Arezzo

About Arezzo

Arezzo is one of the more practical bases for exploring eastern Tuscany. It sits on the main railway line between Florence and Rome, so you can reach the city by train without paying for a rental car or negotiating rural roads designed before reversing was invented. From Arezzo train station, it is roughly a 15-minute walk to the historic centre. Follow Corso Italia uphill towards Piazza Grande, or use a local bus if you have heavy luggage. The old town is compact, but it is not flat. Wear shoes with decent grip, especially on the stone paving around the upper streets. Start early, when Corso Italia is quieter and the cafés are serving locals rather than tour groups. Arezzo works well as a day trip from Florence, but staying one or two nights gives you time to see the churches properly and visit the nearby Tuscan countryside at a slower pace.

The main reason to visit Arezzo, Italy is its art. In the Basilica of San Francesco, Piero della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross fresco cycle is the essential sight. The church often uses timed entry, and booking ahead is sensible during busy periods. Check the official arrangements before travelling because access rules can change. Piazza Grande is the city’s most recognisable space, framed by the church of Santa Maria della Pieve, the Palazzo delle Logge designed by Giorgio Vasari, and medieval houses that lean into the square with varying degrees of confidence. The square is also used for the Giostra del Saracino, a historic jousting event held in June and September, and for the monthly antiques market, normally held on the first Sunday and the preceding Saturday. Market weekends bring more people and higher demand for accommodation, but they also give the city more energy. Visit the Roman Amphitheatre, the Archaeological Museum and the Medici Fortress if you have time. The fortress has strong views, though the walk uphill may be less appealing after several hours of churches and paving stones.

For food, look beyond the most obvious restaurants on Piazza Grande and walk along streets such as Via Cavour, Via Garibaldi and the lanes near San Francesco. Tuscan menus commonly include crostini, pici pasta, ribollita, grilled meat and local cured products. Arezzo is in an area known for Chianina beef, but a large steak is not automatically good value, particularly when a restaurant presents it as a performance rather than a meal. Ask about the weight before ordering. A simple trattoria away from the main square is usually the better budget choice. The city’s main shopping streets are Corso Italia and Via Roma, while the lower part of town around the station is useful for cheaper cafés and quick food. Trains make Florence reachable in about an hour and Rome in roughly two hours, although exact journey times vary by service. For day trips to villages and wine areas, public transport becomes less convenient, so check regional bus routes in advance. Arezzo is manageable on foot, affordable by Tuscan standards, and less overloaded than Florence, but it still rewards planning around church entry times and market dates. Thin planning is how you end up admiring a locked door.

Sightseeing in Arezzo

Arezzo is one of Tuscany’s better city breaks if you want art, history and a proper town rather than a full-time tourist stage set. It sits about an hour by regional train from Florence, with direct services usually available, although you should check the day’s timetable before relying on a tight connection. From Arezzo railway station, walk uphill through Corso Italia towards the historic centre. The route takes roughly 15 minutes and is easy to follow, though the gradient makes rolling luggage less entertaining than the railway website suggests. The main sightseeing area is compact, so you can cover the central attractions on foot. Start in Piazza Grande, the sloping medieval square at the heart of Arezzo. Its uneven surface, arcaded buildings and mix of medieval and Renaissance architecture make it the city’s essential first stop. The square also appears in Roberto Benigni’s film Life Is Beautiful, which attracts a few film fans, but the setting is worth seeing even if you have never watched it.

The most important art stop is the Basilica of San Francesco, where Piero della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross fills the Bacci Chapel. These 15th-century frescoes are the main reason many visitors come to Arezzo, and they deserve more than a rushed glance before lunch. Access to the chapel is controlled, and timed entry may apply, so check the current arrangements and reserve ahead during weekends, public holidays and the summer season. The church itself is fairly plain, which keeps the frescoes from fighting with excessive decoration. Nearby, Santa Maria della Pieve has a distinctive Romanesque façade and a multi-level bell tower known as the “bell tower of a hundred holes”. It stands on Corso Italia beside Piazza Grande and is easy to combine with San Francesco. Continue towards Arezzo Cathedral, formally the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Donatus, for stained glass, Gothic details and a quieter interior. You do not need to spend hours in every church, but these three give you a useful spread of medieval architecture, Renaissance painting and later decoration.

