Siena & Central Tuscany - Florence and Tuscany - page 372

OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
ORTO DE' PECCI

Head behind the Palazzo Comunale and down the hill past Piazza del Mercato and the city's historic,
now decommissioned communal laundry to discover Orto de' Pecci MAP

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( www.ortodepecci.it ; 24hr) , an urban oasis. Kids love visiting the geese, goats, ducks and
donkeys that live here, and locals can often be found hiding from the tourist masses in its green spaces
(perfect for picnics or an afternoon snooze). There's a cooperative organic farm that grows fruit and
vegetables and supplies the on-site restaurant ( 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Tue-Sat,
12.30-2.30pm Sun Mar-Oct, 12.30-2.30pm & 7.30-10pm Fri & Sat, 12.30-2.30pm Sun Nov-Feb) with
produce, a medieval garden and an experimental vineyard which Siena University's agriculture de-
partment has planted with clones of medieval vines. On summer evenings, concerts are sometimes
held here, too.

Tours

Centro Guide Turistiche Siena e Provincia
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TOUR

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( 0577 4 32 73; [e-mail] ; Galleria Odeon, Via Banchi di Sopra 31; 10am-1pm & 3-5pm
Mon-Fri) This association of accredited professional tour guides operates four recommen-
ded tours between Easter and October: a one-hour tour of the duomo (11am, noon & 4pm
daily; €5 plus entrance fee); a 90-minute Classical Siena Walking Tour (11am Monday to
Saturday; €20 including duomo entrance fee); and a 90-minute Secret Siena Walk (11am
Sun; €20 including Complesso Museale Santa Maria della Scala entrance fee). The duomo
tour departs from the OPA SI ticket office next door, and the walking tours depart from
outside the tourist office in the Campo; all are in English and Italian. Bookings are advis-
able. Children under 11 are free.
The centre also operates private guided tours in Siena and throughout the region (3/6
hours €150/280).