5 Things To See And Do While Visiting The Chianti Wine Region

1) Go wine tasting.

A trip to wine country that didn’t involve wine tasting would be like traveling to the moon without actually walking on it. The Chianti wine country lies in the heart of Tuscany, touching the provinces of Grosseto, Siena, Arezzo, Firenze, Prato, Pistoia and Pisa.

You can taste amazing wine in any of the provinces.

2) Witness the Palio di Siena.

Italians love racing. In Siena, the greatest race is the Palio. Ten riders race their horses bareback around the historic Piazza del Campo in the name of honor and rivalry. The 3-lap race, which usually lasts no more than two minutes, is held twice a year and is attended by spectators from around the world.

Races take place on July 2nd and August 16th.

3) People watch in the Piazza Grande.

The city of Arezzo dates back to the rule of the Roman Empire. The Piazza Grande, the city’s medieval square, embraces travelers from around the world as they make their way through the heart of Tuscany.

700 years ago bishops paced the red brick pavement in search of answers from above. Today, you can stroll through the square and observe the friendly locals and eager tourists.

4) Learn to cook.

You’ve never had Italian food unless you’ve been to Italy. In Tuscany, cooking is more like an art form than a nutritional practice.

Learn to cook condiments, appetizers, pastas and desserts in one of the region’s many cooking schools.

5) Visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Few architectural blunders are as visited as the Leaning Tower of Pisa. It took over 170 years to construct the 183 ft tall, 14,500 metric ton bell tower.

Located about an hour from Florence, the Tower of Pisa is open to tourists who want to help hold it up using a little trick photography.