San Pietro Aitora

Are you interested in Geography and how things are formed? If so, then Tuscany in Italy may have just the thing to attract your attention! There are grottos, underground tunnels, mines, prehistoric caves, Etruscan necropolises, aqueducts, labyrinths and other fantastic underground attractions to be seen. Though it may never see the sunlight, this part of Tuscany shines as bright as any other with a wealth of things to be discovered, both natural and man made!

Can you imagine what it would be like to walk through these fantastic caves and wonder what it was like years and years ago. To see the natural formations of the rocks that decorate these places and marvel at how they have obtained their shape?

Val di Cecina has so much to offer tourists on their holidays to Tuscany as it has so much to do and see, all in one easily accessible area. Visiting the towns of Montecatini Val di Cecina and Castelnuovo Val di Cecina would create a charming day trip full of art, historic culture and of course, appetizing Tuscan cuisine! There is a wealth of accommodation in the Val di Cecina including, villas, farmhouses and other holiday rentals for visitors to base their stay in as they discover this intriguing land.

Begin the day with a trip to the medieval town of Montecatini Val di Cecina, perched on the Poggio la Croce hill overlooking the valley. From here, tourists can see the nearby town of Volterra, less than fifteen kilometres away.

Volterra is such a beautiful town and personally I prefer it to the close by San Gimignano.... Less crowded and so much atmosphere.

This magic city has its roots in three thousand years of history and you will find evidence and traces from every historical period. The imposing Porta all’Arco, the Necropolis, the ancient city walls and the numerous archeological finds conserved in the Museo Etrusco Guarnacci like the famous "Ombra della Sera" (evening Shadow) with its unique profile, the funeral urns and the finely crafted jewellery, bear testimony of the Etruscan period.

Volterra is a beautiful, medieval hilltop town in Tuscany that is incredibly picturesque. Elegant, cinematic, and seemingly untouched by time, it feels as though one has stepped into the past when walking around the pretty cobbled squares and historic buildings. There is a reason that it was chosen as the setting of the Italian headquarters of a very ancient and powerful vampire coven in the movie series based on Stephanie Meyer’s “Twilight” saga. However, beneath this beautiful exterior, there is a lot of darkness and the town of Volterra is steeped in local myth and is home to quite a few macabre attractions. Perhaps, another reason as to why it was chosen as the fictitious home of a group of deadly vampires!

If you are intrigued by the more spooky or creepy things in life, a vacation rental in Volterra is a great idea as it offers all of the charm and typical features of a Tuscan town and Tuscan life, along with some fascinating morbid surprises. Head to the crossbow festival in May, the Jazz festival in August, the delicious truffle fair in October, the horrifying and informative Torture Museum, and the site of a witch trial. Or, you could go and explore the abandoned Ospedale Psichiatrico di Volterra, a crumbling old mental institution that looks upsettingly just like the setting of a very scary horror movie.