Piazza Belvedere in Capalbio is a lovely place to pause before you turn into the main gates of the old center. The view is lovely, there’s two excellent restaurants to choose from with tables right on the square, the coolest bar in town is just across the road, and the fabulous Nana Fountain statue by Niki Saint Phalle sits proudly in the middle, just a taste of the wonders of the nearby Tarot Garden.

If you turn inside, there’s a short walk up to the second gate through the inner fortress walls, which features the original medieval wooden doors open on each side of the entrance. Via Circonvallazione, the modern ring road, circles around the outer perimeter of the fortress. It takes about 15 minutes walk around the whole thing, and Capalbio’s main parking place for visitors is on the back side.