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Exploring Tuscany by Car – Backpacking Europe
Road Trip to the Wheat Fields
Following the Vespa Accident, my body was a complete wooden plank. No lie.
So, what is the cure? The answer is a solid day exploring Tuscany in all its glory. Even with the current state of the body, this ended up being one of the best days, if not the best, of the entire trip.
The day way basically one big mini road trip exploring Tuscany region, checking out thermal baths and getting lost along the way. Good times, here’s a map.
Val d'Orcia
Right below Pienza sits Val d'Orcia. I'll talk a little about this area later in the post, but this place is the Tuscan essence.
Thermal Baths
Before we really started driving through the fields in Tuscany, the first stop was at the thermal baths in Bagni di San Filippo. This spot was probably the most south we drove, tucked away up in the hills. Once we arrived, you simply park, and begin the short hike following a stream to the baths.
You can’t miss the spot, as there is an enormous white rock face from all the calcium carbonate deposits. The smell cannot be missed either. It’s a straight sulfur smell, so get ready for that lovely egg scent. However, it comes with benefits. For those who would want to test the waters, it’s comparable to a salt bath. The heavy amount of minerals in the water do good for your skin, so give it a go.
Slippery when wet...
Oh, and watch your step. The rocks are crazy slippery, and we witnessed multiple people fall and even slide down rocks in uncoordinated fashion.
Exploring Tuscany Off-road
Once back in the car and on the road, it was truly time to begin exploring Tuscany region. Luckily, the Italy trip proved to be quite serendipitous – more than I imagined. As mentioned earlier, the main attraction was Val d’orcia, a spot I was very intentional in picking for one reason.
If you’ve seen the movie Gladiator, then you’ll understand.
After watching this movie years back, one of the final scenes is with Maximus walking back home through a field. For whatever reason, this scene always stuck with me as a place to eventually see. It was super satisfying to not only purchase armor back in Rome, but also to live out this part of the movie on location.
I’m not sure exactly how to classify Val d’orcia, even though the area is labeled as a nature reserve. Regardless, I recommend going here with either a car or bike (from a nearby town) and simply get lost in the fields for a few hours. You won’t have a care in the world while here.
Hillside Excursion
When you spend enough time driving dirt roads in Tuscany, you begin to notice some trends, too. One that was prevalent is the layout of each town. As you drive from one stop to the next, each small town we visited started to become a network of hilltop towns with endless wheat fields in between.
It started becoming sort of a game to make a pitstop in each one, find the gelateria (sampling no less than 2 flavors) and move on. I think there is something to be said about the gelato at these smaller shops in the heart of Tuscany…
Oh, and the panoramas aren’t too shabby either.
Lost in the Tuscan Sauce
The day turned into evening, and the gelato was taking its toll. Getting back to Montespertoli was going to be interesting, considering the good ‘ol Google maps was not sure if we were on a real road or not. But being a little lost while exploring Tuscany is never too concerning.
When in doubt, go completely off road, take a dirt path clearly made for a large tractor and cut through a farm. You’re bound to find a real road at some point.
True story though. There was a huge mud lake-puddle not shown in the picture below that I was skeptical about driving through. After some horribly broken translations, I did indeed let an Italian farmer, who assured me it was ‘OK,’ drive the Benz through his farm.
Car Performance
I won't lie - there were times I got the car stuck on paths clearly not made for cars. But sometimes ya gotta go up that hill to see what's on the other side.
All in all, the little Benz did an amazing job on our full day trek exploring Tuscany in all its splendor. We were able to experience Italian thermal baths, reenact my favorite Gladiator scene, drive through countless Tuscany towns, eat delicious gelato and meet a true Italian farmer!
For those who have Italy in their sights, I hope Tuscany is as great for you as it was for us.
Recap of Places
- Siena – Tuscan city and a UNESCO site
- Pienza – an ideal Tuscany town right outside Val d’Orcia and another UNESCO site
- Val d’Orcia – wheat fields, rolling hills, pure relaxation
Michael Lakus
IT professional, athlete, musician, ponderer of many things... Born and raised in Florida, I began traveling internationally after college. I created this site primarily to remind myself of where I've been and to share my experiences on traveling with a quirky, stress-free, travel attitude.
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