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Drinking coffee in Italy – cappuccino, macchiato or lungo?

Drinking coffee in Italy

What to order, and how and when to drink coffee in Tuscany, Italy. Drinking coffee in Italy is an art. That’s because Italian coffee isn’t like coffee in the United States or anywhere else for that matter. Two important points at the outset. The “Italian” expressions used in Starbucks coffee houses either mean something entirely […]

Villas for rent in Chianti – Chiantigiani vacation villa rentals

Tuscan farm house

One of the best ways to enjoy your visit to Tuscany is to rent a self-catering farmhouse or villa in the Tuscan countryside. My recommended list of villas for rent in Chianti is given at the foot of this post. First a brief note on terminology. It’s now common practice for the larger Tuscany accommodation […]

Badia a Coltibuono and its italianate garden

Badia a Coltibuono

Badia a Coltibuono was one of the most important monastic foundations in Chianti. From the 11 C, Badia a Coltibuono was a Vallombrosan monastery that received large donations from the Firidolfi–Ricasoli family of Castello Brolio. The Vallombrosans were an order dedicated, among other things, to copying and preserving ancients texts, and Badia a Coltibuono became […]

Best Value European Vacation Destination – Tuscany

Best Value European Vacation Destination - Tuscany

On my “Tuscany Toscana” blog I recently proposed Tuscany as a top budget-friendly location for your next holiday in Europe. I based my conclusion on the availability of high quality, inexpensive accommodation outside the bigger cities, static restaurant prices and the ready availability of inexpensive public transport. Looking at the cost of vacation accommodation over […]

Greve in Chianti – useful tips for visitors to Greve in Chianti

Greve in Chianti main piazza during the flower festival in May

You’re currently reading the Greve in Chianti Tuscany blog but I thought I might summarise some of the more important information distributed throughout the Greve in Chianti website at www.greve-in-chianti.com. Greve in Chianti is the largest town in the Chianti Classico wine zone, an area that corresponds to the oval-shaped territory lying between Florence and […]

Looking for a good self-catering villa in Chianti, Tuscany

Holiday home to rent in Chianti - "Casa Ramoli"

Now that the year end celebrations are long over, many of you who are planning a trip to Tuscany will no doubt be looking for a good self-catering villa in Chianti, Tuscany. Actually, you are probably looking for a vacation apartment in a farmhouse rather than a true villa (see my post on the difference […]

Place to stay in Greve in Chianti

place to stay in greve in chianti

As the new year begins, a great many visitors planning their vacation in  Tuscany will be looking for a place to stay in Greve in Chianti and we have an excellent selection of villas, farmhouse apartments, village apartments and B&Bs for you. Greve is the gateway to the Chianti area and being located more or […]

Family-friendly accommodations in Tuscany

Family-friendly accommodations in Tuscany

We’ll soon be into the Tuscan vacation booking season and many of you who are planning your next visit will be looking for family-friendly accommodations in Tuscany. The first thing to know is that Italians love children! Families always bring the kids when they eat out at a restaurant and most vacation accommodations welcome children. […]

Farmstay rooms and apartment with swimming pool high in the Chianti hills

Farm stay rooms and apartment with swimming pool high in the Chianti hills

At any time of the year, there’s no better base for your vacation in Tuscany than farmstay rooms or an apartment with swimming pool high in the Chianti hills. Podere Torre is a small agriturismo that offers exactly that! This agriturismo is located 3 km from Greve in Chianti, more or less at the midpoint […]

Tuscan villa vacation rental for 13 persons

Tuscan villa to rent for up to 13 people

Podere Felceto, located near Panzano in Chianti, halfway between Florence and Sienna, is a Tuscan villa vacation rental for 13 persons. This Tuscan villa was once a monastery and is now a spacious holiday home with a shady terrace and a beautiful salt water swimming pool. Podere Felceto possesses 57 acres of land with extensive […]

Tuscan rosé wine – Rosato di Toscana

Rosato di Toscana

One of the best kept secrets of the past 5-7 years has been the development of Tuscan rosé wine – Rosato di Toscana – in the Chianti Classico wine area of Tuscany, Italy. A few years back, it became evident that there was over-production of wine in the Chianti Classico zone as new vineyards, planted […]

B&B accommodations for 2 or 3 persons in Chianti

Bed & Breakfast accommodation in Chianti

The Chianti region of Tuscany is famous for its rural Bed and Breakfast vacation accommodations. Among the first to be established near Greve in Chianti was “Le Cetinelle” which offers B&B accommodation for 2 or 3 persons in Chianti and also a double ot triple vacation apartment. “Le Cetinelle” enjoys the great advantage of being […]

