Author Archives: Tuscany Ballooning

Standard balloon ride

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Balloon take off

 

Standard balloon flight. Share your ballooning experience, On the Standard balloon ride you will usually be flying with a small group of four up to eight passengers. Sharing the flight and Prosecco breakfast with fellow passengers is great fun, exchanging travel experiences and pictures and the joy of flying the balloon over the Tuscan Chianti hills.
Your ballooning adventure will include an unforgettable flight of about one hour with spectacular panoramic views, and after landing a traditional ballooning ‘Champagne’ breakfast. The whole tour takes about 2½ – 3 hours.

Tariff. Euro 270 per person.

Children under 14 years of age Euro 250. Flights are in the early morning, every day weather permitting.
Flights are tightly restricted in numbers and availability and filled on a first-come basis. To check availability and to book your flight please send us a message via the Reservation Form ,  or just call.

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trumpet ballooning

Tuscany ballooning

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Privilege, Private balloon flight

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Private-Privilege-balloon-flight-tuscany

Private balloon flight

 

Privilege, Private balloon flight.

with the basket reserved just for you. A luxury treat, the authentic ballooning adventure. We offer the ‘Privilege’ private flight in a smaller balloon with just your pilot.  After landing you will be served an exclusive Champagne breakfast, a picnic in the field we land celebrating your special occasion such as honeymoon, Anniversary or Propsal, your amazing unforgettable event!

Tariff on request.

Flights are in the early morning, every day weather permitting.
Flights are tightly restricted in numbers and availability and filled on a first-come basis. To check availability and to book your flight please send us a message via the Reservation Form, or just call.

BOOKING>>

 

Private-balloon-flight-wedding-in-hot-air-balloon-in-tuscany

Hot air balloon Wedding!

 

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Groups

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ready-for-takeoff

Family and friends, ready for take off!

Group flight, family and friends, Large groups, Incentives and Team building activity’s

If you would like to book a balloon for your family, or several balloons for a large group, we offer attractive group rates.

If you would prefer a special private ballooning experience, with the basket reserved for your family or friends only, we offer the Privilege flight for groups. Be it your close family or extended group of friends and relatives or business partners.. we will take you up with our balloons. We operate many balloons with baskets of various sizes accommodating comfortably 5 to 8 up to 16 passengers and with our large fleet we do fly groups of 45 or more passengers.

After landing you will be served a Prosecco Toast or the full Tuscan Champagne breakfast in the field we land, celebrating the special occasion!

An incentive hot air ballooning program should meet precise aims like motivating the staff, stimulating the network and establishing privileged relations. Its outcome must result
beyond the expectations and be memorable! We take care of every little detail, giving perfect services in a autstanding beautiful setting, providing an experience that allows for both learning and leisure.

Please contact us for more information and a detailed quote.

Tariff on request.

Flights are in the early morning, every day weather permitting.
Flights are tightly restricted in numbers and availability and filled on a first-come basis. To check availability and to book your group flight please send us a message via the Reservation Form, or just call.

BOOKING>>

balloons taking off

takeoff

quick release

Group balloon takeoff

hor air balloons ready for takeoff

ready for takeoff

 

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SIENA hot air balloon rides

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BOOKING your balloon flight of a lifetime !  Hot air ballooning in Siena.

One of the most beautiful medieval city’s to fly over! Siena hot air balloon rides are a wonderful experience!
To fly the hot air balloons over Siena is always spectacular, even when the wind currents do not allow to fly the balloons right over the centre of town, you will still get beautiful views of the city and the gentle rolling Crete Senesi in the distance.

We have several balloon takeoff locations around Siena from which we takeoff depending on wind direction.
Siena balloon flights, advance booking required.
We fly our balloons regularly from Siena, should we not meet the minimum group size of four passengers, the flight may be rescheduled to another location. Alternative, Private flight.

For more information and to book your balloon ride in Siena please send us a message:   Booking

 

 

BALLOONING in SIENA – Hot air balloon rides,
From here you will see the warm glowing rose-colored brick and silver-grey travertine of the Renaissance city; The half finished black and white marble Duomo, the grand tower over the Piazza del Campo and the delicate Torre del Mangia, flanked by a chapel built as thanksgiving after the plague. In the distance, you will view the Chianti hills, its castles and famous vineyards and woods to the North. The soft rolling hills of the Crete Senesi with the monumental Monte Amiata in the distance to the South. Sometimes towards the end of the flight, looking for a suitable landing field, we fly over the medieval walled town of Monteriggioni (mentioned by Dante in the Divina Commedia),  Monteriggioni’s exterior walls and the buildings within are some the best preserved in all of Italy, attracting tourists, architects, medieval historians and archaeologists, and of course balloonists!
Sometimes we go for a ballooning tour a few miles further South of Siena and takeoff in Buonconvento (bonus conventus, “happy place”, mentioned for the first time in 1100), and Montalcino home of the renowned Brunello di Montalcino wine. Also from nearby Pienza to fly over the rolling hills of the Crete senesi and the Val d’Orcia.

