Rapolano Terme is another of Tuscany’s overlooked gems, where up until very recently you could buy an apartment for very little money. This looks like it will soon be a thing of the past.
Within the last two years alone, the property price per square metre has doubled as a direct result of the extension of the Siena-Bettolle highway. Soon there will be an extra lane in both directions, and it will be much easier to get from Rapolano Terme to Siena, where there are lots of jobs, but where house prices have soared to unaffordable levels.
In spite of the improved infrastructure Rapolano Terme is a delightful sleepy town where in some respects time has stood still. Here you can leisurely meander around the winding streets for hours and soak up the authentic atmosphere of old times. The town grew relatively big in the Middle Ages, because Siena’s mighty hospital Santa Maria della Scala kept its large grain stocks in the town.
It’s great to spend time here wandering round the narrow winding streets and looking at the wonderful buildings on your way. Even though the town is small, there are grocery shops, cafés and restaurants.
