By: Annalyse, College Correspondent in Italy Studying (Sometimes)
For my second weekend in Firenze, my friends and I decided we wanted to have a truly Italian experience, so we rented a car. We rented a mini compact car from Eurocar, for 70 Euro for a day full of adventures. When split between five people, it was a real deal! We did some research before we left Firenze by asking locals and flipping through guidebooks, and found the most authentic and beautiful weekend getaway to hot springs in Saturnia, Tuscany.
After a three hour drive through the picturesque Tuscan hills, we arrived to the Greek God’s heaven. Bright turquoise water was rushing out of a green hill, flowing down into ten different pools of steaming hot water. I kept looking over my shoulder, expecting Aphrodite or Zeus to walk around the corner; Saturnia was defiantly made for the God’s. Saturnia is the local hotspot on weekends, far from tourist’s radar. It was full of local Italians, who could not even leave their cigarettes on the side and brought them in the water with them. It is best to go in the winter, for the hot springs would be uncomfortable in the scorching summer months. There are no buses or trains that take you directly to Saturnia, so renting a car is the only option, but completely worth it.
After three hours in the hot springs, our bodies reeked of sulfur and rotten eggs, but the awful stench was worth the relaxed muscles, and an authentic Italian experience I will never forget.