Even if you come to Montepulciano to learn Italian, you will probably not want to pass all your time doing exercises and reading grammar books! It is possible to spend pleasant afternoons in the country or enrich your knowledge of Montepulciano and its surrounding areas. If this is your intention, you may like to take part in our cultural programme whose activities include guided tours of Montepulciano, cooking evenings, wine-tasting, a series of tutorials on history and the story of art, walks in the country and excursions to Cortona, Lago di Trasimeno or Montalcino. All these activities are, of course, in Italian. The excursions are optional and not included in the price of courses.
If you want to organise your own free time, Montepulciano and its surrounding areas have a lot to offer, including the towns of Chiusi and Cortona, famous for their Etruscan origins, the monasteries of Sant'Antimo and Monte Oliveto Maggiore, mediaeval towns such as Cetona and Città delle Pieve and Pienza, known as the "Pearl of the Renaissance". For nature lovers, there are hundreds of scenic walking routes in the Val d'Orcia or on Monte Amiata. In Montepulciano there are tennis courts, dance schools and a gym. In Chianciano (8km away and on a bus route) there is a swimming pool. We also recommend a visit to the area's large number of spa towns, such as Bagno Vignoni, Bagni di S. Filippo and San Casciano dei Bagni (reachable only by car).
For music-lovers, theatre buffs, those who enjoy street festivals, in summer there is an "embarrassment of riches": food festivals everywhere, concerts and recitals, the piazza transformed into a theatre, while exhibitions and historical processions frequently recreate the Middle Ages. Nor should we forget that Tuscany is also a destination for those who love good food and drink. From the housewife's kitchen to the most gourmet restaurant, there is something to suit all palates. And of course there are the great wines, the Nobile and the Brunello.
Thanks to its privileged position near to motorways and main line train stations, Montepulciano is also the ideal point for excursions to Central Italy's most famous historic and cultural centres: Siena, Arezzo, Perugia and Assisi are about 50 km away, while from the nearby Chiusi/Chianciano Terme railway station, you can get to Rome and Florence in little more than an hour.
