Guide to Barberino Val D'elsa

'As typically Tuscan as the sun-filled days are long, you'll be living the Italian dream in rustic Barberino Val D'Elsa'

As you approach the delightful town of Barberino Val D'Elsa you may well imagine you have fallen into a picture postcard of Tuscany, or at least into someone's idea of what a Tuscan rural idyll should look like. Surrounded on all sides by the most romantic Italian countryside, the town rests sleepily below a time-weathered castle in the Chianti hills. On all sides are fragrant olive groves and, of course, the vineyards for which the region is so famous. Barberino Val D'Elsa itself is almost screened, when viewed from a distance, by a fringe of waving cypress trees and it's only when you're quite close that you notice the old town wall. It's ancient, but has stood the test of time well enough to provide unforgettable walks along the top. Also hinting at the great history of Barberino is the church of Sant Appiano, built almost a thousand years ago. Take a walk inside the town walls and you will enjoy a feast of the senses, especially when you come to the dignified old central square; it is here that you'll find a handful of small restaurants serving home-cooked, Tuscan food accompanied by fruity Chianti, perhaps from the vineyard at Castellina. A little further afield you'll discover the more sophisticated charms of cities like Florence with its wealth of great art, Siena with its medieval architecture and Pisa with its world-famous leaning tower. All of which makes Barberino a great base for touring, and a perfect retreat for a tranquil Tuscan holiday.

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