Siena is world-famous

If you have chosen to spend your holiday in beautiful Tuscany, Siena in the central part of the region is an obvious destination.
Siena is world-famous – and on UNESCO's World Heritage List – for its historic centre, not least the square in the city centre which is shaped like a seashell, and which is a great source of inspiration for many architecture students.
And this very square, Piazza del Campo, is also a must-visit while you are in Siena.

Siena's city centre is shaped like a seashell

You get the most magnificent view if you arrive at Piazza del Campo from the north-western side, so you enter the square at the top where it curves and get a view of the entire square and the Palazzo Pubblico, the town hall, and the museum with the 102-metre-high bell tower.

On the square also stands the beautiful old fountain Fonte Gaia, which was originally built back in the 14th century. The fountain that stands on the square today is a copy from the 19th century, as the original fountain was in such poor condition that it was decided it was best to build a new one. The figures from the original fountain can be seen in a museum today.

Café, picnic or a cold pint in Siena?

Whether you prefer a glass of cold white wine at a nice café, a picnic with your own packed basket, or a cold beer on a bench with some local students, you can have it your way at Piazza del Campo.
The entire square is surrounded by cafés, so the biggest challenge here is to figure out what you want to eat and then go for it.
If you prefer a pleasant picnic, you can just sit in the middle of the square and enjoy your packed food.
That is one of the things that makes Piazza del Campo so special. Try to think back to other large, open squares you know of – are there any of those places where it would feel natural for people to sit down in the middle of the square, sunbathe, read a book or eat their packed lunch? Probably not, right?

Usually, you look for a step or a wall to lean against, or something else that makes it seem natural to sit right there.
But not at Piazza del Campo. The square's gentle slope makes it feel almost like an amphitheatre, where you can easily sit in the middle of the square and sunbathe or enjoy your packed lunch. It is so obvious to sit and enjoy a couple of hours here in the middle of the square that many people lie down to enjoy the sun's rays – but no, it's not long before a couple of policemen come by and kindly, but firmly, ask you to sit up again. We can't have that kind of lounging in the middle of Piazza del Campo.

It's nothing short of fantastic to sit and enjoy a cold pint with a view over Piazza del Campo

If you prefer the last option, the cold pint on a bench next to the local students, then go to the corner of the square where you can see some long balconies on the side of the houses. Here you can go into one of the shops and buy a cold beer, go through the back room and up the narrow spiral staircase to the 2nd floor, from where you can go out onto the balcony and sit on the bench and enjoy the beer with a view over the entire Piazza del Campo.

The Palio horse race and classic cars in Siena

It is also here on the square – believe it or not – that Italy's most famous and traditional horse race, Il Palio, takes place twice a year. On 2 July and 16 August.
Here, a racetrack of sand is built around the entire square, and for the public, there are free standing places in the middle of the track, while you have to cough up a lot of money for the expensive seats that are set up outside the racetrack.
The whole day is a festival day that lasts for many hours both before and after the horse race itself.

If you prefer classic cars to horses, this is also an option when you visit Siena.
For example, the beautiful Mille Miglia race in mid-May, where the old classic cars drive from Brescia in northern Italy to Rome and back again. On the way, they pass through Siena and of course, they take a lap of honour on Piazza del Campo.

Or if you are in Siena early in the season, you might be lucky enough to see the Cassiacorse Storica race in mid-April, where both brand new and classic cars drive among each other from Florence to Siena and finish at the Hotel Ristorante Garden.

Brand new and classic cars arrive side by side in the Cassiacorse Storica race

Striped cathedral in Siena

But there is, of course, more to Siena than Piazza del Campo, horse races and classic car races.
As mentioned, Siena's city centre is on UNESCO's World Heritage List, and one of the historic landmarks in Siena that you should not miss during a visit to the city is the characteristic striped cathedral, which is located at the highest point in the city.
On the large steps outside the church, people are sitting and enjoying themselves, while people in front of the steps are holding selfie sticks and taking selfies with the large, impressive building in the background, and next to the church, people are selling scarves, postcards and small teddy bears in their souvenir stalls. The square in front of the cathedral, Piazza del Duomo, is just like Piazza del Campo one of the places in Siena that buzzes with life. Naturally, since these two beautiful places both hold such a large part of Siena's history and are only a 3-minute walk from each other.

The black- and white-striped cathedral is one of Siena's historic landmarks

Classical private concert in the park

If you have plenty of time in Siena, it is also highly recommended to go a little outside the city centre and see what is hidden there.
For example, take a walk down through the botanical garden or sit on a blanket and enjoy the sun and the view from the public garden Orto dei Tolomei, which is located right behind the music conservatory. If you come during the school's opening hours, you might be lucky enough to enjoy a beautiful violin concert streaming from the open windows.
Here in the park, you also get more of a feeling of being one of the locals along with the students from the music conservatory than you do in the middle of Piazza del Campo.

Experience the local student life in the park behind the music conservatory

On the way back to the city centre, you can possibly stop by the market held under the covered archway called 'Tartarugone' (the big turtle), named after the shape of its roof which resembles a turtle's shell.
However, the market is only open on certain weekdays, so check this in advance if you don't want to risk a wasted trip.

Rent a holiday home in Siena and stay close to the wine regions.

Take a holiday in a holiday home in the Siena area if you are interested in wine. Here you stay right in the 'sweet spot' with a short distance to the entire Chianti district, Montepulciano, Brunello di Montalcino and Vernaccia di San Gimignano. In addition to magnificent wines, there are also charming villages with small restaurants and wine shops where you can taste the wine before you buy it.

I wish you a very good trip and hope you have a fantastic time in Siena!