Volterra

A walled hilltop town in Tuscany, less crowded than nearby San Gimignano, with Etruscan, Roman and medieval layers of history. See the Etruscan Porta all'Arco gateway, the Roman theatre, the stern Palazzo dei Priori (Tuscany's oldest town hall) and the Guarnacci Etruscan Museum, with its famous elongated bronze figure, the 'Shadow of the Evening'.

Volterra is known for alabaster, carved in workshops around town, where you can watch the craftsmen at work. The views from the walls over the rolling clay hills are beautiful at sunset.