Vertine, Italy

Tuscany is perhaps the best known region of Italy and is quite crowded with tourists. But, there are still some hill towns whose cobbled streets aren’t jammed with daytrippers from Florence or Siena. That’s usually because they don’t have blockbuster artistic and architectural attractions or the marketing budget of larger towns.

But, if you’re looking for charm and a slower pace of life in an authentic Tuscan village, maybe a lesser known town is for you.

Vertine is one of those towns. In the Chianti region of Tuscany, this little gem has little to offer in the way of sightseeing, other than spectacular views of the rolling hills of the Italian countryside and endless rows of the region’s famous grapes along with the medieval town itself which has most of its centuries old protective wall intact.

There’s no restaurants or hotels here (at least we didn’t find any) and you probably won’t find Vertine in any guidebook, but spending some time wandering the streets, marveling at the vistas and snapping pictures is an afternoon well spent.

About the Author

Brent Petersen is the Editor-in-Chief of Destination Eat Drink. He currently resides in Setubal, Portugal. Brent has written the novel “Truffle Hunt” (Eckhartz Press) and the short story collection “That Bird.” He’s also written dozens of foodie travel guides to cities around the world on Destination Eat Drink, including in-depth eating and drinking guides to Lisbon, Porto, Sintra, Monsaraz, and Evora in Portugal. Brent’s podcast, also called Destination Eat Drink, is available on all major podcasting platforms and is distributed by the Radio Misfits Podcast Network.