Borgo Monastero – Resort in Siena Tuscany

Summertime in Tuscany is the subject of dreams. Rolling hills, castles and vineyards are the setting for very relaxing vacation dedicated to food, wine and friends, both old and new. Vacationing inland is very different than a vacation on the coast. Traditionally Italians will spend 1-2 months a year at the beach locations and most of this time will be concentrated in July and August.

Borgo Monastero is a 9th century town with a fascinating history and is located in the province of Siena about 40km southeast of Florence. The town, located in the Chianti region, is now an Agriturismo offering updated apartments in an exquisitely restored monastery. The units have one or more bedrooms, modern bathrooms and kitchens and wood-burning fireplaces.

The restaurant serves simple yet savory traditional recipes. Breakfast can be Cornetti and Cappuccino at the bar or a good ole American breakfast in your apartment. There are numerous small restaurants and pizzeria within a few miles. Local shops are also readily accessible for fresh bread, locally grown fruits and vegetables, cheeses and meats.

This small town was very important during the wars between Siena and Florence. Hiking through the 2000 acre ancient forest to the nearby towns and vineyards is a favorite among guests. The facility provides swimming pools, horseback riding, bicycles, tennis courts and a club with entertainers for kids from 4-12 years old.

The real attraction for this resort is the winery. Borgo Monastero produces some fantastic wines. As a guest you can visit the vineyards, taste the wines still in the aging process, and see just how wine is made. If that alone is not enough, this is Chianti.

Vineyards and wineries are more abundant than the number of little towns that cover the region. There are over 40 different wines produced within minutes by car. A visit to several of these wineries, preferably with a designated driver, is an opportunity to understand the nuances produced when the vineyard has different exposure to the sun or a certain type of soil. The production process can also vary from producer to producer and this is a great opportunity to understand why a wine produced from the same grape by winery can have different characteristics than one just a few miles away

If you get bored eating great food, drinking marvelous wines and lounging around the pool, Siena is a few kilometers away and Florence is about 30 minutes by car. All in all this is a great destination to get back to the basic elements of life with some fantastic people at a very reasonable price. Check out their site at Borgo Monastero.

Tags: Siena Italian Resorts Italian Wineries Food and Wine Italian Vacations Tuscany Travel Italy