All about Chianti - information portal for the Chianti Classico wine area of Tuscany

Here we provide information for visitors to the Chianti area of Tuscany – a guide not only for tourists but also for residents of this part of Italy, indeed all of Italy. What makes Chianti a favoured destination? Activities, excursions, attractions, sightseeing destinations in Chianti, as well as information on what to do in Chianti, where to stay how to get around – all of this and much more is provided on this web site and its sister site, Bella Toscana.

Chianti as a geographical term and as the Chianti Classico wine zone applies to the roughly oval area of hilly countryside that lies between Florence and Sienna. It contains no cities and no railways, and is traversed north-south by the scenic Chiantigiana state highway, SR 222.

What Chianti lacks in cities it more than make up for in small towns, villages and hamlets. Greve in Chianti is the main market town, with a good bus link to Florence. The smaller towns such as Castellina, Panzano, Gaiole and Radda are all well-provided with outlets for supplies, plus numerous restaurants. There are also restaurants, often excellent value, located out in the country. An unusual example is Ristorante Dondoli, near Panzano and Greve, which has fish on the menu twice a week – something of a rarity in Chianti.

Tiny hamlets, usually extremely picturesque are dotted all over the Chianti hills and a great many of them offer tourist vacation accommodations actually in the hamlet or on wineries and olive farms nearby. There are hotels in the larger towns of Chianti as well as luxury hotels in the countryside. The quality of all of these vacation accommodations is high and we recommend that you book in advance of your arrival so as to not consume your valuable vacation time searching for a place to stay.