The valleys of the rivers Merse and Farma are famous for their clear water, the un-ending woodland, their mushrooms and their gastronomical specialties, based on game, above all wild boar stew.
Long ago this was the land of the charcoal burners and bandits and even before pilgrims crossed our wild area on their "Via Francigena"to Rome.
It is possible to organize walking excursions and bicycle tours leading to the Terme di Petriolo with its traces of a Roman settlement and the hot water pool on the banks of the river Farma. You can also visit the Monastery of San Galgano and the ruins of the St. Lucy's Hermitage from the 10th century, to the clear waters of the river Merse, to the little Etruscan museum and the miners´ ancient settlement in Murlo.
In half an hour you can reach Siena by car, but also the impressive area of the Crete Senesi and the nearby Abbazia di Monteoliveto, the wine-haven Montalcino, and a bit further away the earlier Popes´ residence Pienza. In an hours drive you reach Monte Amiata, the sandy beaches of the Maremmanian coast near Grosseto or - going north - you can sightsee San Gimignano or Florence.
