Like a brilliant aberration in the muted colours of the Tuscan fields are a series of pools glittering turquoise. Seen from above, it’s as though a bit of the sky were tapped into a bottle and spilt over the land. The continuous stream of water flows over jutting lips of travertine emerging from the gentle incline. And as winter arrives and frost begins to cling to the land, heated vapours and wisps of mist escape into the air to reveal the water’s temperature.

Terme di Sarturnia in Tuscany is nature’s very own jacuzzi. After completing a 40-year journey through the heart of Monte Amiata and the fine pores of its calcareous limestone core, the water emerges back above ground as a spring. Merging together, these streams form the travertine falls of Cascate del Mulino and Cascate del Gorello with shallow pools perfect for a dip. Don’t be put off by the water’s mildly eggy scent for this is the result of minerals and gases that the water has taken with it from the mountain’s belly. Minerals don’t seem to be the only thing these waters have taken with them but a bit of glamour as well. These charmed waters might just have the ability to lift decades off your shoulders, providing you with a moment of blissful respite.