Volterrano

The area around the ancient city of Volterra is full of contrasts.
Volterra is a calm city, set apart from the frenzy of modern life. Its history goes back to the Etruscans, it remained one of the key centres in Tuscany during Roman times and it became a rich trading city and important religious centre in the Middle Ages. Remnants from all the different ages are visible in the city today.
The countryside around Volterra alternates gentle and fertile hills cultivated mostly with olives and wheat fields with rough and wild areas of woodland, steep sandy cliffs and rocky terrain. The resulting contrasts are fascinating.
Moving further towards the sea, we find wide forests around Berignone, Monterufoli and Montenero, now protected nature reserves, which offer hiking trails into magical places where one can imagine that time has stood still.