Why visit Siena and what activities can you look forward to?
Sights and history
Siena is not only a historical gem in Italy, but it is definitely one of the most beautiful historical cities in the world. It is not for nothing that its centre is therefore a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Siena's greatest urban heyday was between the 13th and 15th centuries, when it was an independent republic. And it is also from this period that most of the sights are not to be missed. These include:
Get lost in the streets of Siena
The most popular activity is wandering aimlessly in the winding streets, up and down the steep valley sides and beautiful squares. Away from the bustling streets full of tourists, just turn two corners and you'll find yourself in a backwater Siena with a peaceful, almost mystical atmosphere, where the houses breathe history and hundreds of human stories.
You can wander the streets for an hour, but for romantics, this activity will keep them entertained for up to 2 days.
Palio di Siena horse racing
An ancient tradition dating back to the 14th century still flourishes in Siena today. We are talking about the famous Palio di Siena horse races, which are held twice a year right in the main square , Piazza del Campo.
The races are a truly mass event and very popular among the locals, always welcoming thousands of spectators.
The perimeter of the piazza is transformed into an improvised racing oval, with soft ground being laid on a special structure to prevent the horses from injuring themselves and damaging the pavement.
Each time, 10 riders in the appropriate crest colours represent the 17 autonomous districts of Siena (the so-called contrade). As it would not be possible to race all 17 horses all the time for safety reasons, the 7 contrade that did not take part in the last pallium are always automatically assigned to the next one, the 3 remaining ones are assigned to them.
The Palio di Siena is always held twice a year on fixed dates, regardless of weekends or holidays:
- 2nd of July in honour of the Madonna of Provence
- 16 August in honour of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary
For truly extraordinary events, it is possible to organize a third palio during the year, but this happens about once every 10 years.
Hiking
Although Siena is mainly known for its urban tourism, history and culture, its idyllic rolling landscape of vineyards and forests also beckons for walks and longer hikes, especially if you spend more than one night in Siena.
There are several marked hiking trails around the city that take you through rural landscapes, small romantic-looking villages and surprisingly deep forests.
You can explore the marked hiking trails around Siena, for example, on maps.cz.
