For an unforgettable experience, we are able to arrange hot air balloon rides over Tuscany – a truly unique, exciting and romantic way to see the beautiful Tuscan landscape.
Our pilot is a wonderful Englishman who has been living in Tuscany for the past 20 years and is a font of knowledge about the local areas. The flights always take place in the mornings at sunrise (due to weather conditions), and as you can imagine, it is simply stunning to be flying over the Tuscan countryside at dawn. Evening flights are often difficult because the sea breeze (from the Mediterranean 50 miles away) can be quite stiff and sometimes doesn't drop until well after dark! You will meet Robert at the launch site which is close to Sinalunga, South East of Siena, and he will always allow time for a quick coffee before take off!
The area in which the balloon flies is about 20 miles south of Siena and is called the Crete Senesi, an area of rolling downland with steep valleys, villages on hilltops, and isolated farmhouses and castles. The wine towns of Montepulciano and Montalcino lie to the east and west, with Pienza and the Val d'Orcia to the south. When closer to earth one can chat to farmers clipping their olive trees and seeing to their vines as we coast by down the valley, looking for a place to land, skirting castles and villages that have not changed in centuries.
It is a tightly cultivated and well cared for landscape that is a pleasure to behold. To the north you will see Siena and even the mountains behind Florence, while to the east the folds of the Apennines beyond Lake Trasimeno rise to the high peaks of Umbria and Le Marche. Southwards you look down on Montepulciano and the Val d'Orcia, and Monte Amiata at 5000 feet dwarfs Montalcino nestling at its feet, with the Mediterranean glinting in the distance to the west.
After enjoying the countryside you can then relax over a splendid champagne breakfast laid out in the field where you land. The whole flight from inflation to return to base, takes about three and a half hours.
The ‘ballooning season’ is approximately late spring to early autumn with annual variations.
For more information please contact the pilot directly: Robert Etherington – r.etherington@tin.it |
