Barbara Khan
In February 2026 I spent 4 nights and 5 days in Tuscany. Generally when I stay, I am based in Florence, but this time I wanted more countryside experience. I arrived by rail from Rome Termini into Florence Santa Maria Novella station. I took a taxi to a suburb and checked into Mulino di Firenze. It is a charming hotel, a former flour mill located along the Arno River. The River Arno here was running very fast due to the heavy rains. During the regular spring/summer/fall season, they offer a shuttle to Florence which is 30min away. Mulino means mill and the spa is located in one of the oldest parts of the original mill. They have a restaurant and bar and I enjoyed a delicious dinner with excellent service. During the summer there is a lively pool overlooking the river.
I had engaged a wine tour guide named Marco who suggested we visit the Chianti area. Our first stop was Il Borro, the 5 star Relais and Chateaux wine resort owned by the Ferragamo family. I toured the 16th century manor house and got a private tour of the winery. The resort is perfect for couples and families. They offer many activities like cooking classes, hiking, biking,horseback riding, yoga, golf, tennis, clay shooting, and you can also visit the workshops of the on site artisans.
From there we drove to Badia a Coltibuono, an historic, thousand-year-old estate known as one of the oldest wineries in Europe. The name means "Abbey of the Good Harvest", and it was founded in 1051. The resort is very low key and since it is a former abbey, some of the rooms are in the original monastic cells.
There are 70 hectares of vineyards and they specialize in Sangioveto, Chianti Classico, Montebello and olive oil. They offer cooking classes and workshops held in the historic family kitchen, continuing the legacy of legendary cookbook author Lorenza de' Medici who lived here until her death. There are woods and paths around the property for biking and trekking and the formal garden at the back is often the setting for weddings.
Our last stop was Castello di Querceto which is a family-owned winery and estate located in Greve in Chianti. The medieval castle is surrounded by oak forests, chestnut trees, olive groves, and vineyards. I met the Count of the Francois family and he personally showed me around the winery and inside the castle. It was truly a special experience. After the tour I enjoyed a private wine tasting led by my guide Marco. I returned to my hotel hungry for dinner and ready for my bed.
Then I moved over to Villa Olmi, the sister property of Mulino di Firenze. The resort is housed in an 18th century country estate, and has a seasonal pool, and is filled with many antiques. The location is a bit closer to Florence and also offers a seasonal shuttle. I enjoyed breakfast and dinner at Il Cavaliere their gourmet restaurant.
I took a taxi to Florence for a day so I could do a site inspection of a new hotel in the city. I wandered around until I reached the Mercato where I enjoyed a walk around to enjoy all the great food stalls and to escape the rain. When the sun came out again, I enjoyed my dinner at an outdoor table overlooking the sunset on the Duomo.