As you might guess by its name, the valley called Valle dell'Ombrone is the area where the Ombrone river flows, that during its initial strecht touches the Chianti Hills and the zone of Crete Senesi to the north, to descend then in the province of Grosseto. The borders of this area are represented by the Val d'Orcia - where part of the river Orcia is included - and the Mount Amiata to the east, with the Colline Metallifere to south-west, to enter the Hills of Albenga and of the Fiora river to the south-east.
The districts of the province of Siena included inside the Valley are Castelnuovo Berardenga, Rapolano Terme, Asciano, Buonconvento, Murlo and Montalcino, and for the province of Grosseto the municipalities of Civitella Paganico, Cinigiano, Campagnatico and Scansano, besides Istia d'Ombrone, Grancia, Batignano and Montepescali - in the district of Grosseto - and Montenero d'Orcia - part of the district of Castel del Piano. The most part of them are Medieval villages of high artistic and cultural significance and they definitely worth a visit. Among the various places of interest we mainly mention the Farm of Grancia, the Castle of Porrona and the Castle of Vicarello in the district of Cinigiano and the Columns of Sabatina - even mentioned by Dante in the Divina Commedia. In addition, the Etruscan and Roman city of Roselle is one of the most important in Tuscany.
As easy to guess if considering the quantity of municipalities that it comes across, the Ombrone is one of the major rivers in Tuscany - the second-longest - with its 161 km and a basin of 3.494 km². It flows into the Tyrrhenian Sea at Bocca d'Ombrone.
The Ombrone Valley is a really large and varied area from the natural point of view, it embodies all the typical features of Maremma, from the vegetation that one can find on the banks of the river to the Mediterranean scrub, up to the centuries-old chestnut trees that mark the way to the top of the Mount Amiata. Inside the valley, along the Farma river that marks the border between the provinces of Siena and Grosseto, you can also enjoy the natural thermae of Petriolo where a hotel has been built to welcome spa tourism. Alternatively, the thermal pools and river are easily accessible - and usable for free - going along the S.S. 223 to Paganico.
The entire Ombrone Valley with its mix of ancient villages, isolated monuments and natural oasis, is a lovely place to go hiking to explore its varied facets dedicated to the curious visitors, places to live through visits by foot or bicycle to get in touch with the soul of this oasis of peace and calm.