La Dolce Vita - A Weekend in Tuscany

If, like me, you chase the sun looking for the most perfect Golden Hour, you’d struggle to find anywhere more perfect to experience it than Siena. Tuscany’s ‘second city’ rivals Florence when it comes to spectacular Renaissance architecture and exquisite historic buildings, and the walled cities positioning high on the Tuscan hills gives spectacular views for as far as the eye can see, made all the more beautiful as the sun descends and the golden light washes over the Italian landscape.

We visited last week, in the middle of August – the peak of the Summer season, but if you’re looking for an Autumnal city break, it’s the perfect destination. Just a short journey from London City Airport to Florence, we were able to enjoy a full day in Florence before making the short and scenic drive to Siena (I’d highly recommend hiring a car!). A trip in Autumn would enable you to explore for hours in balmy temperatures and fewer visitors; while Siena was relatively peaceful, Florence was full of bustling tourists at this busy time year!

Siena has an intimate feel, the sleepy light golden cobbled streets have a medieval feel to them, and the many churches and grand buildings line the streets to give the walled city a maze like feeling; although thankfully Google Maps seemed to work a treat when it came to finding our restaurant reservations – or the nearest Gelateria!

What I Wore – Day One

Dress by

Gold Flats by

Bag by

Bracelets by

What I Wore – Day Two

Top by River Island

Culottes by Topshop

Bag by

A Place to Call Home

Our base during our trip to Siena was the newly refurbished La Bagnaia Golf & Spa resort; part of The Curio Collection. The sprawling resort is set within a once medieval village within the vast hills of the Tuscan landscape, just 15 minutes outside of Siena. The breathtaking views from the many terraces of the hotel set the scene perfectly for the first Curio Collection hotel by Hilton in Italy and the boutique hotel is divided across two main sites; Borgo La Bagnaia and Borgo la Filetta, the latter of which is home to a beautiful spa where the outdoor pool is filled with therapeutic thermal mineral waters – the perfect place to spend a warm afternoon!

Our room was incredibly spacious and furnished with elegant Tuscan art, furnished with typical rustic furniture it was the perfect blend of modern luxuries and traditional Tuscan style.

As well as a beautiful pool set against the dramatic vistas, guests can also spend the day enjoying a round of golf on the resorts 18 hole gold course, or within The Buddha Spa where treatments by Clarins are on offer to guests.

Charlie and I also made the most of the equipment within the hotel’s gym, and took mountain bikes out on our first afternoon to explore the huge property and burn off some calories from the pizza and pasta we had devoured earlier in the day!

Discover more about La Bagnaia Golf & Spa by The Curio Collection here.

If you’re planning a visit to Siena, I’d certainly recommend researching restaurants and booking in advance, although within the walled medieval town it’s not hard to stumble upon a restaurant serving scrumptious Pizza or Pasta dishes! I’d highly recommend exploring from around 6pm, when the temperature is perfect for traversing the winding streets without breaking into a sweat, and the lovely shops remain open into the evening – perfect to browse through as you decide where to dine!