MONTALCINO'S GYM: KEEPING FIT IN BRUNELLO TOWN

The gentle hills of the Val d'Orcia in spring with vineyards, green fields and wildflowers

I'd suggest you just jog, walk or cycle through the amazing Tuscan hills (for a bike just ask at Montalcino's petrol station for noleggio biciclette - bicycles to rent). But if your workout isn't a workout, unless it happens in a restricted and smelly indoor space - Montalcino does have a gym too.

The town's fitness studio is tiny - people here tend to get enough exercise in the vineyards - and centrally located in the Pianello neighborhood close to Montalcino's hospital (just in case). A day pass is available for 10 Euro and special deals may be possible if you stay for a full week. Stop by or call Carla beforehand, who co-owns the gym and speaks excellent English.

Carla also teaches a great Zumba class. And she definitely knows how to pump up the volume.

GENESIS GYM MONTALCINO - via Moglio, 20. Carla: +39 346 1362 771
Ask for la palestra in Italian. Free short stay parking at the hospital.

In case you like the outdoor fun but miss the fitness club machinery, try Ornella and Lionel's approach at Montalcino's Cupano winery.

Stationary bike and cypress tress at the Cupano winery in Montalcino

Exercise bike at Cupano
Cycle those cypress trees vintage style

If you overdid it altogether, the Genesis gym has a physiotherapist right next door (the entrance to the left, also called Genesis). Or just book a reflexology or Shiatsu massage at Yantra. The studio is beautifully designed and the beauticians also do a good manicure or make sure you can wear that new bikini to the hotel pool, or yes - to the gym.

SANT'ANTIMO ABBEY - TUSCANY'S ROMANESQUE TREASURE

Sant'Antimo abbey near Montalcino You don't have to be a catholic to remain spellbound by the eternal beauty of the Sant'Antimo abbey. The Tuscan church and monastery can turn a stubborn skeptic into a reborn spiritual. At least for the time of the visit.

SWIMMING, READING AND DINING IN BAGNO VIGNONI

Whilst the sell-out of tourist destination is a well known plague all through Italy, t here exists a tiny town in UNESCO Heritage Val d'Orcia which forgoes made in China souvenirs and just opened a bookshop instead. Bagno Vignoni is one of Tuscany's oldest tourist destinations. In fact the historic spa town has never been anything else than a tourist destination, and the ratio of inhabitants to visitors must always have been at least 1 to 10. Having looked after medieval pilgrims, ailing popes and saints ( St. Catherine of Siena used to live here for a while), Bagno Vignoni isn't tempted at all to put out plastic chairs or pizza takeaways for present day travelers. I used to live close to Bagno Vignoni and have fond memories of chasing my first -born around the town's main square which consists of a steaming hot water pool (a must-see sight for urban architects!). Our healthy m...

VAL D'ORCIA: A MAP OF THE UNESCO HERITAGE SITE

About 40 minutes south of Siena and a bit over an hour from the Tuscan coast, Val d'Orcia lies to the east of the Maremma and to the west of Montepulciano and Umbria. The UNESCO world heritage site is made up by the territories of Montalcino, San Quirico d'Orcia (with historic spa town Bagno Vignoni ) , Pienza, Castiglione d'Orcia and Radicofani. The Orcia river crosses two more municipalities (Castel del Piano and my hometown Cinigiano ), where it divides the province of Siena from the province of Grosseto (Tuscany's two southernmost areas) before flowing into the Ombrone river. View VAL D'ORCIA MAP in a larger map

Mapping MONTALCINO

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