Highlands Tour – where Tuscany breathes again
A journey through forests, springs, and mountain villages — Abbadia San Salvatore, Santa Fiora, Arcidosso and Mount Amiata. Discover Tuscany’s cooler side with the Highlands Tour from Podere Grotta Antica.
Alessio
Highlands Tour
where Tuscany breathes again
When the Tuscan sun turns the hills to gold, another world awakens in silence —
the green, cool, and fragrant forests of Mount Amiata.
This itinerary is made for travelers who love the sound of streams, the scent of moss, and the freshness of stone villages wrapped in shade.
A journey that revives body and soul, one breath at a time.
Abbadia San Salvatore
among abbeys and ancient chestnuts
At the foot of Mount Amiata lies Abbadia San Salvatore, a town with a monastic soul.
Its Benedictine abbey, dating back to the 8th century, guards a crypt of stone columns that looks like a forest underground.
Outside the walls, centuries-old chestnut groves stretch endlessly, crossed by paths and cool streams.
👉 Tip: follow the Amiata Ring Trail, a circular route through beech trees and mountain springs — shady even in midsummer.
...
Fonte delle Ermicciolo
the spring at the mountain’s heart
Not far from Abbadia, a short trail leads to the Fonte delle Ermicciolo, where crystal water bursts from the rocks.
Next to it stands a small hermitage chapel — silent, ancient, and perfectly in tune with the forest around it.
The air is damp and pure, and the murmur of water fills every corner.
👉 Tip: fill your bottle here — this spring water is famously pure and refreshingly cold.
...
Santa Fiora
the village of water and music
Further south lies Santa Fiora, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
Here the Fiora River is born, and its clear waters feed the charming Peschiera, a pool of reflections right in the old town.
The narrow streets smell of wet stone and jasmine, and the cool mountain air flows gently through the alleys.
👉 Tip: stay until evening — when music and laughter fill the square, the whole village becomes a natural open-air theatre.
...
Arcidosso
the medieval wind
On the western slope of the mountain, Arcidosso mixes medieval charm with mountain spirit.
Its Aldobrandesca Fortress towers above the rooftops, while its narrow lanes are alive with crafts and local life.
It’s a village that blends history, nature, and soul.
👉 Tip: don’t miss the Merigar Buddhist Center, open to visitors and surrounded by forest — an unexpected oasis of peace in the heart of Tuscany.
Abbadia San Salvatore
among abbeys and ancient chestnuts
At the foot of Mount Amiata lies Abbadia San Salvatore, a town with a monastic soul.
Its Benedictine abbey, dating back to the 8th century, guards a crypt of stone columns that looks like a forest underground.
Outside the walls, centuries-old chestnut groves stretch endlessly, crossed by paths and cool streams.
👉 Tip: follow the Amiata Ring Trail, a circular route through beech trees and mountain springs — shady even in midsummer.
...
Fonte delle Ermicciolo
the spring at the mountain’s heart
Not far from Abbadia, a short trail leads to the Fonte delle Ermicciolo, where crystal water bursts from the rocks.
Next to it stands a small hermitage chapel — silent, ancient, and perfectly in tune with the forest around it.
The air is damp and pure, and the murmur of water fills every corner.
👉 Tip: fill your bottle here — this spring water is famously pure and refreshingly cold.
...
Santa Fiora
the village of water and music
Further south lies Santa Fiora, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy.
Here the Fiora River is born, and its clear waters feed the charming Peschiera, a pool of reflections right in the old town.
The narrow streets smell of wet stone and jasmine, and the cool mountain air flows gently through the alleys.
👉 Tip: stay until evening — when music and laughter fill the square, the whole village becomes a natural open-air theatre.
...
Arcidosso
the medieval wind
On the western slope of the mountain, Arcidosso mixes medieval charm with mountain spirit.
Its Aldobrandesca Fortress towers above the rooftops, while its narrow lanes are alive with crafts and local life.
It’s a village that blends history, nature, and soul.
👉 Tip: don’t miss the Merigar Buddhist Center, open to visitors and surrounded by forest — an unexpected oasis of peace in the heart of Tuscany.
Coming back to Podere Grotta Antica after a day on Mount Amiata feels like holding two faces of Tuscany — the golden one and the green one.
The evening air carries the scent of wood and silence, and the cool of the mountain lingers on your skin like a gentle memory.
📍 Distances from Podere Grotta Antica (Chiusi)
Abbadia San Salvatore ~55 min · Fonte delle Ermicciolo ~1 h ·
Santa Fiora ~1 h 10 min · Arcidosso ~1 h 15 min