Vineyards and sun-baked villas punctuate the timeless Tuscan countryside.

Venturing into the Tuscan countryside is like stepping into a Renaissance painting.

All rolling hills strewn with cypress trees, vineyards and olive groves, the verdant countryside comes punctuated with monasteries, farmhouses and sun-baked Tuscan villas.

Add some olive oil-drenched bruschetta and a glass of Chianti wine and you'll think you've died and gone to Italian heaven.

Tuscany is surely Italy's loveliest region - it boasts the country's best art collection, the most laid-back cities, the grandest medieval buildings, the most famous wines and has wild nature at its doorstep - from the jagged Apuane Alps in the north to the wildlife-rich southern islands of Giglio and Monte Argentario.

Tuscany's cities and towns usually feature high on most travellers' itineraries - art-infused Florence, medieval Siena, hilltop San Gimignano, Pisa with its iconic leaning tower and the charming provincial capital of Lucca.

And then there's the food - the most taste bud-tantalizing peasant fare ever scraped from the leftover bucket: bruschetta (essentially stale bread made good), ribollita (a vegetable stew where cannellini beans play a starring role), pecorino (a biting sheep's cheese) and grilled meat (rabbit or wild boar, anyone?). Wash it all down with some classic Tuscan tipples, namely Chianti Classico, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano - squisito!

Trains connect Tuscany's cities and major towns. A rural bus system serves outlying towns and villages. You'll probably want to rent a car if you're embarking on an extensive exploration of rural Tuscany. The region is also ideal for a cycling or hiking vacation.