Everyone has a favourite place and can usually bore for Britain about why it’s so wonderful. Ours just happens to be Siena, but it really is a fabulous place for a weekend break. If you choose to go in the summer it is busy, although much less so than neighbouring Florence, and you might have a chance to catch the Palio, the crazy horse race around the Campo, which stirs up the whole city. The chilly winter is quieter, offering crisp days with blue skies. This is a good place to visit at any time of year.

The easiest way to get there is to fly to Pisa. It is less than 2 hours away from Gatwick, and there is a train station at the airport. Take the first train to Empoli, change platform and pick up the next one to Siena. Italian trains are clean, efficient and incredibly cheap. As long as they are running. Three times out of five over the last few years, we have been surprised (though less and less each time) by a train strike. If this happens, embrace it, and visit the hire car concessions in the arrivals hall. On our recent trip we picked up a car from Europcar for £50, had a lovely drive around Tuscany and returned the car in Siena at the end of the day.

There are many blissful things about being in Siena, one being that there isn’t an awful lot to do. A gentle saunter through the narrow streets of the old town will take you past the two main sights, the Piazza del Campo, the scallop-shaped main square‚ with the Palazzo Pubblico, and, a few blocks away, the Doumo, the huge black-and-white cathedral, which always makes me think of licorice. If you are feeling energetic, there is a great view of the mellow brown rooftops and the beautiful Tuscan countryside (pine trees and everything) from the top of the tower in the City Hall. The Palazzo Pubblico is home to some remarkable art, including Lorenzetti’s famous Allegory of Good and Bad Government. There are many beautiful churches, which appear as a street opens out into a little piazza. I think there is a museum of ancient artefacts, which we may have visited once. The museum of modern art was shut for refurbishment on our last trip, so we’ll catch up next time.

Then there are the shops – MaxMara, Furla, La Perla, Max and Co – and endless shoe shops, as well plenty of opportunities to buy the pretty pottery typical of the area. But the tourist trail and shopping aside, Siena is mostly about sitting in a pavement café by day and a trattoria by night. There is beautiful light here, and a lovely, calm feel to the city (apart from Palio days). People-watching while eating a delicious pizza and drinking a glass of local wine isn’t a bad way to unwind.

There are plenty of places to eat in the Campo, and although you pay inflated prices, it is worth it for a ringside seat. A pizza here for lunch to give you energy for a busy afternoon’s shopping, or a drink before dinner, as night falls and the clock tower is lit against the sky, are both good moments. Regular visitors will tell you about the best restaurant in Siena, hidden away down a back alley. Two people hardly ever recommend the same place, as there is such a good choice. One lovely place is Osteria Nonna Gina, a small, warm, family-run restaurant on Pian dei Mantellini. Try to sit in the front half of the restaurant, where the lights are low and the voices are all Italian. The veal served with lemon juice and rocket is memorable, and plate after plate of it appears from the kitchen. Nonna Gina is just up the road from Palazzo Ravizza, where we continue to stay, more for sentimental reasons than anything else. It is not the smartest hotel in the old city, but this restored 17th-century palace has a lot of charm. Be sure to book a garden view room, where the shuttered windows are opened by the porter for full effect to reveal a stunning view of the countryside. Try to book room 4, which has its own balcony.

Siena would be great with children too – the Italians give them a notorious welcome (on one visit I was heavily pregnant, and even my bump was welcomed) and there is a gelateria on every corner to keep everyone happy.

Palazzo Ravizza
Pian dei Mantellini, 34
53100 Siena
Tel 0039 0577 280462
Fax 0039 0577 221597,
email
website

Osteria Nonna Gina
Pian dei Mantellini, 2
53100 Siena
Tel 0039 0577 287247

British Airways: 0845 7733377