Siena served as a scheduled rest stop during my tour of mainland Europe in the fall of 2003, and I thoroughly enjoyed my few days of relaxation and exploration in the town. Siena is probably most well-known for its annual Palio races, held twice a year at the Piazza del Campo in the center of town. On my first night in Siena I realized why the neighborhood where I was staying was festooned with green and orange flags and banners; the contrade (or district), called Selva, had won the Palio in July, and they were celebrating with a feast in the square below. Siena is composed of 17 contrade, and over the next couple of days I spent time wandering the narrow, winding streets of each neighborhood, looking for flags or seals marking their contrade. In the center of town was the amazing Piazza del Campo with its town hall and Torre del Mangia. The views of the fan-shaped piazza and the surrounding town and countryside from the tower were spectacular. Other explorations in town led me to city walls, cisterns, and churches; I particularly appreciated the rich interior and exterior of the Siena Cathedral, with its distinctive black and white striped bell tower. Siena is a beautiful town that I would love to return to some day.

Logistics: Siena can be reached by train, bus, or automobile from other major cities in Italy. The town itself is worth exploring extensively on foot.