To appreciate Tuscany requires time, beauty is so omnipresent that you need to savour it, each fortified town is worth exploring and appreciating, each hiding its secret gems. Understanding the role each hamlet or abbey played in the centuries-old rivalry between Florence and Siena will engage you like a soap opera. The simple food and excellent wines, the breathtaking landscapes dotted by isolated abbeys, quaint hamlets, ponderous castles and natural thermal baths and the beautiful dune beaches framed by maritime pines will encroach your imagination.