Montelpulciano, Italy - Visiting the ruins of the San Galgano Abbey during a full moon prompts most visitors to forget the cliches associated with modern horror movies.

Those unable to do so will inevitably notice the odd shape lurking in the dark on the carved stones, waiting to step out from behind every column.

The eerie scene makes nightly visits to the abbey less than popular. But a swift glance at the parking spaces outside the ruined abbey makes it clear that this is a hot spot during the high tourist season.

Yet few tourists find their way here in the off season, either during the day or at night, when the monastery is lit up to full effect. But, while most tourists are relaxing on the Piazza del Campo in Siena a mere 30 kilometres away, San Galgano proves that wandering off the beaten path is worthwhile when visiting southern Tuscany.

San Galgano used to be a Cistercian abbey. The hermit Galgano Guidotii died here in 1181. The church was built in the middle of a field in 1281. But the monks did not stay long. The last one moved to Siena in 1474. The roof of the church was removed in the 16th century and the rest caved in. The tower was destroyed by lightning in 1786, leaving the ruins intact and ready for the start of the tourist industry.

San Galgano is only the start of a tour of southern Tuscany. The the region's three big Ms: Massa Marittima, Montalcino and Montepulciano lie south of Siena. All three are linked to another M: the Middle Ages.

Montelpulciano's ancient city wall is still intact. Many shops there offer leather goods, ceramics and wine. The city's pride and joy is its "Vino Nobile de Montepulciano," a hearty red wine that has to mature for at least two years in a wooden cask.

Montepulciano is in the middle of the Crete Senesi, a landscape of wheatfields and clay mountains, dotted with an occasional cottage only accessible by roads lined with cypress trees - the picture book Tuscany for which so many people search.

Further along, toward Montalcino, the hills become verdant. Here, many people's lives are ruled by the wine industry. The regional specialty is a red called Brunello. Its vines can grow only on certain surfaces and the wine itself has to mature for four years in a wooden cask.

On this day, Brunello happens to be on offer in a wine shop: a 1999 is available for 45 euros (69 dollars) a bottle, while other years go for 120, 280 or even more.

Travelling on towards the Mediterranean, the landscape changes again. Crete gives way to the Maremma, another green, sparsely populated area dotted with hills. It used to be the poor region of Tuscany, and in some ways still evokes that impression. Many villages feel like ghost towns, with shut up windows.

Take a longer stop in Massa Marittima. The town's centre rests on a mountain, surrounded by alleys, historic villas and good restaurants. Especially noteworthy is the town's 1,000-year-old cathedral with its wide outdoor staircase on the Piazza Garibaldi.

The coast is not far away. Castiglione della Pescaia with its old city centre is one of the area's popular destinations. Unsurprisingly, it sits on a hill.

On any afternoon in the off season, the streets are almost empty. Occasionally the noise of a motor scooter breaks the silence from an alley. On a clear day, you can see the island of Elba from the city wall and many nearby beaches.

There's an alternate kind of bathing opportunity in Saturnia, about an hour from the water. The city's name might make a person think of heavenly bodies, but it's more like a date with the devil. The town hosts a 37.5 degree sulphur bath which cascades down a waterfall, leaving multiple pools which reek of rotten eggs.

None of this stops tourists from taking a dip. Visitors who insist on a shower and a locker for their clothing can drive two kilometres to the "Terme di Saturnia," which is fed by the same springs. A day ticket can cost 22 euros (35 dollars).

Regardless of the option, there's one souvenir. The smell of sulphur lingers. So far, no shower has proved strong enough to wipe away the scent. Even if a tourist postpones a visit to San Galgano until late in the evening, he'll still smell as though he just met the devil's grandmother. (dpa)