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Practicalities
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Trains
from Arezzo, Florence, Rome and Perugia stop either at Camucia-Cortona station, or at TerA?ntola; both have buses shuttling into Cortona. Regular LFI
buses
arrive from Arezzo and Chianciano, the latter a transfer point from Montepulciano. All of them stop on
Piazza Garibaldi
, close to the
tourist office
at Via Nazionale 42 (April-Sept Mon-Sat 8am-1pm & 3-7pm, Sun 9am-1pm; Oct-March Mon-Fri 8am-1pm & 3-6pm, Sat 8am-1pm; tel 0575.630.352).
Best hotel is the four-star San Michele , Via Guelfa 15 (tel 0575.604.348, fax 0575.630.147, www.cortona.net/sanmichele ; L200,000-250,000/a?¬103.29-129.11), closely followed by the friendly three-star Italia , a restored seventeenth-century mansion with a stunning fifth-floor panoramic terrace, at Via Ghibellina 7 (tel 0575.630.254, fax 0575.605.763, www.emmeti.it ; L120,000-150,000/a?¬61.98-77.47). Downmarket choice is the Athens , Via S. Antonio 12 (tel 0575.630.508, fax 0575.604.457; up to L60,000/a?¬30.99; June-Sept), often filled by students from the University of Athens, Georgia. Otherwise, there's an excellent, central HI hostel Ostello San Marco , Via Maffei 57 (tel 0575.601.392; mid-March to mid-Oct; L19,000/a?¬9.82); and Istituto Santa Margherita , Via Battisti 15 (tel 0575.630.336, fax 0575.630.549) with meal-less dorms (L23,000/a?¬11.87) and en suite rooms (L60,000-90,000/a?¬30.99-46.48). Choice of the restaurants is La Loggetta , overlooking Piazza della Repubblica (tel 0575.630.575; closed Mon), where a memorable meal will cost around L50,000/a?¬25.82; check out too the characterful and sometimes boisterous Tonino on Piazza Garibaldi (tel 0575.630.500; closed Tues). Grotta di San Francesco , Piazzetta Baldelli 3 (tel 0575.630.271; closed Tues), is less self-conscious than either, almost as good, and less expensive. Fufluns , Via Ghibellina 3, prides itself on a long list of pizzas, focaccia and cheeseburgers. CaffA? La Saletta , Via Nazionale 28, has good local wines and inexpensive crepes. US-style Route 66 , Via Nazionale 78 (closed Mon), churns out food and beers until 3am.
If you're around in late July, check out posters advertising
Umbria Jazz
, which seeps over into Cortona for a concert or two of top-line names. The main annual party is the gutbusting
Sagra della Bistecca
in mid-August, devoted to lauding - and barbecuing - the succulent flesh of the Valdichiana's beef herds. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Italy,
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