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Practicalities
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Regular
buses
run to Volterra from Siena, Florence and Livorno, with a couple a day from Poggibonsi; all arrive on the south side of the walls at Piazza Martiri, from where it's a two-minute walk to the central Piazza dei Priori. The helpful
tourist office
is at no. 20 (daily: April-Oct 9am-8pm; Nov-March 10am-1pm & 2-6pm; tel 0588.87.257,
www.volterratur.it
). They can book accommodation for free and rent you an
audioguide
(L15,000/7.75), available in English, for a self-guided town tour. Avoid the Pro Volterra information office round the corner at Via Turazza 2 - they're not half as helpful or clued-in. There are free
car parks
on the northern side of the walls. Walking tours are run by Viaggi ATUV just off Piazza Martiri (tel 0588.86.333,
volterraviaggi@ biemmepro.it
) - one hour (L12,000/6.20) or four hours including a drive to an agriturismo farm for a light lunch (L40,000/20.66).
Volterra's most attractive hotel is the sixteenth-century Villa Nencini , in a peaceful, panoramic setting west of the centre at Borgo Santo Stefano 55 (tel 0588.86.386, fax 0588.80.601, villanencini@sirt.pisa.it ; L120,000-150,000/61.98-77.47). At the eastern end of town is the San Pietro independent hostel , Via del Poggetto 2 (tel & fax 0588.85.577; L24,000/12.39), and anyone can stay in a cell-with-a-view at the Sant'Andrea convent in the northeast outskirts (tel 0588.86.028; L27,000/13.94, or slightly more for en suite). The campsite A Le Balze is 1km west of town, Via di Mandringa 115 (tel & fax 0588.87.880; April-Sept).
As a renowned centre for hunting, Volterra's
restaurant
menus are dominated by wild boar (
cinghiale
), hare (
lepre
) and rabbit (
coniglio
). Most places are moderately priced.
Ombra della Sera
, Via Gramsci 68 (closed Mon), is a pleasant local haunt, while the vaulted gloom of
Vecchia Osteria dei Poeti
, Via Matteotti 55 (closed Thurs) is the most characterful spot for Volterra's gamey cuisine.
Don Beta
, Via Matteotti 39 (closed Mon) offer relief in the form of inexpensive pizzas and light meals.
Il Toscano
, on Vicolo delle Prigioni, has
Internet
access. Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
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Italy,
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