siena, italy

siena is where my study abroad was based out of and i've never been more in love with a city.

i'm not going to lie and tell you that siena is the most exciting of cities. truly, i'm not entirely sure what you could do there if you didn't live there. but it is a place i very highly recommend stopping at for half a day if you are in tuscany.

the piazza del campo is the main area of the city and is home to the bi-annual palio. the palio is a horse race between the different "contradas" of siena. contradas are basically just different areas of the city that were mapped out and given names. i have never seen anywhere have such pride for their home as they did during the palio. the winning contrada parades around for weeks after the victory, celebrating their win. the palio happens once in july and again in august.

town hall is located in the piazza del campo and there is a museum inside that is small, but very pretty! it is called palazzo pubblico and is open every day from 10 am - 6 pm. the entrance fee is 8 euros.

the duomo is another beautiful place to visit. the floors tell a story and are stunning. the hours and prices vary depending on which areas you want to visit and the time of year you go. to get more information on visiting the cathedral, go to this site.

there are other museums to visit, as well as great shopping. there is a weekly market every wednesday in piazza gramsci that lasts all morning. there is lots of delicious food and gelato to be tried as well! i'd be happy to give more recommendations if people want them.


happy reading and happy travels! xoxo -k