Road Trip around San Marino & Tuscany
One trip to Italy is never enough – it’s the kind of country that captivates visitors and has you returning time and time again. For me, Italy is a yearly trip – every year I visit a different region and every year I fall deeper in love with the country. One day I’ll live out my dream and tour the country from North to South in a classic convertible, but until that day comes, yearly trips will have to suffice. This time around, San Marino was high on my bucket list, as were the sunflower fields and the Tuscan countryside. Here is the route we took and what we saw along the way.
Bologna
I flew into Bologna as it was an Italian city I had yet to visit and flights were reasonable. Bologna is a small city with lots of Italian charm and it feels a lot more local and other places I've visited. Pasta was first on the agenda and we found a lovely local spot where the menu is handwritten daily and the pasta is made from scratch – do dine at Trattoria Fantoni if you're in town.
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Best viewpoint
In the heart of Bologna, Torre Prendiparte boasts beautiful views of the terracotta-hued city and rolling hills in the background. The rickety wooden staircase makes for an interesting ascent, but I promise it's worth it.
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Best place to watch the sunset
San Michele In Bosco is stunning and scenic church atop a hill with beautiful views over the city.
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Best gelato
Potentially the best gelato I've eaten in my life. The pistachio is so flavour intense and has swirls of pistachio paste running through it.
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Best pizza
Set in a quaint square off Bologna's busy streets, Nicola's serves the best pizza in town with thin bases and delicious toppings. My face says it all.
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Best pasta
Trattoria Fantoni, as mentioned above.
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Sunflower fields
We set off early from Bologna and spent the whole morning at the sunflower fields. You can't feel anything but pure joy when you first set eyes on field after field of bright yellow sunflowers. The sunflowers bloom from June to August, but late June and early July are prime times to catch them in full bloom.
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Best sunflower fields
Sasso Marconi is a small town 30 minutes from Bologna surrounded by beautiful sunflowers fields. On the drive towards this town, you'll begin to start seeing them and can stop wherever takes your fancy.
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San Marino
Land-locked by Italy, this mountainous principality is every bit as picturesque as I expected it to be. It offers breathtaking views over the Italian countryside and you can even see as far as the coastline. I had wanted to visit for a long time, as I love ticking off Europe's smallest countries. There is always something so charming about them.
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Best viewpoint
The most beautiful view over San Marino is undoubtedly from the Guaita Tower and from the city's old wall. From atop the tower, you'll be greeted with a panoramic view over the mountainous microstate and the sea in the distance.
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Best lunch
If you haven't got the budget for San Marino's only Michelin-starred restaurant, then opt for its Osteria instead. At Osteria La Taverna Righi, the pasta is homemade and the dishes on the menu are both regional and delicious.
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Best dinner
XFor a winning combination of great food and great view, look no further than La Terrazza. A lot of places in San Marino get one right but not the other, but La Terrazza wins at both.
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Tuscany
After our sunset dinner in San Marino, we crossed back in Italy and drove to Tuscany to wake up in Italy's famous wine region. Tuscany is just as charming as we anticipated with its rolling hills, tall cypress trees and cobblestone towns. We started early with a glass of Montepulciano for breakfast, but how can you not when you're in the town where it's made?
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Best towns
Montepulciano is easily one of the most charming towns we visited in Tuscany with its beautiful main square and mix of Gothic and Renaissance architectural styles. Located atop a hill, it offers sweeping views of the picturesque landscape.
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Best towns
Pienza is a fortified village and showcases magnificent architecture with the Palazzo Piccolomini, the duomo, and the Palazzo Comunale.
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Best sunset dinner
Osteria La Porta serves up local Tuscan food overlooking the dramatic countryside. It has a sweet terrace where you can sip on red wine and watch the sun sink below the horizon.
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Best region
The Val D'Orcia offers wide-open vistas dotted with cypress trees and thermal springs. Add to that its abundance of private spas and vineyards and you have a pretty perfect place to base yourself. We only spent a day in Tuscany, but you could easily spend two weeks here and ought to do just that. One day I'll return and hire a quaint villa in the hills and spend the mornings exploring charming towns and the afternoons relaxing by the pool.
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