Tuscany, the picturesque region in central Italy, is the perfect place for a road trip. If you’re looking for rolling hills, sloping vineyards, olive groves, quaint medieval villages, and outstanding art, you’ll find it all here. After all, Tuscany was the birthplace of Michelangelo, Botticelli, da Vinci, Dante, and countless other masters whose works you can see throughout the area, and proud locals will tell you that their dialect forms the basis of the modern Italian language. Here’s how to create your own road trip, starting in Florence and working your way south toward Rome.

Fly into Florence and plan to spend two or three days getting acquainted with the city and its incredible Renaissance art and architecture. The Galleria Uffizi and Galleria dell’Accademia house an impressive number of Renaissance masterpieces, but Palazzo Pitti—the palace of Cosimo I de’ Medici—is worth a visit as well. Check into the Relais Santa Croce, a luxurious hotel inside an 18th-century palazzo that’s home to one of the largest suites in Florence or the Rocco Forte Hotel Savoy, which recently completed a renovation, adding Pucci-designed fabrics to its lobby.