The highest of the Tuscan hill-towns, at more than 600m, MONTEPULCIANO is built on a long, narrow ridge 65km southeast of Siena, along which coils the main street, the Corso , flanked by a series of dark alleys which drop away to the walls, providing slivers of views between Renaissance palazzi out over the rolling countryside. Henry James, who compared the town to a ship, spent most of his time here drinking - a sound policy, in view of the excellent local table wine and the more refined and much-celebrated Vino Nobile . The town is set in superb walking country and is not yet overrun by day-trippers. A short distance east is the little Etruscan town of Chiusi .