This was one of the walled cities we visited on our trip to Italy and the one we decided to stay in for the night. Volterra is a great choice, it had lots of historical sites, plenty of restaurants, and in general, it was amazing. It has an impressive view driving up from the road and looked very formidable from a distance. Be aware that there is no driving without a special permit allowed inside the walls, so you need to find parking in a lot outside. We had a nice airbnb just inside the gates and loved our late night and early morning walks around the town before it got busy. The shops, restaurants, and scenic viewpoints were fun to stroll through at our leisure. It was amazing to see the city inhabitants that keep this amazing historical town a living breathing city as they carried out their daily tasks that involved a lot of uphill walking! The labryth of cobblestone roads really add to the setting and are fun to get lost in as you visit the locals' thriving businesses. read more

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A great living village. It's not just set up for tourists, because there are actually families living here. There are also ancient Roman ruins on one side of town. Plenty of shops, gelato parlors, and eateries line the streets. I also saw a few banks and ATMs as well. It's very quaint and can occupy a number of hours eating and browsing. read more

Volterra is one of the region's lesser-known hill towns set in a dramatic landscape high on a bluff some 1,800 above the valley below and surrounded by soft rolling hills and lush woodlands. A fortress-like town, Volterra was a center of Etruscan art and commerce from the 9th century BCE. Alabaster carvings products are famous in Volterra. I now appreciate anything that was made of alabaster sold @ Goodwill for 99cents that says: "Genuine Alabaster Hand-carved Made in Italy" The Roman Theatre (1st century BC), was excavated in the 1950s. Andrea Bocelli recorded a music video here once, he doesn't live very far from Volterra. If you like medieval buildings, and maze alleys, you'll enjoy Volterra! read more

The drive to the hilltop town of Volterrra on this cool Autumn day came with a calming view of the beautiful Tuscany country side under a cloudless blue sky. The road has many sharp turns. We made sure to park outside the walled town. Luckily we found a spot near Porta Florentina right across from the Roman amphitheater ruins. This is a charming little town with narrow cobble stone streets. It's easy to walk to the town's main attractions, including a gorgeous square, a cathedral, a bell tower, a baptistery, and an arch monument with three heads. There's a tourist info office in Piazza dei Priori. After a leisurely stroll we stopped at Atutta Pizza for a quick lunch of cheese burger and pizza before the metered time ran out. It was a delightful, worthwhile day tour from our Hilton hotel in Selvatelle. read more

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We spent two nights in Volterra, so we had a lot of time to wander the streets and investigate some of the smaller sites. Lots to see, and you cannot do it justice on a day trip. Several museums, we especially liked the Etruscan Museum and the Palazzo Viti. Both well worth a visit. We also liked a couple restaurants, IL Sacco Florentino and La Taverna della Terra di Mezzo. Good service and good food. Just wandering the town is a treat that shouldn't be missed. It's a bit out of the way and hasn't been discovered by nearly as many tourists. read more