Tuscany’s beauty has been cultivated over centuries. Vineyards follow the contours of the hills, olive groves surround old farmhouses and cypress trees line roads that weave through the valleys. In the Val d’Orcia, farmland was intentionally shaped during the 14th and 15th centuries to create an idealised landscape. UNESCO now recognises its cultural significance, and there is pleasure in simply moving through it.

Natural thermal springs run through the story too. At Bagno Vignoni, a great pool of warm water fills the heart of the village where you might expect to find a piazza. At San Casciano dei Bagni, people have gathered around hot, mineral-rich springs since Etruscan and Roman times. Today, that tradition lives on in some of Italy’s finest thermal spas. On winter mornings, you’ll still see villagers stopping by the pool on their way through town.

Country estates, thermal retreats and destination spas offer everything from a few restorative days to more focused programmes around movement, nutrition and longevity. Walk or cycle through the hills, taste wine where the grapes were grown, eat pici with a sauce of nothing but tomato and oil, spend an afternoon with the art of Florence or Siena, then sink into warm mineral water. Perhaps that’s what gives Tuscany its magic: taking care of yourself is simply part of enjoying where you are.