For a Half Day

Fiesole: Sooner or later, everybody needs a break from Florence. The surfeit of culture can leave the visitor footsore and light-headed. The English poet Laurie Lee fled to the Tuscan hills, exclaiming: ‘I'd had my fill of Florence... my eyes were choked with pictures and frescoes... their colours running. I began to long for those cool uplands, that country air...'

Visitors in search of those ‘cool uplands' should head for the lush olive groves and valleys of Fiesole. Situated 8km (5 miles) from Florence, it is just a short bus ride away - bus 7 from Piazza del Duomo, to be exact. Formerly an Etruscan settlement founded in the seventh century BC, Fiesole grew in importance under the Romans who left behind a 3,000-seat amphitheatre that is still used for outdoors concerts in the summer. The Archaeological Park also features Roman baths, a Roman temple and an Etruscan temple, set against Etruscan city walls. In the town, it is difficult for any man-made attraction to compete with the glorious views over Florence. Besides, the Florentines left visitors little choice when they ransacked the town in 1125, leaving only the Cathedral and Bishop's Palace standing.

Today, a smattering of shops and trattorie surround the cathedral, which contains some of the best works of the local sculptor, Mino da Fiesole. Gluttons for punishment can visit the Museo Bandini, Via Dupre (tel: (055) 59118 or 59416), which is open daily 0930-1900 (Apr-Sep), 1100-1700 Thur-Mon (Jan, Feb), 1000-1700, Wed-Mon (Nov, Dec) and Oct and Mar 0930-1800. The museum is closed on the first Tuesday of each month.

On the way home, those travelling by car should take the SS-65, for a look at some of the opulent Medici Villas, now fighting to survive the encroaching suburban sprawl. The Fiesole tourist office, Via Portigiani (tel: (055) 598 720 or 597 8373; website: www.comune.fiesole.fi.it), can provide further information.

For a Whole Day

Siena: Located some 50km (31 miles) south of Florence, medieval Siena is often seen as the female counterfoil to Renaissance Florence. At her heart lies the magnificent shell-like piazza, Il Campo, scene of the famous bareback horse race, Il Palio, which whips the town into a frenzy, twice a year. One day is not long enough to appreciate all that this tiny, walled city has to offer. Must-sees include the humbug-striped cathedral decried by Ruskin as ‘a piece of costly confectionery' and the majestic Palazzo Pubblico (town hall) topped by the soaring Torre del Mangia. Named after the medieval bell-ringer, the tower should be climbed for magnificent views of the city and hills beyond. Inside the town hall is the Museo Civico, where tourists flock to see Simone Martini's Guidoriccio (the famous Sienese captain and standard-bearer of the city) and Lorenzetti's Effects of Good and Bad Government (a vivid allegory painted against the backdrop of 14th-century Siena and its surrounding countryside). The city's best-loved work, Duccio's Maesta, lies in the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo. The devotional picture of the Madonna, enthroned among saints and angels, once graced the cathedral altar. No visit is complete without a wander through Siena's cool, warren-like streets that wind around Il Campo, like arteries feeding the city's pulsating heart. Visitors can drop into one of the city's pasticcerie for a slice of Sienese panforte or mingle with the students, seeping up the sun in the Campo, over a slice of freshly baked pizza.

From Florence, Siena is best reached by bus. No cars are allowed into the city and Siena's train station is on a branch line, making it necessary to change at Empoli. Coaches depart from the SITA station on Via Santa Caterina, by the main railway station, at least every hour (journey time - 1 hour 15 minutes). The Siena tourist office is located at Piazza del Campo 56 (tel: (0577) 280 551; website: www.comune.siena.it/turismo).