Siena, View of Cathedral

I have climbed a hundred and more towers in various parts of the US and in many countries in Europe, and Torre del Mangia must be number one in all around “climability.” Both the climb and the view are impeccable. This view is down into the edge of the Piazza del Campo, the narrow streets bordered by tall buildings, with the dome and steeple of Siena’s cathedral in the distance. A picture is worth a thousand words; a visit is worth a thousand pictures; the video is priceless.

On two different years we spent a night or two in the Siena Colleverde, the campsite on Strada di Scacciapensieri. It’s a nice campsite, and after the floodlights come on in Siena’s Piazza del Campo, the view from there is electrifying. One year we stopped in Siena for a few hours, and yet another year we were staying in Florence, and visited Siena only for the day.