 

SIENA. A modest settlement of Etruscan origin entered history under the name of Colonia Julia Saena in 29 BC. Siena is the embodiment of a an outstanding medieval city that has preserved its character and quality to a remarkable degree. Its influence on art, architecture and town planning in the Middle Ages, both in Italy and elsewhere in Europe, was great. Its inhabitants pursued their rivalry with Florence right into the area of urban planning. Throughout the centuries, they preserved their city’s Gothic appearance, acquired between the 12th and 15th centuries. The whole city of Siena, built around the Piazza del Campo, was devised as a work of art that blends into the surrounding landscape. The historic centre of Siena has been declared by UNESCO a World Heritage Site. It is one of the nation’s most visited tourist attractions. Hotels in Siena.

Siena is famous for its cuisine, art, museums, medieval cityscape and the Palio, the horse race. The Palio di Siena is a traditional (and controversial) medieval horse race run around the Piazza del Campo twice each year, on 2 July and 16 August. The event is attended by large crowds, and is widely televised.

Sometimes we go for a ballooning tour a few miles further South of Siena and takeoff in Buonconvento (bonus conventus, “happy place”, mentioned for the first time in 1100), and Montalcino home of the renowned Brunello di Montalcino wine. Also from nearby Pienza to fly over the rolling hills of the Crete senesi and the Val d’Orcia.

Siena hot air balloon rides are a wonderful experience that takes some preparation and suitable weather conditions.

For more information or to book a balloon ride in Siena or Buonconvento
please don’t hesitate to contact us:   Booking

Florence balloon rides

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Fly over Florence!

Only when the wind and weather conditions are right one can fly with the balloon right over the city of Florence, during the hot summer months Florence balloon rides are not always possible.  It took us quite a bit of homework to make this balloon flight happen, were certainly rewarded by the stunning views! Somtimes when the winds are right we takeoff from the Southern part of the city and fly out into the florentine hills.

For further information about the Florence balloon rides and to book your flight, please go to BOOKING

Winter flights

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Winter flights, Ballooning in winter is a wonderful experienc., the first bonus is that we don’t have to start so early in the morning, because the air is cold and stable, there is no thermal activity.

Yes, it is cold on the ground, but the burners of the hot-air balloon are good heaters!  In winter the colours and visibility in Tuscany are often exceptional, with clear views to the Apenine ranges covered in snow.. What I love most is looking right into the forest, observe life in the woods through the bare trees and see the wild boar running for cover..

Flying all year round through every season is a bit like looking down onto a calendar.  See when the farmers plant the vegetable garden, when it is time to start pruning the olive trees, time for plowing, the grapes are ripe and, oh yes,  the smell of Spring..

MARCH early Spring balloon ride

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Finally Spring is almost here after months of winds and rain.

On Saturday we had a marvellous clear and crisp day with light South easterly wind perfect for a nice Spring balloon ride.
Taking off from our usual field near the Pesa river, at 8:00 am we were airborne with beautiful views over the Florentine Chianti countryside. The fields were still covered in a thin veil of frost. We could see Florence behind San Casciano, and the cupola del Brunelleschi, the Duomo and the Campanile were clearly visible.  Also the tower from Florence airport more to the North was blinking its strobe light.! We where in radio contact with air traffic control and with our new mode S transponder on board we were certainly visible on the radar screen.
At 2500 feet amsl views were stunning with all the local villages, from Impruneta to Certlado, San Gimignano, Poggibonsi and Siena in the distance clearly visible. At a speed of about 7 kts we gently floated towards Montespertoli and eventually near San Quirico we descended lower just over the ancient Casetello di Poppiano. Lowering down into the Virginio valley on final approach we spooked a family of wild boar running for life away from our huge balloon shadow.  We landed at the edge of a large field just where the wild boar disapperaed into the woods. During our traditional Prosecco picnic with our passengers, I kept a good eye on the woods just in case the gang of pigs would come back to join breakfast!!

It was a truly nice flight, a good taste of all the marvellous Spring flights soon to come!

 

 

Pictures

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Aerial photography, lots of pictures, spectacular photo’s of our balloons and landscapes while flying over the countryside in Tuscany from the hot air balloons.

Matera, flights over the Sassi and the Gravina

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Last autumn we were invited to fly our balloons in Matera. It was a long voyage driving all the way to the southern region of Basilicata with our big trailers full of ballooning gear. It was well worth the effort though, The Sassi di Matera are a Unesco heritage site! Matera is said to be one of the world’s oldest towns, it is the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement in the Mediterranean region, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. The first inhabited zone dates from the Palaeolithic, while later settlements show a number of significant stages in human history. The caves that dotted the gorge were carved and adapted to become prehistoric homes, the Sassi. In time, an ingenious system of canals regulated the flow of water and sewage. The ravine close to the old part of the town is known to the locals as La Gravina. Only in the 19th and 20th century the old original urban fabric degenerated to the point where Matera “Magnificent and splendid”  was seen by Carlo Levi in his famous novel Cristo si è fermato ad Eboli (Christ stopped at Eboli) in 1945, as the symbol of the misery of peasant. As a result of the Italian Government’s concern about this situation, legislation passed in 1952 led to the rehousing of the dwellers of the old quarters in new buildings and the desertion of the ancient centre in the 1950’s. The town and the Sassi have gained recognition and popularity Ironically also due to it’s history of outrageous misery, transforming it into Basilicata’s leading tourist attraction.

Our balloon team was met with great hospitality, the food was a cultural event! The balloon flights along the palaeolithic caves, over the Sassi and the Gravina, passing over the Saracen village and rupestrian churches were breathtaking !!

Hope to be back for the Matera Balloon Festival 2013!