Arriving in this tower-topped town in central Tuscany is always going to be a visual treat, regardless of the season. While the warmer months provide much-photographed scenes of surrounding sunflower fields, arguably the best time to visit San Gimignano is in the autumn or spring, bypassing the summer heat and high-season hordes of tourists.

However, visiting between January and March is likely to be disappointing, as many businesses close during the off-season. Rising on a hill 334m above sea level, the town is visible from a considerable distance thanks to its skyline of towers, built by local merchant families during the Middle Ages.