If you have no interest in Twilight look away now!

But Montepulciano is an absolutely gorgeous town regardless of Twilight… you’ll miss out hearing all about if you look away!!!

Maybe I should explain myself a little before I go on. Montepulciano is, as you can see, an incredibly beautiful town in Tuscany.

Picturesque is probably a better word to use. Basically, it’s sort of town you dream about when you dream about Tuscany (and I know you do!). That incredibly lush countryside, the cute little farmhouses spotted along the road, the strikingly old but majestic cobblestone streets – yep, Montepulciano has all of that.

But that’s not Montepulciano’s only claim to fame. They’re actually part of Tuscany’s most prestigious wine trail – the Strada del Vino Nobile – I think such an incredible accolade only adds to the splendour of the town!

And you many not know this, but Montepulciano is also where they shot the Italian scenes for New Moon, the 2nd Twilight film.

Technically they should have shot it at Volterra, which is what’s in the book. I’ve actually been to Volterra – it’s in Tuscany too and is a nice place- Montepulciano is just better.

So anyway, I hop in my car and make the long trip to Montepulciano. I was pumped to see where they shot the film. And as lame as that sounds, I wasn’t the only one.

No joke, the day I chose to visit this beautiful city it was freezing cold, so very few tourists were out and about. But every single one of them, and there were about 50 or 60 of them, were there because of Twilight.

Not that I can understand why. The main piazza where they shot the Bella-saves-Edward-scene looks nothing like what it did in the movie. There’s no fountain in the actual piazza. And when you take that out, there’s really nothing else to Twilight-relevant left.

The clever locals have set up a Twilight tour around Montepulcano but do not go on it! Some rather stupid Americans went on it when I was there and it cost them 30 euros each, which was a complete and utter scam because you could buy the map for 1 euro and do the tour yourself. I did and it sucked to be honest!!

Luckily Montepulciano is beautiful in its own right, otherwise my trip would have been a massive waste of time.

The houses in the centre are gorgeous. The shops have this antique charm about them and their buildings are literally seeped in history. Plus the surrounding countryside  is TO DIE FOR.

If you do visit Montepulciano stop and get a coffee at Caffe Poliziano. It’s been making incredible coffee for the world’s rich and famous since 1865. It’s interior is so elegant and grand, you feel special just sitting there. Their hot chocolates are divine and the view is breathtaking. Ignore the vampire menu though – every restaurant in Montepulciano is doing it – it’s a tourist scam.

Also and if you follow any of my tips, follow this one: if you see a small salumeria on the side of the road to Montepulciano pop in. I bought the most delicious truffle-infused cheese at one these small, family owned shops and I have never had a better cheese in all my life – and it was really cheap – 8 euros for a massive block!!!