For a broader view of the city’s past, visit the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Gaio Cilnio Mecenate, built near the remains of the Roman amphitheatre. The museum covers Etruscan and Roman Arezzo, including the pottery known as Arretine ware, and it is a sensible choice when the weather turns unpleasant. Casa Vasari, the former home of artist and architect Giorgio Vasari, offers a more domestic look at Renaissance culture, with decorated rooms and artwork. Opening arrangements can change, especially for smaller museums, so verify them before making one site the backbone of your day. Above the old town, the Medici Fortress in the Prato park gives you wide views across the rooftops and surrounding countryside. It is better for a short walk and a photograph than for a long historical visit. Go late in the afternoon if you want softer light, but do not expect a dramatic hilltop citadel on the scale of San Gimignano. Arezzo is more restrained, which is part of its appeal.

Plan at least one full day for the main Arezzo tourist attractions, or two days if you want to visit museums without sprinting between them. The first weekend of each month brings the city’s famous antiques market, with stalls spreading through the historic centre and around Piazza Grande. It is a good time to visit if you enjoy furniture, prints and odd objects whose previous owners remain a mystery, but accommodation and trains can be busier than usual. For lunch, look for Tuscan dishes such as pici, ribollita, crostini and grilled meats, and compare menus away from Piazza Grande if you want better value. The square is convenient, but its most visible tables charge for the view as much as the food. Dinner in the streets around Via San Lorentino or the upper part of Corso Italia can feel less aimed at day-trippers. Wear shoes with a firm sole, carry water in hot weather and keep a little cash for small cafés. Public transport works well for arriving from Florence and other Tuscan towns, but the old centre itself is best explored on foot, with your map folded and your pace unhurried.

Hotels in Arezzo

Arezzo is a practical base for exploring eastern Tuscany, especially if you arrive by train. Hotels near Arezzo railway station suit short stays and day trips, with Corso Italia leading uphill towards the historic centre. You can reach Piazza Grande, the Basilica of San Francesco and the main shopping streets on foot, although the climb is noticeable with a suitcase. Staying near the station also makes early departures easier and avoids paying for a taxi when a regional train will do the job. The area is more functional than romantic, with traffic and modern buildings, but that is often a fair trade for convenience. In the old town, you will find smaller guesthouses, historic residences and boutique hotels inside older buildings. These places give you a better evening atmosphere, but check access details before booking because much of central Arezzo lies within a ZTL, or limited-traffic zone. Hotels can usually explain where to unload bags and where to leave a car outside the restricted streets.

For a first visit, choose accommodation close to Piazza Grande, Via dei Pileati or Corso Italia if you want restaurants and sights within a short walk. The historic centre becomes quieter after dinner, and the stone streets are pleasant for an evening stroll. It is not the best area if you have mobility problems, large luggage or a strong dislike of hills. Hotels farther east, including the area around Via Fiorentina and the city’s modern commercial districts, usually offer easier car access and more predictable parking. That can matter if you are driving through Tuscany, since central parking is limited and the ZTL can produce an expensive souvenir from your rental car company. Look closely at the room description before booking. In older Arezzo buildings, lifts may be small, bathrooms compact and sound insulation inconsistent. Air conditioning is worth prioritising in summer. A balcony is less important than working blackout curtains, particularly during the Arezzo antiques market, held in and around Piazza Grande on the first Sunday of each month and the preceding Saturday, when central streets become busier.

Hotel prices in Arezzo change with weekends, festivals and major local events, so compare dates rather than assuming the town is always cheap. A simple hotel near the station can be better value than a stylish room in the centre if you plan day trips, while a central guesthouse saves time if your main aim is walking between churches, museums and restaurants. Breakfast is convenient, but do not assume it is the best use of your budget. Bars along Corso Italia offer coffee and a pastry, and you can then spend more on a proper Tuscan lunch. Ask about parking, late check-in, lift access and the distance from the nearest bus stop before paying. If you book a room in a residence or apartment, confirm whether reception is staffed. “Self check-in” can mean a smooth keypad, or a small treasure hunt involving three codes and a phone call. For a calmer stay, avoid rooms directly above bars and choose streets just outside the busiest section of Corso Italia.