Vacation accommodation for two people in Chianti

Vacation accommodation for two persons in Chianti

Today I want to introduce you to a beautiful  vacation accommodation for two people in Chianti in the form of an exquisite half-house apartment located just outside the wall of the fortified village of Montefioralle. This picturesque village is situated 2.5 km from Greve in Chianti, halfway between Florence and Sienna. Casa Forese consists of […]

A Chianti Wine Tasting Tour

wine tour in Chianti

Among the most popular activities for visitors to Tuscany is taking a Chianti wine tasting tour. We will be reviewing a number of Chianti wine tour driver-guides, and the first of them is Angela Saltafuori, of TuscanyTourTime snc. Angela is a qualified sommelier as well as a licensed NCC driver who specialises in wine tours […]

Luxury hotel in Chianti for a special Tuscany vacation

Luxury hotel in Chianti

Today we feature Hotel Villa Le Barone, a wonderful luxury hotel in Chianti located in the middle of the Chianti Classico wine zone of Tuscany near Panzano and Greve, midway between Florence and Sienna. This is a 4 Star luxury hotel set in beautiful gardens, with a swimming pool and tennis court. For centuries, Villa […]

What to see in Lamole in Chianti

Casole near Lamole in Chianti

High up above the Greve valley, we find the tiny village of Lamole in Chianti. The drive to Lamole from the via Chiantigiana (turnoff to the east between Greve and Panzano) is one of the most spectacular detours for those exploring the Chiantigiana and its environs. You drive through vineyards, past picturesque farmhouses and villas, […]

Cooking lessons in Tuscany

Cooking lessons in Tuscany

Food is definitely part of the “Tuscan experience” for most visitors to Tuscany. And what better way to take a part of that experience away with you than to enjoy some cooking lessons in Tuscany? Attending a cooking class or taking private cooking lessons means not only learning new aspects of Tuscan cookery but enjoying […]

Wine tasting in Chianti

Wine tasting in Chianti

For very many visitors to this part of Tuscany, wine tasting in Chianti will be one of the pleasures of their stay. The Chianti Classico wine zone forms a more or less oval area between Florence and Sienna packed with vineyards and wineries, many of which offer tastings of their own wines. These are marked […]

Getting around Tuscany

Getting around Tuscany

For the first time visitor to our region, sooner or later the question of how to get around Tuscany arises. Tuscany is about the size of New Jersey and has a good public transport network of trains and buses that allows visitors to get around the main centres and many of the minor ones with […]

What to see in Castellina in Chianti

Castellina in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

As you follow the scenic via Chiantigiana from Greve in Chianti southwards, the road winds upwards from the Val di Greve towards Panzano from which it more or less follows the ridges until you arrive at the little town of Castellina in Chianti. The area around Castellina is very popular with visitors staying at agriturismi […]

What to see at Castello di Montefioralle

Montefioralle

Tuscany and particularly Chianti are dotted with small fortified hamlets which are often huddled around the ruins of a castle keep. These picturesque villages reflect a thousand years of conflict over land that came to an end only with the hegemony of cities such as Florence over their smaller adversaries, in this case, Sienna. The […]

Bed and Breakfast in Chianti

Bed and Breakfast in Chianti

Everyone knows about the wonderful agriturismi in Chianti, but it’s less well known that you can easily find an excellent Bed and Breakfast in Chianti. These B&Bs are available both in villages and towns, and out in the country, including on working farms. For those who don’t plan to cook at home, a Bed and […]

Owner-direct vacation rentals in Chianti

owner direct vacation rentals in chianti

Our website offers owner-direct vacation rentals in Chianti. This means that to reserve your accommodations, you make contact directly with the accommodation owner via the web page or web site describing the vacation rental. Based on experience, we consider this to be the best way for visitors to Chianti to find the property most closely […]

What to see in Chianti, things to do in Tuscany

What to see in Chianti

So you’re planning a vacation in Chianti, Italy? Great idea! Now your question is, “What to see in Chianti?” Here we provide a few hints on things to see and things to do in this beautiful and interesting part of Tuscany. Vineyards and wine – Chianti is synonymous (literally!) with wine and visiting a winery […]

What to see in Panzano in Chianti, Tuscany, Italy

Panzano in Chianti

Exactly half-way between Florence and Sienna, the scenic via Chiantigiana highway leaves the valley of the River Greve and winds up to the ridge between the Val di Greve and the Val di Pesa, to the charming little town of Panzano in Chianti. Panzano’s central location makes it an ideal base for your vacation in […]

What to see in Greve in Chianti

Greve in Chianti

Everyone knows that the Chianti Classico wine region is the centre, oenological and in many other respects, of Tuscany. It is formed by the beautiful Chianti hills and valleys lying between Florence and Sienna. And the centre of Chianti Classico? That’s the charming little town of Greve in Chianti! Greve, as it is usually known, […]

What is an agriturismo in Tuscany?

