet. It should make a great base, easier to get in and out of than a larger town.
The small town of San Quirico is very charming and has easy parking (free) just outside the walls. The stone walls had capers growing on them.
With 2500 population, San Quirico d'Orcia is nearly ten times bigger than Monticchiello so it may be just perfect for people who want a few more things to do than tiny Monticchiello has to offer.
Of course, Pienza (about the same size as San Quirico) is also just a short hop away, and it's just wonderful! We parked for free just a block from the entry gate into Pienza.
Patrick,
Your idea of spending a week in Monticchiello is an excellent one--it will make a great base for touring Tuscany and a peaceful place to be in the evenings!
