Parco dei Mulini

Below the village, the thermal water that overflows from the Piazza delle Sorgenti runs down through a series of cascades and channels before joining the Orcia river. The Parco dei Mulini — Park of the Mills — follows these channels through the valley, passing the ruins of several medieval mills and offering fine views back up to the village perched on its ridge above. The walk takes about thirty minutes at an unhurried pace.

The most dramatic section is immediately below the village, where the hot water drops in white cascades over dark volcanic rock. In winter especially, the steam and the silence and the view of the empty Val d'Orcia are extraordinary. Several pools along the route are warm enough for soaking your feet, and on cooler days the thermal water is noticeably warmer than the surrounding air. The park is free to enter and open at all times.

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A story
The mills along the Orcia river were built in the medieval period to exploit the reliable flow of thermal water, which never freezes and maintains a constant temperature year-round. By the nineteenth century they were grinding grain; today the buildings are ruins, but the hot water channels that once powered them still flow through the park, warm enough to soak your feet on a winter walk.

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