Arezzo works well for travellers using public transport. Trains connect it with Florence and other towns on the main line, while local buses cover parts of the city and nearby destinations. The station is useful for day trips from Arezzo, but check the return service before leaving, especially on Sundays and public holidays. Cortona requires planning because the railway station serves Camucia rather than the hilltop town itself, and places such as Anghiari and Sansepolcro are generally easier by bus or car than by train. For food, look for menus featuring chianina beef, handmade pasta, crostini and Tuscan soups, but avoid restaurants that rely only on views of Piazza Grande and offer little local character. Book ahead on busy weekends, particularly during antique-market dates and the Giostra del Saracino. My practical choice is a well-reviewed mid-range hotel between the station and the old town, with air conditioning, luggage storage and clear parking instructions. You get walkable sights, manageable transport and fewer logistical problems, which is usually more useful than a fancy lobby.

Restaurants in Arezzo

Arezzo is a good city for eating if you focus on local food rather than polished tourist menus. Most of the useful restaurants are in or around the historic centre, within walking distance of Piazza Grande, Corso Italia and the railway station. Start with Antica Osteria l’Agania, a long-established choice for Tuscan dishes in a simple setting. Look for staples such as pici, handmade pasta, ribollita, crostini and grilled meat. Trattoria Cavour is another name worth checking for traditional cooking near the centre, while La Clandestina suits a more modern meal and usually attracts diners looking beyond the standard Tuscan formula. Menus change, so check the current board rather than assuming every dish will be available. Arezzo is not the place to demand fresh seafood and then complain about the hills. The local cooking leans towards bread, beans, vegetables, beef, game and well-seasoned sauces, with Chianina beef appearing on some menus.

For a meal with a view, investigate restaurants around Piazza Grande, including Ristorante Logge Vasari and the establishments close to the square. The setting is attractive, but you can pay partly for the address, so compare menus before sitting down. During the Giostra del Saracino and major antique-market weekends, central tables disappear quickly and prices can feel less forgiving. Book ahead for dinner if you have a particular restaurant in mind, especially from Friday to Sunday. Lunch is often the better-value meal, and arriving around noon gives you more choice than turning up at peak dinner time. The area around Via Cavour and the upper part of Corso Italia also has wine bars and smaller places where you can order a plate of Tuscan cold cuts, pecorino, crostini or a pasta dish without committing to a long restaurant meal. A useful rule is to read the menu outside carefully. If it lists the same generic pizza, lasagne and “Tuscan specialities” in several languages, keep walking for another minute.

Budget travellers can eat well in Arezzo without treating every meal as an event. From Arezzo railway station, the centre is reached on foot in roughly 15 to 20 minutes, mostly along Corso Italia, so you do not need a taxi for dinner. For a quick meal, look for bakeries, focaccerie and wine bars serving schiacciata, panini or simple takeaway portions. These are usually more practical than buying a full restaurant meal at lunchtime. For dinner, ask about coperto, the table charge, and check whether water is bottled or filtered before ordering. A plate of pasta and a glass of local wine can be sensible value, while oversized tourist menus often offer less character for more money. Vegetarian choices are increasingly common, but traditional Tuscan restaurants may rely heavily on meat, so ask clearly about ingredients if needed. Opening days and service times change, particularly outside the high season, so verify them on the day. Arezzo rewards a little planning, but not a military campaign.

Transport in Arezzo

Arezzo does not have its own commercial airport, so you will normally arrive through Florence Airport (Peretola), roughly 90 kilometres away, or Pisa and Rome if flight times and fares make them more useful. From Florence, take the airport tram to Firenze Santa Maria Novella, then a regional train to Arezzo. The tram is usually more sensible than an airport taxi, while a taxi from Florence airport all the way to Arezzo is fast but rarely kind to a modest budget. Pisa Airport connects to Pisa Centrale using the PisaMover people mover, after which you can continue by train, usually with a change. Rome Fiumicino is farther away, but it can work if you find a much cheaper flight. Allow extra time for changing stations and buying tickets. Italian transport connections are perfectly usable, but they do not always share your enthusiasm for tight itineraries.

The main rail gateway is Arezzo railway station, on Piazza della Repubblica, close to the modern part of town and within an easy walk of the historic centre. Regional trains run north towards Florence and south towards Rome, with services also useful for day trips in Tuscany. Check the exact timetable before leaving, especially on Sundays and public holidays, when regional service can be thinner. From the station, walk along Via Guido Monaco and then towards Corso Italia; the centre is generally reachable in around 10 to 15 minutes on foot. The route is straightforward, although the final streets become uphill and uneven. Arezzo also has Arezzo Pescaiola, a smaller station on the local line towards Stia. It is useful for parts of the Casentino area, not for most visitors staying in the old town. Do not confuse the two stations when checking a route. Maps enjoy this small act of sabotage.

