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Voykit pocket guide · Italy
Castellina
Castellina in Chianti
Half a day for the town and museum, or a full day if you walk to the Etruscan tombs and drive to a winery. One night is enough for a slow dinner and morning walk.
Castellina is a compact hill town in the Chianti region, 15 km northwest of Siena and 35 km south of Florence. It has a 14th-century fortress, an archaeological museum and Etruscan tombs within walking distance. Most visitors use it as a lunch stop or a one-night base for wine tasting, not a multi-day destination.
- Country
- Italy
- Local name
- Castellina in Chianti
- Best months
- Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (hot, crowded), Nov–Feb (many wineries close)
- Stay
- 1 night
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EUR
- Money
- Currency is the euro (EUR, €). Cards and contactless are widely accepted in cities; small cafés, markets and rural places may prefer cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget €60–90 excl. bed · Mid €90–150 excl. bed · High €150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- TIM, Vodafone, WindTre and Iliad sell prepaid SIMs in shops and at airports; a passport and an Italian tax code (codice fiscale, issued in-store) are needed.
- Emergency
- Police 112 · Fire 115 · Ambulance 118
- Plugs
- Types C, F, L · 230 V · 50 Hz · Italian type L plugs have three pins in a row; most sockets also take two-pin Europlugs (C), and bivalent sockets take Schuko (F).
- Tipping
- Bar: Leave €0.10–0.20 of change on the counter if you like.; Restaurant: Coperto or service may already be on the bill; leave €1–2 a person or round up for good service.; Taxi: Round up to the next euro.; Hotel porter or housekeeping: €1–2 per bag or per night.; Tour guide: €5–10 per person for a half day.
- Water
- Tap water is safe unless signed otherwise; Rome's nasoni fountains run all day. Restaurants serve bottled water (naturale or frizzante) unless you ask for tap (acqua del rubinetto).
- Toilets
- Few public toilets; use bars (buy a coffee), museums and stations, where some charge €1.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee at a bar | €1.20–1.50 |
| Glass of Chianti Classico | €4–8 |
| Pasta dish at a trattoria | €12–18 |
| Bistecca alla Fiorentina (per kg) | €40–60 |
| Taxi from Castellina to Siena | €40–50 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- FLR · Florence Peretola
- About 50 km (31 mi), 50 min by carAbout 31 mi (50 km), 50 min by car
- PSA · Pisa Galileo Galilei
- About 100 km (62 mi), 1 h 15 min by carAbout 62 mi (100 km), 1 h 15 min by car
Typical fares
- Florence airport → Castellina by car
- about €60–80 taxi, 50 min (check)
- Siena → Castellina by car
- about €30–40 taxi, 20 min (check)
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
The town centre is walkable. For the Etruscan tombs (Montecalvario, Poggino) and wineries you need a car. Parking is outside the walls; follow the blue signs.
See and do
Known for
- Rocca di Castellina (14th-century fortress)
- Museo Archeologico del Chianti Senese
- Etruscan tombs at Montecalvario and Poggino
- Chianti Classico wine
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Siena | Car via SR222, about 20 min | About 25 min |
| Radda in Chianti | Car via SP429, about 10 min | About 15 min |
| Montepulciano | Car via SR2 and A1, about 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
| Florence | Car via SR222, about 50 min | About 1 h |
Sleep
- Castellina centre
- Walkable to the Rocca and restaurants; limited parking inside the walls.
- Countryside around Castellina
- Agriturismi and villas with pools; you need a car.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Goodbye | Ciaochow |
| Thank you | GrazieGRAHT-see-eh |
| How much is it? | Quanto costa?KWAN-toh COS-tah |
| A glass of red wine, please | Un bicchiere di vino rosso, per favoreoon bee-KYEH-reh dee VEE-noh ROS-soh, pehr fah-VOH-reh |
| Where is the toilet? | Dov'è il bagno?doh-VEH eel BAHN-yoh |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Say buongiorno (until mid-afternoon) or buonasera on entering shops and bars; avoid: Walking in and pointing without a greeting
- Cheek kisses: Two kisses, right cheek first, among friends; follow their lead; avoid: Kissing strangers or in business settings
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities; covered shoulders and knees in churches; avoid: Beachwear, bare chests and flip-flops away from the beach
- Queues: At delis and pharmacies take a number (numerino); avoid: Assuming the crowd at a bar counter is chaos — pay at the till first where asked
- Restaurants: Wait to be seated and ask for the bill; avoid: Splitting a bill item by item with a large group
- Conversation: Food, football and family are safe openers; avoid: Mafia jokes and north–south stereotypes
- Dinner at a home: Bring pastries, wine or flowers (not chrysanthemums, which are for funerals); avoid: Refusing seconds too firmly
Scams and watch-outs
- ZTL (limited traffic zone) in the historic centre; park outside and walk.
- Many wineries require a reservation for tastings; call ahead.
- The Rocca tower may have limited hours; check the museum schedule.
Very safe. Watch for uneven cobblestones and narrow streets with occasional cars. Summer heat can be intense; carry water.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Castellina yet. Suggested stay: 1 night. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Rocca di Castellina (14th-century fortress)
- Museo Archeologico del Chianti Senese
- Etruscan tombs at Montecalvario and Poggino
- Chianti Classico wine
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: Castellina, revision 5039832 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5039832
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/castellina). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.