Walking trails in Val d’Orcia fit for everyone

The Val d’Orcia is like a precious treasure chest that reveals its jewels to those who appreciate the sublime beauty of the details and the differences between the shades of color and the changing views.
For this reason, we recommend exploring the Val d’Orcia without haste, suggesting some walking routes to enrich your holiday in Tuscany.
We have already written about the most impressive views in the post dedicated to Val d’Orcia as icon of the Renaissance and our tip is to begin from the definition provided by the UNESCO commission that has included this territory in the list of World Heritage Sites, in summary: the landscapes of the Val d’Orcia, depicted by the painters of the Senese School during the Renaissance, have influenced the way of thinking the landscape In the future.

That’s why every journey through this territory is always filled with surprises for the tourist who loves the nature trails and hilly landscapes that seem to extend without end.
The sweet shapes of the hills, in fact, are the first distinctive feature of this land, along with the rocks of volcanic origin (the cliff on which Radicofani rises and Monte Amiata are both volcanoes now extinct) and Crete Senesi.

The routes that we show you are a selection of what you can do during your vacation, with the help of a map provided by the tourist office of San Quirico d’Orcia, one of the municipalities that is included in the Val d’Orcia Park of Art, Nature and Culture.

Recommended walking routes in Val d’Orcia

Torrenieri, hamlet of Montalcino, is an excellent starting point for exploring the Tuscan countryside: from here you can follow the old Cassia road towards Siena up to the stadium, here you can turn left onto a track and reach Poggio Gambocci.

In this part of the trail you can admire many vineyards framing the landscape; after passing the “Comunità Incontro”, you have to descend towards the Altesi crossroads holding the left and pass the Collodi farmhouse until you reach the intersection with the provincial road n.45 of Brunello in Val di Cava.
After crossing the provincial road, you have to take the cart-track towards Colombaiolo up to the turning, then follow the road on the left and cross a bridge to reach a steep climb that leads to Montalcino.
This stretch is characterized by scented vineyards and lush forests, a nice welcome to the town of Montalcino, where you will arrive passing through Porta Burelli.

The second itinerary begins just from Porta Burelli, from here you have to turn right onto the cart way, reaching the vineyards of Madonna Nera, an area that extends to the Abbey of Sant’Antimo, where every row of vine is embellished with a plant of roses.
Continue on the right onto a path until you cross the provincial Brunello Road. After crossing the provincial road, you have to climb up the paved road for a few hundred meters and head to the Casaccia farmhouse, then follow a cartway to the left that leads to the typical local countryside of vineyards and cereal fields.

It’s difficult to imagine that here, once, there was the sea and what we can now trample was the clayey seabed, which now is typical of this part of the Val d’Orcia. From here you continue your journey to the provincial road that goes from Cassia towards Montalcino, keep to the right along the asphalted road and continue up to the foot of the path to the Fiesole farmhouse. Here you go through the clay fields, pass the Casello and Pian dell’Asso farmhouses, cross the railway and the two rivers Asso and Tuoma, follow the main cartway towards San Quirico d’Orcia and after 3 km you will reach the Church of Madonna del Riguardo.
This church is lesser known than the Chapel of Our Lady of Vitaleta in San Quirico d’Orcia, but it is even an element that mellow the landscape.
Walking for one and a half kilometer to San Quirico, you will arrive at the end of the route, in front of the white gates of the Chiesa Collegiata dei Santi Quirico e Giulitta.

Reserve one or more days dedicated to a tour of Val d’Orcia, defined by poet Mario Luzi as “a land of wind and desert”, a natural masterpiece that doesn’t need any special effect.

Val d’Orcia Park website: www.parcodellavaldorcia.com

Credits preview photo: Antonio Cinotti https://flic.kr/p/okbUA9