Walking the Montalceto path is a delight because you get to see the lush, verdant fields in Tuscany. I recommend starting with a stay in Siena.
Siena is a wonderful place to visit for many reasons including for its medieval architecture, its friendliness, its food, and its outdoor markets. But I would recommend a two or three week (or longer) stay for the following reasons:
- It gives you plenty of time to wander through Siena’s wonderful network of medieval streets and alleys.
- It gives you the freedom to see Siena’s many sights, including shops and museums, on days when they are less crowded.
- Siena is a good central point from which to make day trips by bus or train (both very inexpensive) to other locations in Tuscany. Some very fine destinations are San Gimignano, Montereggioni, Castellina in Chianti (by bus only), and Lucca.
- Siena is a short train or bus ride to the footpaths in the Crete Senesi region. These footpaths meander past many idyllic farms and vineyards in Tuscany.
I recommend getting a hotel or AirBnB apartment near Piazza Matteotti. You would be near restaurants, grocery stores, pharmacy, post office, bus terminal, Piazza del Campo, and a 15-25 minute walk to the train station.
One of the nicest day trips I’ve taken was to the region called Crete Senesi where one can walk along any of the five excellent well-marked paths. The Crete Senesi region is located just south of Siena and consists of a wide landscape of verdant hills and woods, dotted with several small pleasant villages, vineyards, olive groves, and farms.
I walked the Montalceto path which can be reached from the railroad station in the village of Asciano. Asciano is only a 30 minute train ride from Siena and costs approximately 4 euros round-trip. It is a pleasant sleepy village and is right in the heart of the Crete Senesi region. It has ancient roots from the Etruscan, Roman and medieval periods and in its vicinity there are medieval walls, a 19th century furnace for pottery, and a medieval mill for grains. There are also Roman mosaics and a medieval tower.
It is a fine village to walk about in before or after your hike. It seems to also be a popular stopping point for bicyclists. Three times while walking through the village center I saw groups of bicyclists stop for a break or for lunch.
You can get a map of Asciano and the trails at the tourist office in Asciano. It is located inside Palazzo Corboli at 122 Corso Giacomo Matteotti. The Montalceto path begins right at the Asciano train station. (This is a very small station located on Via Roma.) The trail length is 5 miles one way and will take about 2.5 hours round-trip. Also, it is flat until the last mile. If you want a shorter walk, you can do half the length and still experience enjoyable views.
The following is the route of the Montalceto path:
- From the train station, go south on Via Roma.
- Just after Chiesa di San Giuseppe, take a right onto Via Grottoli.
- Continue for a long stretch. At the next intersection take a right onto the narrow road of Strada di Capogrottoli. This road immediately goes over a small bridge above railroad tracks.
- Continue on Strada di Capogrottoli for a long distance until it ends at Strada Provinciale del Pecorile.
- Take a left onto Strada Provinciale del Pecorile
- Follow Strada Provinciale del Pecorile for a short distance and then take a left onto a narrow back road named Strada Provinciale del Pecorile. (I don’t recall if it had a street sign but I do recall it had a “no hunting” sign.)
- Follow Strada Provinciale del Pecorile for as long way past many nice farms and beautiful views out in the distance.
- Follow the trail signs for the rest of the way to the Torre di Montalceto and the Chiesa di San Alberto.
General information about Crete Senesi, the paths and sites and events in Asciano can be found at: www.visitcretesenesi.it