Tuscany offers a rich combination of culture, historic
cities, antiquities, agreeable climate and friendly locals it
encapsulates everything that is beautiful about Italy. Its cities
such as Lucca, Pisa, Siena and Florence offer magnificent
gothic, Romanesque and renaissance buildings and works of
art.
Tuscany has also been home to some of Italy's most
talented artists and writers, such as Da Vinci, Michelangelo and
Dante. It is this rich mixture of art and history that
defines Tuscany and sets it apart from
its counterparts.
Why should you visit Tuscany?
The region offers a landscape that has the most
lasting charm. It has an abundance of medieval towns that are
second to none and a sheer beauty that it difficult to rival. A
simple walk becomes a joy in these surroundings and you are faced
with hundreds of years of civilisation. Strolling through medieval
streets, you will fall upon endless art and architecture that is
second to none.
For those simply wishing to relax, the beaches are lovely
and most countryside villas in
Tuscany
have a swimming pool, perfect for lazy days to soak up the
beautiful surroundings. The combination of coastline, mountains,
countryside and beautiful towns and cities such as Florence, Siena, Cortona, Lucca, Montepulciano (and we could go on) is
truly hard to match.
Which region to visit in Tuscany?
Something that you will find is that the regional landscape is
very diverse, from the rolling hills and vineyards of the Chianti
region around Siena to the rugged coastline
around Argentario and the Apuan Mountains in the north.
"Chiantishire" the stretch between Florence and Siena still houses
some of Tuscanys most charming villages such as Castellina, Radda
in Chianti and Gaiole. Slightly further to the West of Siena are
some of Tuscanys best-preserved medieval towns, such as Sam
Gimignano and Colle di Val D'elsa.
For those loving the mountains, the rugged area to
the north of Lucca, called the Garfagnana, is a treat. This area
offers pretty stone villages perched on hilltops, especially in and
around the towns of Bagni di Lucca and Barga.
What to do in Tuscany?
This is a region that is drenched in culture, so expect an array
of festivals, especially in the summer months that range from
simple flag waving village affairs to the world famous horse racing
Palio in Siena and the Viareggio
carnival.
Shopping is a favourite pastime in Italy and
Tuscany offers great style and
quality, especially in fashion, leather and also home design and
furniture as well as antiques. For clothes shopping, Florence is second
to none with fantastic boutiques and out-of-town designer
outlets. Arezzo houses the largest
outdoor antiques fair in its square and you can also find outdoor
antique fairs in Lucca and other
towns.
Italy is not known for its Golf but for Golf lovers,
Tuscany really does steal the march with courses
around Florence, Montecatini
Terme, Punta Ala, Tirrenia and Orbetello amongst others. Other
activities of interest include sailing and diving (especially along
the more southern coastline around Argentario), horse riding and
fishing.
RELATED ARTICLE: 'What
are the top 10 things to do in Tuscany,
Italy?'
Where to stay in Tuscany?
With such a popular region, you will be spoilt for choice
in terms of accommodation in Tuscany. The
picture-perfect renovated vacation farmhouse in Tuscany is the most popular
choice of accommodation nestled into the rolling countryside and
there are also larger rustic properties converted into quaint
apartments with shared pools for smaller groups.
In addition to this, you can really live the true
Italian lifestyle by renting an apartment in Tuscany in one of the
quaint towns.
Browse our great
selection of villas and apartments in
Tuscany.
How to get to Tuscany?
Pisa airport is the main International Airport in Tuscany and
the number and diversity of flights has increased dramatically in
recent years. Amerigo Vespucci airport in Florence also has
possibilities from the UK. You can also drive up from Rome.
What to eat in Tuscany?
An unmistakable ingredient in Tuscan life is its cuisine; good
traditional food using fresh ingredients and is full of flavour.
Tuscan vegetable soup is delicious as is the famous Florentine
steak. Expect to see plenty of wild game on the menu and lovely
rice dishes served with a mixture of meat and
chicken.
The region also produces some of the most famous wines in
Italy, with Chianti being the most famous and Brunello di
Montalcino being considered to be the best.
If you need any guidance finding your dream Italian villa,
contact us at info@holidayhomesinitaly.co.uk and
one of our Italy specialists will be more than happy to
help!
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