Sorano is a picturesque hill village in the southern part of Tuscany, Italy that is part of a group of ancient villages that also includes Sovana and Pitigliano. It is really quite astonishing how well preserved the village is and how unchanged over the last few hundred years.. Squeezed along the top of a rocky ridge it is when seen from the east that Sorano shows itself at its best giving the appearance of a medieval village that is literally dug into the tufa and almost indistinguishable from the hillside. Above the village is the Orsini Fortress, built in the 14th century and then rebuilt in the 16th century. Your visit falls naturally into two distinct parts: the Orsini Fortress, and the old village itself. Inside the village there is a labyrinth of alleys and staircases staircases that ascend and descend in meandering streets and give the village a unique medieval feeling. Start your visit to Sorano at the Orsini Fortress. This imposing 14th century fortress was restored and reinforced by Niccolò Orsini IV in 1552. First admire the entrance to the fortress from the central tower and where you find the powerful doorway. Before entering take a look at the low wall leading to the finely worked entrance arch, to the right and left of the entrance. On the arch itself you can see the monumental emblems of the Aldobrandeschi lords (rampant lions) and the Orsini lords (a bear). Pass through the portal and after crossing a drawbridge you come to the Fortress. Here you enter a vast square surrounded by walls and a round tower. This is the remains of the oldest tower that is still in existence from before the work performed by Niccolo Orsini IV. On the memorial tablet, on which Nicholas IV engraved all his titles, we read that Nicholas was the Count of Pitigliano, Sovana of Nola, and that he restructured the building into a barracks. #mynovgetaway #thanksgiving #mynovgetaway#thanksgiving

Located 2.5 hrs away from Rome or 3.5 hrs away from Florence is a hidden gem so therapeutic that I could have easily stayed for hours. Cascate del Mulino is a beauty to behold! These natural hot springs stay at a comfortable temperature of 37.5 degrees Celcius (99.5 F). I did this as a day trip from Rome, leaving at 5am with my rental car. The goal was to actually leave at 4am for sunrise but I overslept 😣.⠀⠀ ⠀ Get here early to avoid the crowd. A lot of people make the mistake of calling this place "Terme di Saturnia" but that's actually the name of a nearby hotel about 4 mins away. If you come for sunrise, there's a good chance you'll have this place to yourself for an hour or so. If you come late morning to midday, these hot springs will start to look like a waterpark with all the people here. By the time I started recording this video, some people had already started getting in the pools but luckily I managed to snap photos without anyone in the springs.⠀⠀⠀ ⠀ On the left side of this abandoned house, you can easily climb up to the stream that's supplying the waterfall and swim around in the pools up there (highly recommend it!).⠀⠀ ⠀ Make sure to bring water shoes as there are a bunch of little pebbles in the water and of course a waterproof seal for your phone. There isn't anywhere to change but in or near your car in the car park. Your skin will be super dry afterward so have lotion handy with you. I was told after my visit that there are shower stalls nearby but I didn't notice any when I was there.⠀⠀ ⠀ The best part is that Cascate del Mulino is completely FREE and open 24 hours a day!! #tuscany #italy #europe #hotsprings

Sunrise at “Le Cascate Del Mulino”, Saturnia. how cool are these natural hot springs?! it blows my mind that places like this exist!

Tuscany´s hidden gem. These hot springs with milky blue water offer a fantastic hot bath in the cold early mornings.

Tuscany is one of Italy's most visited ares. However, Terme di Saturnia is still rather unknown. This hotspring looks like from out of a painting and is said to have natural healing qualities.