For local travel, Autolinee Toscane operates Arezzo’s urban and regional buses. City services connect the railway station with residential districts and outlying areas, while regional buses can help with places that are awkward by train, including parts of the Val di Chiana and Casentino. Routes and timetables change, so check the operator’s current journey planner or app rather than relying on an old timetable photographed at a bus stop. Buy a ticket before boarding when possible, from an authorised sales point or the available digital channels, and follow the ticket’s validation instructions. A paper ticket that has not been validated can still become an expensive souvenir if inspected. Bus stops near the railway station serve as the practical interchange for many journeys, but confirm the stop and direction on the display or timetable. Services may be less frequent in the evening, so return before dinner turns into an unplanned overnight stay.

Arezzo is compact enough that walking is usually the best public transport option once you reach the centre. The Basilica of San Francesco, Piazza Grande, the cathedral and the main Corso Italia sights are close together, though the old streets include steep sections and polished stone that becomes slippery in rain. Use the train for Florence, Cortona and other rail-connected destinations, and compare the total journey time before choosing a bus. Cortona’s station is at Camucia, below the hill town, so you still need a local connection uphill after the train. Taxis wait near the railway station and are useful for late arrivals, heavy luggage or accommodation outside the centre, but ask for the approximate fare before setting off. There is no need to rent a car for Arezzo itself. Parking, narrow streets and restricted traffic zones are a poor trade for a vehicle that spends most of the day stationary.

Shopping in Arezzo

If you want practical shopping in Arezzo, Italy, start in the historic centre rather than near the station. Corso Italia is the main retail street, running uphill between the lower town and the cathedral area. You will find Italian clothing chains, shoe shops, cafés and smaller independent stores here, with more traditional businesses branching off along Via Cavour, Via Garibaldi and Via Roma. The upper part of Corso Italia is more attractive, but the slope is real, especially if you are carrying olive oil or ceramics. For food gifts, look for Tuscan staples such as extra-virgin olive oil, dried pasta, cured meats, pecorino and packaged biscuits. Buy sealed products if you are travelling by train or flying, and check labels for origin rather than assuming every item in a smart shop was produced nearby. Arezzo is also a major Italian centre for gold jewellery and precious-metal work, so jewellery shops are a legitimate part of the local retail scene, not just a tourist sideline. Compare workmanship and ask for a receipt, material details and any required certification before paying. Shiny objects remain poor investments when bought in a hurry.

The city’s best-known shopping event is the Arezzo Antiques Fair, held around Piazza Grande and the surrounding historic streets on the first Sunday of each month, with trading also taking place on the preceding Saturday. It attracts dealers selling furniture, prints, decorative objects, books, jewellery and assorted old things whose history may be clearer than their practical use. The square can become crowded, so arrive early if you want room to inspect furniture or take photographs without blocking a stall. Prices vary widely, and the fair is more useful for browsing than for finding guaranteed bargains. Check condition carefully, especially with ceramics, mirrors and old frames, and ask whether an item is antique, vintage, restored or simply made to look old. If you are buying something valuable, request written information and a proper invoice. Smaller antique and vintage shops around Via Cavour and the streets below Piazza Grande can be easier to browse on ordinary days, although stock and opening times change. Do not plan your entire visit around one shop unless you have confirmed it locally.

For a modest-budget traveller, the sensible approach is to combine Arezzo shopping with the daily sightseeing route. The railway station is within walking distance of the centre, and the uphill walk takes you past Corso Italia before reaching Piazza Grande and the Basilica of San Francesco. Local buses can help if you want to avoid the climb, but check the current route and ticket rules before travelling. Independent shops may close for a midday break, particularly outside the busiest shopping periods, while larger chains tend to offer more predictable hours. Sunday is not the safest day for general retail, though the antiques fair changes the picture on its monthly date. Carry cash as a backup for market purchases, but use a card for larger transactions only after checking the amount and currency. Expect the historic centre to be quieter in the morning and busier later, especially during festivals and the antiques weekend. My advice is to spend first on food you can actually carry, then consider leather goods, ceramics or jewellery. Decorative clutter is still clutter, even when it comes with a Tuscan postcode.

