Hidden Gem: The Medieval Town of San San Gimignano, Italy

travelingstories (54)in #sangimignano • 7 years ago (edited)

Every traveler dreams of finding one… A hidden gem, a unique, special place none knows… A piece of Paradise on Earth, untouched by the masses… We @travelingstories want to share with you these special places, so you can wonder at them like we did!

This time, we’ll talk about this awesome town… San Gimignano!

Following Pisa on our blog, San Gimignano is a medieval hill town within walls, located in the famous region of Tuscany, at about one hour by car from Florence and Siena. It’s town center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and we easily understand why… It’s old, yes, but it’s so well preserved!

With a lot of awesome medieval towers to observe, San Gimignano is the perfect place to spend a day on your trip through Tuscany, the Italian regian known for its green hills, its amazing wine and the beautiful cities of Florence and Siena.

To reach it from Florence, you can catch a direct bus at Florence bus station (next to Santa Maria Novella’s train station), or you can catch a train to Poggibonsi (one hour trip) and then get on a city bus to San Gimignano (roughly half an hour ride). From Siena, the strategy is the same: train or bus. The price of a round trip from both cities to San Gimignano is about 20€ per person.

San Gimignano is an old town, dated from 450 AD, it resisted the invasions of Atila, the Hun to become a stopping point for pilgrims who, in the Middel Ages, traveled to Rome and the Vatican. It also resisted the plague and preserved its architecture to nowadays. We highly recommend that you visit it, it’s definitely worth it!

Oh! And if you enjoy being in a Medieval town, surrounded by walls… Isn’t it better to buy one of these? You never know if the enemy is at the gates... :)

If you don’t think so and you prefer the traditional Italian “gelato”, then we’ve got news for you… Ready?! At Piazza della Cisterna, coming from Piazza del Dumo, just continue straight ahead. Near two stone archs you will find the so called Best Gelato In The World: at Gelateria Dell' Olmo! Enjoy!