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  >  Europe   >  Tuscany by car? Top 5 scenic routes!!!

Tuscany – perfect place to visit by car, motorbike or bicycle. Traveling just from point “A” to point “B” in Tuscany should be forbidden and considered as a crime;-). Getting lost in Tuscany is highly recommended, veer off from main roads… look for own places, be spontaneous. We have visited Tuscany several times and always we discovered something new. You can make there any idea of trip you can imagine: vineyards trail, movie scenes trip, culinary trail… or just get into the car and go ahead looking for beautyful places… without any specific plan.

Below our subjective summary  of spectacular routes you absolutely must see! Top 5 Tuscan scenic drives:

 1. Picture-perfect route SS438 between  Siena and Asciano cities in the Crete Senesi/Crete Lunari region.

    That is one of the most dangerous 20 kilometers in Tuscany, really. Why? The concentration of the beauty outside the window increases up to the level where you can easily lose focus behind the steering wheel. You will go crazy  looking around! Typical Tuscan landscape: cypress lanes, misty hills. You don’t need Photoshop or any filter. The best time to go there is just before sunrise or sunset when the light is gentle – golden hour for taking picture. Remember about it mainly in high season (July-August) when the sun is really hard during the day. Tuscan landscape is different depending on season, from sunburned yellow during the summer, to deep green when the spring begins. Route SS438 is not so long, you will find separated places where you can stop and take a picture. Please believe me sometimes you’ll have to do it every hundred meters so that’s good somebody thought about it. As you can see on the map Asciano can be reach as well from  Torre a Castello and Monteroni D’arbia. We checked these two options. Dirt road from Torre de Castello is not as spectacular, not so easy to drive. You can easily drive there by car without 4×4 drive but, taken into account what you see outside the window it’s not worth to go there. Road from the Monteroni side, that is just asphalt road shadowed by trees… also nothing special.

    What we can recommend, make this round couple of times, back and forth, at different time during the day and then direct to Pienza. Don’t choose highway but drive via San Giovanni d’Asso directly to Pienza. The road leads through the hills and is quite nice for eyes.

1.crete senesi

 

 

Photos, photos, photos…

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Probably the most famous and longest cypress lane in Tuscany.

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Mucigliani village before sunset.

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Such Tuscany we love…

 2. Wine covered route in the Chanti region.

    Driving from Florence veer off from the main road and chose direction of small village, Castelina in Chanti, to be at the end of the day in Monteriggioni. Winding road, at the beginning steep, later leads in the middle of vineyards. Every few hundred meters you can take a break and taste local wine or oil in one of the local manufacture. That is whole day trail taken into account time spent for tasting local products mixed with discussion about something and nothing with owners. If you have a plan to buy a wine or oil, that’s perfect place… just visit one of the local, small shop in the village. You’ll not find better prices with such good quality nowhere. In the meantime, make a trip between two famous vineyards namely Castello di Brolio and Castello Ricasoli.  Trip is short, but definitely worth to see. Wine, wine and wine everywhere… In fact, every small village in Chianti, like Radda in Chianti or Gaiole in Chanti has something charming to offer and it’s a perfect place to make short walk. Almost impossible is to take wrong decision with place choosing 😉

5. chianti

Photos, photos, photos…

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Vineyard…

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Another vineyard…

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3. Lovely route between Siena and Casciano di Murlo

    We discovered this road by accident, in the way to camping by the way one of the best in our private ranking (Camping le Soline). At the beginning route leads via forest, slowly going up.. but all the time is only nicer and nicer, I mean changing beautiful views outside. Space, endless fields, lonely cypresses, occasional wineyards and other treasures in the Tuscan countryside. Definitely veer off to small village Radi. That is really short, few kilometer distance but  very impressive. Trail I very popular within the bikers. Take a look on Murlo village as well. Usually nobody is there, we don’t know why because like most of the small hidden villages is beautiful.

 

3.radi

Photos, photos, photos…

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Somewhere in the way to Radi city.

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Alone trees and cypresses fulfill the dual function … define the border and they are a natural lightning rod.

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Somewhere…

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In the way to Casciano di Murlo.

4. Around Pienza… famous Val D’Orcia.

    There is no option to designate specific route in Val d’Orcia valley. The reason is simple. You should explore whole length and breadth of the valley. It’s easy, because it is not a huge area but even the smallest road is worth to see. Travelling between the cities is a big pleasure, it’s very picturesque area. Pienza, Montalcino, Montepulciano, San Quirico D’Orcia… just drive between these cities and don’t hesitate to turn side roads, often dirty roads, and you will find… everything, which Tuscany is famous for. Small cities, of course, are also worth attention, but are crowded and full of tourists especially in high season. Places outside the cities can really charm! We recommend to find a base for the night earlier and then start to explore the region in 2-3 days. Highly recommended are routes:

– The road from La Foce to Radifocani, where you can find famous cypress alley in the shape of the letter “S”. „Number one” on postcards from the region,

– The road from San Quirico D’Orcia to Bagno Vignoni

– Route Montalcino – San Quirico D’Orcia – Pienza – Montepulciano.
There is no need to advertise. It’s simply beautiful all around. If possible, try to turn side roads, because sometimes there is a problem with stopping the car on the main road

4.okolice pienzy

Photos, photos, photos…

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Discover Tuscany… by such dirty roads

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One of many hill cities …

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Burned by sun meadows (August) in May are full of green

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Val D’Orcia.

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Nice entrance road…

5. Seaside scenic Panoramico road around Penisula of Argentario

    The most non-tuscan part of Tuscany at least that is not what you know from the postcards. Tuscany that is not only characteristic greenfield but hunder of kilometers of  the Tyrrhenian and the Ligurian coast as well. Route, definitely worth to mention and recommend is scenic and spectacular route around Penisula of Argentario. At the start, it is worthwhile to visit the small town of Porto Santo Stefano, then follow the road Panoramico (signposts). The road climbs up to a few kilometers to reveal the truth impressive view of the sea. In fact whole lenght that is one long winding road because only short distance goes through the forest. If you have more time, you could find own wild beach because there are some out there, but to get to them, you have to do a mini trekking down the slope. In my opinion,the Argentario peninsula is the most attractive and diverse place on the Tuscan coast. You will find there both, small charming towns like Porto San Stefano, Porto Ercole or Orbetello and wild green nature with sea as icing on the cake… just perfect combination!

 

2.argentario

Photos, photos, photos…

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Sunset at Argentario.

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In the way to Orbetello.

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Panoramico road.

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Porto Santo Stefano.

We could write about tuscan scenic routes a lot of articles and always something new would be in. Maybe you have own ranking and would like to share with us? Feel free…

 

 

 

 
 

Comments:

  • Sweta

    August 22, 2021

    Loved your post. I am planning a trip to Tuscany in a couple of weeks. Your post has been very useful.

    Just one suggestion, adding links to google maps would be very useful as otherwise, people have to create the same map manually.

    reply...

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