Lama: Trails, Water and Art

If you’re looking for a hotel in Lama, it’s worth organizing your excursions by their specific features. One route is described by its length and endpoints, another by possible fords and a subsequent climb. Swimming spots, a nature reserve and cultural sites round out the options. This lets you decide what matters most for your trip—hiking, water, geology or art—before choosing a hotel.

Routes and Water

The 2019 municipal route data lists route RSMF3 Solaia Petriolo as 6.60 kilometers long. It runs from Iesa to Petriolo along the Sienese slope. Route RSMF2 Contra Vignacci has three possible fords across the Farma, followed by a climb to the Belagaio State Nature Reserve. Conditions at the fords can vary, so it’s a good idea to check them before setting out.

The routes offer different points of reference: RSMF3 is defined by its length and endpoints, while possible crossings and the subsequent climb shape the course of RSMF2. There are several opportunities to swim along RSMF3. At the end are Petriolo’s free thermal pools and a swimming spot in the Farma. When comparing options involving water, distinguish these swimming spots from the possible fords across the same river: they are different route features.

Pozzolungo and the Landscape

A trail to Pozzolungo leads from Lama toward Solaia along the road to Quarciglioni, then continues on a path. The 2019 municipal route data notes a parking area at Antica Fonte between Lama and Contra for route RSMF1 Contra Pozzolungo.

Pozzolungo is part of the Farma Nature Reserve. There, layered Carboniferous rock formations rise steeply above a stream; they formed 320 million years ago. Its location in the reserve places Pozzolungo in a natural setting, while the age of the rocks offers a different perspective, pointing to their formation in the distant past.

Fosso di Solaia is another named geographical feature: it rises from springs between Cerbaia and Lama. Together with the trail to Pozzolungo, this offers different starting points for planning, whether you want to focus on a trail or on the landscape.

Cultural Sites

In the village of Lama, the small Cappella di Lama stands at a road junction on Piazzale del Monumento. The square and junction pinpoint its location and add a cultural landmark to the nature and route themes.

The Parco di sculture di Kurt Laurenz Metzler is in Iesa, within the municipality of Monticiano. The Swiss artist began creating the park in 1995; it contains more than fifty works. The cultural sites offer different points of interest: Lama has a small chapel in a clearly identified square, while the sculpture park in Iesa features a larger group of works and a specific connection to its artist and origins. If art and culture are part of your travel plans, you can take these different themes into account.

Discover more destinations: Castelnuovo Dell'abate, Sant'angelo In Colle, Torrenieri.

Back to the main travel overview: Montalcino.