Nightlife in Arezzo

Arezzo has a small, social nightlife scene rather than a major club circuit. Most evening activity stays inside the historic centre, which is compact enough to cross on foot. Start around Corso Italia, then move towards Piazza San Francesco, Via Cavour and Piazza Grande. These streets have wine bars, cafés, cocktail spots and restaurants where people meet for an aperitivo. The mood is usually relaxed early in the evening, with locals appearing from about 18:30 onwards and dinner becoming more common after 20:00. You will see far more conversation than loud groups carrying inflatable objects, which is generally a win. Try a glass of Tuscan wine with local food such as crostini, pecorino, cured meats or pappa al pomodoro. Prices and quality vary, so check the menu before sitting down in the most scenic parts of Piazza Grande. You are paying partly for the setting, especially when tables face the square. That is not automatically bad value, but it is worth knowing.

For a practical night out in Arezzo, use the area around Piazza San Francesco as your first stop. It is close to the Basilica of San Francesco and sits on the main route through the old town, so it is easy to combine drinks with an evening walk. Corso Italia gives you more choice for cafés and restaurants, while Piazza Grande works well for a slower drink or dinner in historic surroundings. The centre is hilly in places, and stone paving is less friendly to thin-soled shoes than Instagram suggests. Book ahead if you want a proper dinner on a Friday or Saturday, particularly during festivals and busy summer periods. For a cheaper evening, eat a little away from the main squares, order a simple regional dish, and spend the rest of the night at a bar rather than paying for several courses. Arezzo is not the place to expect a dense line of late-night clubs. Some dancing venues and larger parties operate outside the central streets or appear for special events, so check current local listings before relying on a particular club. Opening nights and schedules can change, especially outside the summer season.

The biggest changes come with the calendar. During the Giostra del Saracino, the historic jousting festival held in Piazza Grande, the centre can become much louder and busier, with crowds, music and limited room at popular bars. Other cultural events, concerts and university activity can also improve the nightlife on particular dates, but you should confirm times locally rather than assume every weekend is the same. Arezzo railway station is south of the historic centre, and the walk towards Corso Italia is straightforward, taking roughly the length of a normal town stroll. Trains connect the city with Florence, Rome and other Tuscan destinations, but do not plan your return around a late service without checking the timetable first. Regional trains are useful for arrival, less useful as a magic carpet home after midnight. Taxis may be the sensible choice for accommodation outside the centre, while buses are better checked against the current evening schedule. The best Arezzo nightlife plan is simple: arrive before dinner, walk between the central squares, choose a busy bar with a clear menu, and keep your late-night transport sorted before the second glass of wine.

Coulture in Arezzo

Arezzo’s culture is easier to understand if you start in the old centre rather than treating it as a day-trip stop between Florence and Cortona. The city grew as an Etruscan settlement, became an important Roman town, and later developed into a medieval and Renaissance centre in eastern Tuscany. From Arezzo railway station, walk uphill through Corso Italia towards Piazza Grande. The route takes you past churches, cafés and shops selling antiques, ceramics and local food. It is not a difficult walk, but the slope and uneven paving will make wheeled luggage complain. Piazza Grande is the main cultural stage, surrounded by medieval buildings and the arcaded Vasari Loggia. The square also hosts the Giostra del Saracino, a historic jousting event held in June and September. It is worth seeing if your visit matches the dates, although accommodation becomes less relaxed and less cheap around the event.

The strongest reason to visit Arezzo is the art inside the Basilica of San Francesco. Its main chapel contains Piero della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross, one of the major Renaissance fresco cycles in Italy. The paintings reward time, not a quick photograph taken while being moved along by a tour group. Entry is generally managed with timed access, so check the official arrangements before travelling and reserve ahead when available. This is one of the few cultural tickets in Arezzo that I would plan around. Nearby, the Cathedral of San Donato sits at the top of the town, with stained glass by Guillaume de Marcillat and works linked to Giorgio Vasari. Vasari was born in Arezzo, and the Casa Vasari museum explains more about the artist, architect and writer than a passing reference on a plaque can. Small museums can have changing schedules, particularly outside the main season, so do not build a tightly packed itinerary around three interiors without checking first.

