Saturday: Pick up at Florence Rail Station at 4.00 pm. Transfer by bus to our hotel at Vescovado di Murlo. This evening before dinner we have an orientation walk around Vescovado then a welcome drink and get-together.

Sunday: Morning walk to the small medieval village of Murlo and then travel by our private bus to the hill-top town of Montalcino in the heart of the Brunello wine district. Here there is a chance to explore the small town with its 14th century fortress, its wine tasting and quaint shops. The history of the town dates back to the days of the Medici wars and even further back to Roman times.
From Montalcino we continue for about two hours on what was once a Roman road to the Abbey of Saint Antimo. The road we walk is part of the Via Francigena on which medieval pilgrims once made their way to the Abbey of Saint Antimo on their way to Rome. The surroundings are beautiful fields and vineyards. This is the Brunello wine region - Brunello red wine is world famous - some of the best in Italy. Wildflowers line the roads and the sky is punctuated by magpies and skylarks. The walk is so picturesque it seems as if we reach the abbey too soon. According to legend this lovely abbey was founded in the 9th century by Charlemagne when a local herbalist miraculously cured his troops of an illness. We have a chance to go inside where the soft sound of a Gregorian chant echoes through the alabaster interior.

Monday: Morning transfer by private bus to a small Tuscan village where we begin our walk to San Gimignano. We walk on quiet country roads amid vineyards and beautiful Tuscan scenery and with the fragrance of wild fennel and rosemary pervading the air. Soon the medieval spires of San Gimignano can be seen in the distance ahead. In the 1200's this walk was part of the Via Francigena, the pilgrims' path which united all of Europe to Rome. San Gimignano was a stop on this route hence its prosperity in days of old. Our walk reaches the bottom of the hill below the town and here the bus awaits for anyone who does not wish to walk up the hill into town. The walk is about four hours with an optional half hour of hard climbing at the end.
San Gimignano is a treasure-trove of shops, gellaterias, trattorias, museums and churches. There are many examples of great Renaissance masterpieces and 14 of the original medieval towers still stand.

Tuesday: Today we transfer to San Quirico where we begin a walk in one of the most beautiful parts of Tuscany. We have a downhill ramble to Bagno Vignoni with its ancient Roman baths which legend says are home to water nymphs. In the 1400's the Medici princes frequented the baths and St Catherine is said to have bathed here. Today there is a hotel where one can bath in the hot springs. From Bagno Vignoni we visit the exquisite town of Pienza that has changed little since it was built in the 15th century by Pope Puis II who came from this region.

Wednesday: This is market day in Siena and it is about a 30 minute bus ride from Vescovado di Murlo. Siena is centred around a magnificent black and white marble Duomo (cathedral) and around the famous Campo where everything used to happen from banquets to bartering, from hangings to horse-racing. This jewel of a town offers art treasures, Renaissance palaces, a Medici fortress, great artistic masterpieces, and a maze of narrow alleyways filled with shops which are an Aladdin's cave of local delicacies and wines. There is also the National wine library with a wine bar for tasting, secret courtyards and delicious smelling trattorias. We spend the day in Siena and in the late afternoon, just as the afternoon sun is turning the old bricks of the town to gold, we return by bus to Vescovado di Murlo.

Thursday: Today we begin our walk from the hotel. We visit the Etruscan archaeological dig at Poggio Civitate where many interesting Etruscan artifacts have been unearthed. The walk continues on through a woodland trail to a remote monastery with spectacular views. We have a picnic lunch here and then continue to La Befa. From here the bus takes us a short distance and we continue the walk to The Abbey of Monte Oliveto Maggiore (those who prefer can take the bus right to the abbey). The abbey is an exquisite old monastery filled with frescoes depicting the life of St Benedict by the famous Renaissance artists Luca Signorelli  and Giovanni Bazzi (better known as Il Sodoma). The monastery was originally built in this remote location by the wealthy elite (males) of Florence who wanted to escape plague in the city.

Friday: We save the best for last. Morning transfer to the exquisite town of Pienza built in the 1500's by Pope Pius II. From here we walk down a gradual incline through magnificent wine country to the tiny village of Monticchiello where we stop for a picnic and perhaps a gelato. Our bus awaits for anyone who wishes to stop (they ride to Montepulciano). For those who wish to continue walking it is another two hours to reach Montepulciano on foot. Montepulciano with its magical labyrinth of narrow streets, artisans workshops and boutiques selling local produce is the ultimate place for wine-tasting. (Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wine is world-famous). The town is the site of the Temple of San Biagio where a miraculous statue of the Virgin once brought fame and prosperity to the town.

Saturday: Return by bus to Florence Rail Station about 10.30 am.