Sorano is a medieval hill town carved dramatically into the tuff (volcanic ash) stone it sits upon, and overlooking the Lente River, and a really spectacular part of Grosseto, Tuscany. In Sorano you'll find narrow, maze-like streets in an irregular pattern, alcoves, towers, caves and even an incredible Renaissance castle fortress. Accommodation options in town are quite limited so we've stretched the boundaries and our recommendations for the best places to stay in Sorano include a charming agriturismo outside of town as well as an 11th century fortress conversion within the historic walls.
Sorano is surrounded by fortress walls, and only has two entrances — on one of them you can still see the remains of the drawbridge, which gives a sense of this town’s contested, and oft dramatic history. A visit to its Medieval and Renaissance Museum will paint the full picture for you. Sorano also has a number of beautiful churches, and historic buildings. A short distance outside the walls of the town are a series of incredible tunnels carved into another section of exposed tuff, caves dug out by the Etruscans.
Our Gurus recommendations for the best places to stay in Sorano make ideal, and affordable bases for exploring this whole part of Italy, and the local thermal baths — of course they have them here, this is a volcanic landscape — make Sorano a wonderful place to come back to after daily explorations around Tuscany, the Maremma region, and into Lazio.