For Roman and archaeological history, head towards the lower part of town and the Museo Archeologico Nazionale Gaio Cilnio Mecenate, near the remains of the Roman amphitheatre. The museum covers Etruscan, Roman and later material, giving useful context to the city’s long history. Arezzo is also known for its ceramics and goldsmithing traditions. The local gold industry is still part of the modern economy, though you do not need to buy jewellery to appreciate it. The monthly Arezzo Antiques Fair, held around Piazza Grande and the surrounding streets, is one of the city’s best cultural experiences. It normally takes place on the first weekend of the month, but confirm the current dates before you go. Arrive early if you want a proper look at furniture, prints, books and household objects. By late morning, the central lanes can become crowded, and prices are not automatically bargains simply because an object is dusty. That is how antiques work: age is not the same as value, and neither is a moustached dealer’s confidence.

Food is another practical way into culture in Arezzo, Italy. Look for Tuscan staples such as crostini, ribollita, acquacotta, grilled Chianina beef and grifi all’aretina, a traditional dish made with slow-cooked beef cheek. Menus change with the season, and a busy local trattoria is usually a safer bet than a restaurant with a large photograph menu facing Piazza Grande. For a quieter evening, explore streets around Via San Lorentino and Via Garibaldi, where you can find more everyday dining than on the most obvious square. The station is useful for day trips by regional train, including Florence and other towns in Tuscany, but check connections carefully because some services are infrequent. Staying within walking distance of the centre saves time, although the best-value rooms are often farther from Piazza Grande. Arezzo works well as a one-night cultural stop, but two nights give you time for the frescoes, museums, food and a slower walk through the old streets without turning the visit into an archaeological speed test.

History in Arezzo

Arezzo’s history begins before Rome. The town was one of the important Etruscan cities of Tuscany, known as Arretium, and its position on a hill above the routes linking the Tiber valley with northern Etruria gave it practical value. You can still see traces of that early importance in the archaeological displays at the National Archaeological Museum, although the Roman material is often easier to understand than the Etruscan fragments. After Rome took control, Arretium became a major manufacturing centre. Its red Arezzan or Arretine pottery, especially the glossy terra sigillata tableware, travelled across the Roman world. Some pieces have been found far from Tuscany, which is a useful reminder that ancient trade was less local than modern souvenir shops would have you believe. The Roman amphitheatre, below the old centre, is partly ruined but still helps you read the shape of Roman Arezzo.

After the Roman period, Arezzo became a medieval hill town contested by local powers and larger Tuscan states. The city’s position made it valuable, but it also made peace less dependable. In the late Middle Ages, Arezzo was drawn into the orbit of Florence and lost political independence after the Battle of Campaldino in 1289, fought nearby between Florentine and Aretine forces. The old centre still follows that difficult medieval terrain. Streets rise sharply towards Piazza Grande, so comfortable shoes are not optional decoration. The square is the main historical stage, surrounded by buildings from different periods, including the Palazzo delle Logge and the Romanesque-Gothic church of Santa Maria della Pieve. Its sloping surface is unusual and makes the annual Giostra del Saracino, a historic jousting event held in June and September, more theatrical than a flat modern plaza would manage.

Arezzo’s cultural reputation grew further during the Renaissance. The painter and architect Giorgio Vasari was born here in 1511, and his former home, Casa Vasari, contains rooms decorated according to his designs. Check current visiting arrangements before you plan around it, since smaller museums can use timed access or limited schedules. The city’s strongest artistic reason for a visit is the Basilica of San Francesco, where Piero della Francesca’s Legend of the True Cross fills the Bacci Chapel. These frescoes are among the major works of Renaissance art in Italy, but the chapel is not an all-day attraction. Book an entry time when required, arrive early, and allow enough time to stand back from the paintings rather than rushing through for a photograph. You pay for a focused experience, not a giant museum, which is often a better deal for a short city break.

Modern Arezzo remains easier to visit than Florence, though the main square can become busy during the first weekend of each month, when the Fiera Antiquaria fills the historic centre with antiques and vintage goods. It is worth seeing for the atmosphere, but prices are aimed at collectors, not backpackers hunting for a bargain. From Arezzo railway station, you can walk uphill into the old town in roughly 15 minutes, or use local buses if your luggage has developed opinions. Trains connect the city with Florence, Rome and other Tuscan destinations, making public transport the sensible choice. Start near Piazza Grande before the heat builds, visit San Francesco in its allocated time slot, then walk through the older streets towards the cathedral and Casa Vasari. For food, look for chianina beef, Tuscan crostini and simple pasta dishes rather than restaurants placed directly on the most photographed corner. The city is compact, but the slopes and stone paving punish careless footwear with impressive efficiency.