TOURISM
IN THE CHIANTITOURISM
IN THE CHIANTI
The Medieval Village of Barberino Val d'Elsa (red box in the map pointed by the red arrow) is half way between Florence and Siena (both 30 Km far from the village) on a panoramic hill near the freeway to Florence and Siena. The village is served by an hourly bus service at few steps from the appartment for Florence, Siena and San Gimignano that makes of the accomodation an excellent localization to visit Florence, Siena (both reacheable in 30 minutes by car or 45 minutes by bus) San Gimignano and enjoying the Chianti, very well known for its wine and good food, all year round.
The apartments are located just few steps from the Florentine historic gate of the Medieval village, along the historic Roman Cassia road. The village is in a breathtaking panoramic position, on the top of a hill of 373 meter above the sea level, dominating the west part of the Chianti Classico wine region.
The village is provided of a bakery store, 3 good restaurants-pizzeria at few steps distance, 3 pubs, grocery stores, banks, drugstore and an office of touristic informations, a free internet point, an horseback riding resource, all at a walking distance from the apartment, complete the offer to provide all you need for an enjoyable stay without moving from the village.
These accomodations are ideal for people who want to visit Florence and Siena with the public service and then discover by car the hilly Chianti Classico countryside and its wonderful middle aged villages (San Gimignano, Monteriggioni, Colle Val d'Elsa, Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti, Gaiole in Chianti , San Donato in Poggio, Greve in Chianti , Certaldo, Petrognano) and the castles and Abbey (Meleto Castle, Brolio and Spaltenna Castle , Badia a Passignano ).
From Barberino Val d'Elsa You can go by bus to the towns of Florence and Siena and San Gimignano, avoiding the worryes of driving in these busy towns with no free parking. Being located just between Florence and Siena you can easily visit these marvellous towns by the bus service, few steps from the Villa, that in only 45 minutes can carry you to Florence or Siena, with a bus quite every hour. In addition, especially if you come during the summer you will have a better stay in the countryside than in the always hot and stiky Florence (the hottest town of Italy in the summer) and utilize the car only for a couple of days to explore the villages and countryside more difficult to explore by using the public transport.
the Village of Barberino val d'Elsa from the pinewood
The following are just few examples of the possible places you can easily visit starting from the apartments:
Site Map The
Chianti Region (hilly
landscape region between Florence
and Siena)
Pisa
EXPLORING THE VILLAGES OF CHIANTI:
San Donato in Poggio
* Castellina in Chianti * Radda
in Chianti * Gaiole in Chianti * Barberino
Val d'Elsa * Greve in Chianti
PURE RELAX:
A
day at the lake A day in the Monte San
Michele natural Park
HISTORY:
Petrognano Chaphel * Meleto
Castle * Brolio Castle * Certaldo
* Monteriggioni fortress * San
Gimignano the towered village
FEASTS:
Montespertoli Wine Feast *
A day with Tony Blair *
Mercantia middleagedfestival
ALL YOU NEED JUST AT FEW STEPS...
The Villa is next to all facilities: in few minutes of walk, at the end of the village in Poggibonsi direction, you can reach the post office, banks, pharmacy, grocery stores and bakery store. You than have 2 pubs and a pinewood with games for the child, and a Touristic Information Office where you can buy the tickets to visit the Uffizzi Gallery avoiding the line.In the village there are 3 restaurants, 2 in the historic center, next to the church, have a very nice view from the panoramic terrace where you can eat in the summer, you can eat a very good pizza at the "Archibugio" or more classical italian food at the "Campanellino". A suggestion, especially for the "Archibugio" is to book in advance otherwise you will be not able to eat at a reasonable time ...
The third restaurant is on the hill just outside the centre, on the hill leadind the "Semifonte" camping little expensive but you can eat very good fish.
The bus stop is a few meters from the appartment and every hour you have a bus who go to Florence and one who go to Siena. We give you also a private parking.
There are 2 public swimming pools also available at 10 Km far from the appartments: one in Poggibonsi and another in San Casciano. There is also an artificial lake 5 Km far from the appartment in a wood, the famous Badia Lake, next to a Abbey where usually spend its summer holiday the Queen of Netherland and also the wife of Bush went few monts ago during the G8 in Genova of his husband.
