This was another must do while in Tuscany after seeing pictures on Pinterest. Located in the wild Maremma area of southern Tuscany, Saturnia is Italy’s best-known hot spring. The surrounding area is a dramatic landscape of thickly wooded hills and valleys, olive groves, rows of vines and acres of wheat fields dotted with cypress. The hot springs is a beautiful cascading series of natural pools almost not to be believed. Legend has it that the Roman god of the harvest, Saturn, lost his temper with war-hungry men and sent a lightning bolt that split the earth. Hot sulphuric water flowed from the rift over the people, calming them down. The waters that feed the spa and baths originate from springs two hundred metres below the earth and are heated by the thermal activity of Maremma’s volcano Monte Amiata – the second largest volcano in Italy.  They flow at a rate of eight hundred litres per second filling the individual rock pools. The pools are turned white by the minerals in the water cascading first through the “Le Cascate del Mulino” (The Mill Falls) and then the “Le Cascate del Gorillo” waterfalls with waters at a constant 37.5 °C.  The minerals here are sulphur, carbon, sulphate and the gases of hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide and are considered to have therapeutic properties for skin, respiratory tract, blood circulation and rheumatic ailments, as well as cosmetic and wellbeing effects on the mind and body. I’m not sure how many of these ailments I cured during my time here, but I can attest to the fact that the warm water instantly relaxed my body and the beauty of the water cascading down the pools did wonders for my mind. It certainly was no run of the mill hot tub. And, if the thermal springs get too hot for you, there is the river Albegna alongside to dip into to cool down. Saturnia Hot Springs is easy to find and well marked off the main highway. The road will bring you to a field where you can park and head to the changing/shower house before heading down to the springs. Be sure to pack towels and a picnic if you like or there is a pretty nice (and very reasonable) concession stand which sells snacks, hot sandwiches, and more importantly, beer and prosecco. I give it a two pain free and relaxed thumbs up and would go back in a minute.