Siena, Italy. A marvelous and beautiful city. Really it is. There is just so much to see. The old architecture, the small alleys and back alleys, of course the famous Piazza del Campo and so much more. Sounds a bit to much to do in one day, but I tried it and you can see a lot.

I will not bother you with all kinds of touristic info about Siena. It is one of Italy’s most famous cities and there is more than enough info on the internet. But….. That info tells you only how nice and beautiful Piazza del Campo is, or the history of town. 

Get away from the tourist crowds and stroll to the back streets and deserted alleys of Siena. If you are into street photography you might get lucky with some exceptional shots. The alleys in Siena are small and some of them quite long.  It’s like walking in a maze. You are surrounded by either colorful buildings or just plain old brick houses. But it is fun.  You pass various small restaurants, little shops, etc. If you only focus on the main streets in Siena you would miss out on this.  Also there is a certain atmosphere…. From very open, happy and colorful to very dark, depressed and, should i say, unhappy ?

I went by train to Siena, and it is a good ride. (from Florence). Once you get out the train station it is just a 15 min. walk to the Gates and there the fun starts. It is just one long alley to the center of town. Small, nicely decorated old buildings, lovely small shops and restaurants. Pure eye candy. I have to come back round sunset time…. That would give some nice scenery and color !

Shooting photos at day time can be a pain. The streets give a lot of hard contrast and on bright sunny days, you will experience some proper exposure pain. no worries there is always Lightroom and Photoshop ! 

Bring a wide angle (16-35mm or eqv. in crop mode) and a standard zoom lens with polarizers. That will do. 

So just walking around, soak up the scenery and snip snap that nice scenery. Stop for a good espresso, some good food and continue. you will have a lovely day and some very nice photos. 

Photos

Below some more photos. Click to enlarge.