Tuscan agriturismo farmhouse vacation rental

While planning their trips, a great many first-time visitors to Tuscany probably ask themselves “What is an agriturismo in Tuscany?” Officially an agriturismo (plural agriturismi) is a vineyard, olive oil producer or other farm that offers holiday accommodation to tourists. Sometimes rural accommodations that are not on working farms are nevertheless referred to, incorrectly, as […]

When is a Tuscan Villa not a Tuscan Villa?

Villa Medicea di Poggio a Caiano

Here I want to say a something about the apparent riddle of “when is a Tuscan villa not a Tuscan villa”. This riddle only makes sense in relation to the Tuscany tourist accommodation sector. Firstly, in broad terms, what is a true Tuscan villa? The models for most Tuscan villas are the creations of the […]

What to see in Impruneta Tuscany Italy

Impruneta in Tuscany near Florence

Close to Florence and just outside the Chianti Classico wine zone, the town of Impruneta deserves a visit by anyone interested in the plastic arts. Impruneta is the home of Tuscan terracotta and, increasingly, of hand-painted ceramics. Impruneta is also the location of one of the most famous basilicas in Tuscany, the Sanctuary of Santa […]

High Speed Trains in Italy

Frecciarossa high speed train in Italy

In 2008, Italy rebranded its high speed trains as the Frecciarossa (red arrow) and in the following years the network has been expanded to connect Turin with Naples, via Milan, Bologna, Florence and Rome. After some teething problems, the Flecciarossa trains now provide an exceptionally good service, both comfortable and fast. They are also quite […]

Things to do in Chianti

Things to do in Chianti

This entire website is devoted to where to stay in Chianti and things to do in Chianti. We have summarised some of the main things to do here and will be expanding on those subject areas in more detail. Don’t forget, if you’re staying in the Chianti countryside you’ll rarely be more than a one […]

Mediaeval Dinner in Certaldo – “A cena da Messer Boccaccio”

Mediaeval Dinner in Certaldo - "A cena da Messer Boccaccio"

Among the excellent mediaeval festivals held in Tuscany throughout the year, ‘A cena da Messer Boccaccio‘ (“Dinner with Boccaccio”) ranks high. This dinner takes place in the ancient part of Certaldo, known as Certaldo Alto, in June (Saturday 9 June and 16 June, in 2012). The menu includes some mediaeval dishes such as ‘Morsini di […]

Chianti Tourist Information and Chianti Tourism Guide

Chianti tourist information

We’ve been publishing Chianti tourist information on www.greve-in-chianti.com since 1997 and via the blog you’re reading right now, we’re constantly adding to what is effectively part of the most comprehensive Chianti Tourism Guide on the internet, with over two hundred subsidiary websites. So bookmark this Chianti tourist information site because new and interesting tourist information […]

Castelnuovo Berardenga

Villa Chigi Saracini near Castelnuovo Berardenga

Castelnuovo Berardenga is a charming town dating from 1366 and located at the southern tip of the Chianti Classico wine zone, about 20 km from Sienna. It provides an interesting side detour from the Via Chiantigiana, the motoring route from Florence to Sienna. The famous Battle of Montaperti during which the Siennese inflicted a humiliating […]

Greve Museum of Sacred Art

Museum of Religious Art Greve in Chianti

There are a number of small museums of religious art scattered throughout Chianti. While not calling for a detour, these museums are well worth a visit when you are in the area. Usually, they house minor art works collected together from deconsecrated churches in the area plus more important works that cannot be displayed unprotected […]

Fractional Ownership of a Tuscan Apartment

Borgo di Vagli Tuscan village near Cortona

Borgo di Vagli is a mediaeval hamlet beautifully restored by Architect Fulvio di Rosa. The houses have been divided into apartments which can be purchased under a fractional ownership scheme which means genuine ownership and fully flexible vacation periods. Each apartment is furnished in Tuscan rural style with modern facilities and comforts. Borgo di Vagli […]

Tuscan agriturismo with apartments for 2 to 6 persons

Vacation apartments for 2 to 6 persons near Greve in Chianti, Tuscany

Agriturismo Patrizia Falciani is a Tuscan agriturismo with apartments for 2 to 6 persons, and is one of the longest established agriturismi in the area of Greve in Chianti. The seven self-catering apartments each have a small private terrace or garden for dining al fresco and all have access to the swimming pool. There are […]

Brolio Castle

Castello di Brolio

Castello di Brolio is both the name of the castle that was the home to Baron Ricasoli, “father” of Chianti Classico wine, and also the name of the wine now produced there. The site of the Brolio Castle as a fortified nucleus dates from the middle ages but the present structure is not old. It […]

Sights of Chianti, Italy. What to see, where to go, places to stay in Chianti. www.greve-in-chianti.com.
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