Siena (often mispelled "Sienna") may be the best-preserved medieval city in Italy, thanks to its conquest by Florence nearly 500 years ago. While the Florentines were busy launching the Renaissance, the Senese played the role of country cousins--and as a result, Siena (or at least the walled portion of the city) still looks much as it did in the Middle Ages.

Many tourists regard Siena as being worth a day trip from Florence or a half-day stopover on a tour of rural Tuscany. That's a mistake. You should allow at least two days to visit Siena's major churches and museums, plus another day simply to enjoy the unique atmosphere of this historic but lively university town.

On the following pages, you'll find tourist tips and dozens of links to tourism sites, hotel Web pages, and other online resources for Siena.

Siena: New Practical Guide
Bonechi Edizioni publishes this 124-page paperback, which has 150 color photos. The book focuses on churches, museums, and other sights, with a few pages of hotel and restaurant listings in the back. EUR 4.13 at souvenir shops and newsstands.

Siena: The Gothic Dream
Edizione Alsaba of Siena is responsible for this handsome, oversized guide to the city's history, monuments, and art. The book divides the city into three itineraries and is packed with beautiful photos and reproductions of artwork. An attractive map, suitable for framing, is tucked inside the back cover. Price: ITL 25000 or EUR 12.91 at bookstores, including the English-language section of the Libreria Senese on the Via di Città.

I'd also recommend a good map--preferably the 1:5000 Siena city map from Freytag & Berndt, which should be available at large bookstores throughout Europe.

Reaching Siena from Florence or Rome.

If you arrive from Florence, as many visitors do, the SITA bus is your best public-transportation option. Trains also connect the two cities, but Siena's railroad station is outside of town, and it's a long uphill walk or an expensive taxi ride to the city center. (Minibuses run several times an hour, but they're often crowded and aren't practical for travelers with luggage.)

Buses leave the SITA bus station in Florence (near the main railroad station) and arrive at Siena's Piazza Antonio Gramsci, which is one short block from Siena's main pedestrian thoroughfare.

By car, you can take the autostrada from Florence or head west from the Val di Chiana exit of the autostrada from Rome. (TIP: Hotels often subsidize parking for guests, so ask about free parking or discounts when you book your room.)

Public transportation

Siena-Florence Express Buses
Rapide express buses connect Siena with Florence in 75 minutes. Accelerate buses stop more often and are slower than their name would suggest. (Tip: Avoid traveling on Sunday, when buses don't run as often and are likely to be crowded.)

SENA Autolinee
Click "Orarii e Tariffe" for bus timetables between Siena and other Italian cities, including Milan and Rome.

TRAIN
Despite the name, TRAIN is Siena's urban and suburban bus service. Its orange buses and minibuses offer frequent service at very reasonable fares.

Trenitalia
The English-language pages of the Italian State Railways have a journey planner that you can use to find connections between Siena and other Italian cities.

Tourism Web sites

Siena APT
The Agenzia per il Turismo has tourist information for the city and province of Siena. If you can't read Italian, translate with AltaVista--or visit the APT's office at Piazza del Campo, 56 for literature, maps, etc. You can also request information by .

Guesthouseinitaly.com
Classifieds, Accommodation, Travel Forum, articles, personal travel advice, and more.

Sienaitaly.com
Steve Soper, a Sienaphile in Chittenden, Vermont, has put together an attractive site with articles, personal travel advice, and links.

About Siena
This site has a great deal of practical information for travelers, including tips for itineraries in the countryside around Siena.

Dolce Vita City Guides: Siena
A few hotels and restaurants are listed here, and Dawn Saucier's "Spirito di Siena" article gives a very quick overview of the city and its history.

Welcome to Italy: Siena
Many of this site's listings of museums, hotels, etc. are for nearby towns and villages rather than for the city itself.

Museums and churches

Siena is packed with museums, churches, and monuments. Be sure to visit the Duomo, or cathedral (no admission charge), and consider a visit to the Museo Civico with the extra-cost climb up the Torre de Mangia. If you plan to visit a number of museums, you can save money with a 3- or 7-day cumulative or combination ticket.

Museums in Siena
Although the listings are mostly in Italian, the opening hours and addresses don't require translation.

Siena's Contrada Museums
The contrade, or neighborhoods, of Siena will open the doors of their private headquarters and museums to visitors who make arrangements in advance. (I've visited the museum of the Nobile Contrada di Aquila--the "Noble Contrada of the Eagle"--and I can recommend it to anyone with an interest in Italian traditions and historic costumes.)

Enoteca Italiana
This isn't a museum, strictly speaking; it's a "wine library" or "wine archive" of more than 1,000 Tuscan vintages. You can sample and buy wines, browse through wine publications, and admire the vaulted cellars, corridors, and armories of Siena's 15th Century Medici fortress. If you can't read Italian, see this description.

Il Palio

Twice and sometimes three times during the summer, the contrade or neighborhoods of Siena compete in a horse race around the Piazza del Campo. The races (which can be dangerous to both the horses and riders) take place in an atmosphere of medieval pageantry. Unless you like crowds, you may be better off staying in another Italian city and watching the race on television.

Il Palio
This nonprofit Web site from Siena has an English article that lists the 59 contrade and describes the race from historic times through the present day.

The Dirt Goes Down: Siena's Palio
Kyle Phillips is the author of this Gotuscany article.

Siena's Palio Horse Race
Kristin Jarratt wrote her first-person account of "how I became a caterpillar" for In Italy Online.

75 Seconds to the Victory
This description of the race includes a glossary of Palio terms and a daily schedule.

Walking tours

Bellews Tours (Audiocassettes)
Cicerone "Walk With Me" self-guided tours include audiocassettes and large printed maps. They're available for Siena, Florence, Pisa/Lucca, Rome, and Venice.

Internet access

Thanks to its large student population, Siena has many "Internet points" (cybercafés without the caffè). The one I used during my stay was the Via di Città branch of:

Internet Train
The best deal, if you're an Internet junkie, is a card good for at least two hours of access. I got an hour's bonus with my two-hour card, and I could use the card at more than 100 other Internet Train locations in Italy.

Laundry

Siena has a number of self-service laundries, including one that's only a few meters away from the Piazza del Campo. For details, see the Anda Blu Laundromat pages of my Siena Photo Gallery.

Universities

Università per Stranieri di Siena
The University for Foreigners emphasizes linguistics and language training. It offers university diplomas for translators, interpreters, and teachers of Italian. It also has a graduate program in Italian language and culture.

Università di Siena
The University of Siena was founded in 1240 with schools of law, grammar, and medicine. Today, it has more than 20,000 students in many academic disciplines.

For more information on Siena (including a 113-page Siena Photo Gallery), use the "Related articles and Pictures" links in the solid grey table below.

Hotels

When looking for a hotel in Siena, you have two basic choices: a hotel in the historic center or a hotel on the city's outskirts.

A hotel in the center will be more convenient for city sightseeing, and--if you're like me--you'll enjoy walking Siena's quiet streets late in the evening when the daytime bus-tour crowds are gone. On the other hand, hotels near or beyond the city's walls offer more convenient parking--and if you want a swimming pool, you'll need to head for the hills (or at least for the suburbs).

Other places to stay

Apartments, villas, and farm or agriturismo accommodations are popular in Tuscany. A few apartments are in the city, but you'll find more in the surrounding countryside--and if you're traveling with a family or pet or want to enjoy a taste of rural Italy during the summer months, a restored farmstead or country house may be the perfect option.

To find a place to stay, use the links in our site.