Skip to main content

URBAN TREKKING IN SIENA 2013

The Urban Trekking movement started in Siena 10 years ago and managed to spread to over 40 Italian cities in the last decade. A reason to celebrate the round anniversary with 10 days filled to the brim with events focusing on slow travel in Siena. 

The cultural highlight of the festival are the guided visits to some of the rooms of Palazzo Pubblico in piazza del Campo (11€ per person), which have always been off limits to the general public. A more adventurous take on Siena are the early morning balloon flights over the city of the Palio (180€ per person). Both events are on reservation only. 

Siena's backroads
Discovering a lesser known Siena during the Urban Trekking Days 


Looking for a freebie? Join a free guided visit to the Museo dell'Acqua and discover the history of Siena's 'bottini', the meandering underground tunnels, which during the Middle Ages were dig into the hills of the city for the daily supply of drinking water. Or walk along with the night time guided visit called Tempo Zulu, which follows a trail of contemporary art in the midst of a medieval city. 

Brought your climbing shoes? Forget rocks and cliffs and try your skill on the facade of a couple of Renaissance buildings. Chiodofisso, Siena's climbers association organizes a street boulder open to everybody ready to climb up the steep walls around piazza del Mercato, Fontebranda, the hidden away Castello degli Ugurgieri and yes - even the famous Cortile del Podestà, the courtyard inside Palazzo Pubblico. 

TREKKING URBANO 2013 - October 25 to November 3
For detailed information on timing and booking of events, visit the tourist office in piazza del Campo or check the daily festival program on the website of the municipality of Siena. 
Special visits and walking routes are available for families travelling with kids. Most initiatives are in Italian, but info@sienaguide.it should be able to tell you which events are suitable for English speakers too.  


Popular posts from this blog

BEST BIKE RENTAL IN SIENA

Villa Catignano: one of the many beautiful places an e-bike can get you to from Siena A few years ago, I interviewed an American writer , who during her month-long stay in Siena whizzed through the city on a bicycle. This was an unusual sight - vespas are the two-wheelers of choice in Siena's hilly town center, not bikes like in mostly flat Florence.  But the invention of e-bikes is about to change this. The city of Siena has installed an  electric bike sharing program which is functioning well. However, it's mostly aimed at locals and residents, as its set-up is a little complicated for visitors who only stay a couple of days in town. Hence, for tourists, the best bike rental options in Siena are with the privately owned shops which supply bycicles of every size and type for a day or two or an entire week.  Giulia from Julskitchen.com cycling through the hills of Siena Siena Bike Shop rents out racing bycicles, hybrid and e-bikes and is a great optio...

TASTE SIENA'S CHIANTI CLASSICO AT THE PREVIEW IN... FLORENCE (of all places!)

The province of Siena is a treasure trove for prestigious DOCG wines: from Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano to San Gimignano's white Vernaccia. Best known to the bigger audience and closest to the town center of Siena lay the hills of Chianti Classico. A wine not to be confused with the simpler Chianti (which can be produced in a much wider area of Tuscany). The black rooster (Gallo Nero) logo of the Chianti Classico links back to a much cited medieval legend involving the towns of Siena and Florence and their conquest of the hills dividing the territory between them.  The Chianti Classico vintner's association has overworked the design of the famous logo and will present it to the world on the 19th of February during the 2013 preview of the Chianti Classico collection (from the February 18-20 the Stazione Leopoldina in Florence).  A great logo for a great wine: Chianti Classico Collection in Florence

PARTICIPATING CONTRADE IN THE PALIO RACE ON JULY 2, 2015

Palio dinner preparations in the Onda neighborhood As with every Palio, only 10 out of Siena's 17 contrade can participate in the horse race.  The ten contrade which will race piazza del Campo on July 2, 2015 in the world's oldest continually run sporting event are:  Torre (tower) Nicchio (shell) Civetta (owl) Valdimontone (ram) Leocorno (unicorn) Oca (goose) Pantera (pantheress) Selva (forest) Onda (wave) Tartuca (tortoise) PALIO HOSE RACE JULY 2, 2015 The weather forecast shows 30 degrees for the whole week in Siena. If you're not great with the heat and sticky crowds skip the long afternoon of waiting in piazza del Campo on July 2, and make do with a trial race instead. The first of them takes place on the evening of June 29 at 7.45 pm. Followed by morning trials at 9 pm and evening trials (again at 7.45 pm) on all the days leading up to the final race on July 2. The morning trials are less busy than the evening ones, but the light is beautifu...