There is a little supermarket COOP in the Tavarnelle village (2 Km far from Barberino) and one Ipermarket in Poggibonsi.
Being located just between Florence and Siena (5 Km far from the super-higway Florence-Siena and 34 Km to Siena and 31 Km to Florence) it is the ideal place to easily visit the Chianti with car and the Artistic towns of Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Volterra, Castellina in Chianti, Radda in Chianti.
DETAILS ON THE FACILITIES:
BUS
SERVICE FOR FLORENCE, SIENA SAN GIMIGNANO AND VOLTERRA: hourly bus service, few steps from the
appartment for and to Florence and Siena, San Gimignano and Volterra. Timetable
of the SITA bus.
NEAREST PIZZERIE AND RESTAURANT, especially on week-ends it is better
to book in advance.
In Barberino Val d’Elsa:
in the historic center near the Church, in summer on a panoramic terrace:
pizzeria-spaghetteria L’Archibugio, the
better pizza, via Vittorio Veneto 48, tel. 055 80 75 209
in the historic center, near the Church: "Il Campanellino" classical tuscany food.
on the hill, near the Semifonte camping, restaurant-pizzeria Bustecca, quite expensive but with fish speciality, via di Bustecca 6/12, tel. 055 80 75 562
In Tavarnelle:
Center of Tavarnelle: restaurant La Gramola
old Tuscany Kitchen. Open from 7 pm and from 12 am on Sunday and public holidays,
closed on thuesday. Very good Pappardelle al sugo di Nana. Via delle Fonti 1 tel. 055 80 50 321
At the Romita village (just on the Cassia road toward Florence, 3 Km after Tavarnelle) restaurant La Fattoria via del Cerro 11, tuscany specialities tel. 055 80 70 000,
GROCERY STORES, BACKERY AND SUPERMARKETS
In Barberino Val d’Elsa:
The bakery store and little grocery store is in the historic center, few
steps from the apartment on the left side few
steps after the Florentine historic gate of the village (appartment side)
grocery: just out the old village, on the left along the Cassia road toward Siena, via di Novoli
In Tavarnelle:
In the center, supermarket COOP. A bigger one in
Poggibonsi
the first exit of the highway to Poggibonsi.
DRUGSTORE:
In Barberino Val d’Elsa:
Masi E. via Cassia 27, just out the old village, on the right along the
Cassia road toward Siena.
In Tavarnelle:
Farmacia Tanganelli in the town center, via Roma 152
BANK & ATM:
In Barberino Val d’Elsa:
on the left along the Cassia Road out the historic center on the left Cassa
di Risparmio di Firenze, in the Capocchini square the Banca di Credito
Cooperativo di Cambiano Castelfiorentino, open from 8,35 am to 13,30 pm
TOURIST INFORMATION
In the office you can buy the tickets to visit the Uffizzi Gallery avoiding the
kilometric line !
They are open from April until October. For other periods you can utilize the
office of Florence and Siena.
In Barberino Val d’Elsa:
Along the Cassia road, in the middle of the village, under the bus stop after
the shell petrol station.
In Tavarnelle:
In the main square (Piazza Matteotti) just in front of the bus stop for
Florence.
INTERNET POINT:
In the public library in the historic center of Barberino, near the
backery store. Open 2-3 times per week.
SWIMMING POOLS:
Poggibonsi: Swimming Pool “Il Bernino”. 10 Km from Barberino,
before arriving in Poggibonsi take the highway to Siena and exit at the first
exit (the Coop is just at the exit), left on the little bridge and left again,
straight ahead you will reach the swimming pool behind the building of the UPP
and the football fields.
Badia a Passignano Lake: not properly a swimming pool …. And only for very good swimmer. An artificial lake after the Badia a Passignano Abbey . When reach the Badia a Passignano village take the narrow road on the right, continue for about 500 meters, at the bottom, and before a very little bridge. Leave the car there and continue on the left for 100 meters. Trees and pinewoods, shade or sun, a very nice place for relaxation.
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