Tuscany: Hotels and Accommodation
Accommodation in Tuscany
The UNESCO World Heritage site of the Medici Villas and Gardens in Tuscany comprises twelve villas and two gardens. The Medici Villas are an early example of the integration of architecture, gardens and the surrounding landscape and served as a lasting model for the design of princely residences in Italy and Europe.
Culture and History
The historic centre of Florence is home to museums, churches, buildings and artworks of inestimable value. At the same time, the concept of the Renaissance originated there. The Piazza del Duomo in Pisa brings together four masterpieces of medieval architecture: the cathedral, the baptistery, the bell tower, also known as the Leaning Tower, and the cemetery. These buildings were constructed in close proximity to one another between the 11th and 14th centuries.
The historic centre of Siena is considered an exceptionally well-preserved example of a medieval and Renaissance city in Italy. It is enclosed by ancient defensive walls built between the 14th and 16th centuries, which follow the course of the city’s three hills and include bastions, towers and gates.
The historic skyline of San Gimignano is defined by thirteen surviving towers. The Palazzo Comunale, also known as the Palazzo Pubblico, currently houses the Museo Civico and the Pinacoteca of San Gimignano.
Landscape and Nature
The Val d’Orcia in the province of Siena, in Tuscany in central Italy, is a rural agricultural landscape that has preserved large parts of its Renaissance layout, character and aesthetic. The boundary of the Val d’Orcia World Heritage site coincides with the boundaries of the present-day Val d’Orcia Park, the Parco Artistico Naturale e Culturale della Val d’Orcia.
The Parco della Maremma offers six easy walks through various Mediterranean natural environments and their wildlife; the routes often run along the sea or lead to it. A marine protected area was established in the sea off Capraia to protect and preserve the natural habitat.
Hiking Trails and Cycling Routes
The Via Francigena crosses Tuscany over a route of almost 400 kilometres, divided into 16 stages. The Via di Francesco in Tuscany is a network of hiking trails linking numerous places associated with the life of Saint Francis of Assisi.
For cyclists, the Anello delle Terme della Valdinievole is one of the clearly defined routes: the circular route is 17.6 kilometres long and has both a moderate physical and a moderate technical difficulty level. It connects Montecatini Terme with Grotta Giusti. Tuscany also offers numerous cycling routes with signposted trails and carefully developed services.
Wine and Regional Products
The Strada dell’Olio dei Monti Pisani runs through the territories of the five municipalities of Buti, Calci, San Giuliano Terme, Vecchiano and Vicopisano.
Enotourism in Tuscany includes e-bike tours, visits to historic villages, vineyard picnics and vertical wine tastings of different vintages organised by the Movimento Turismo del Vino. The Vernaccia di San Gimignano Wine Experience – La Rocca combines tastings of wine and local products with a multimedia tour of the history of wine.
Caves and Special Places
Grotta Giusti extends for more than 200 metres underground and includes chambers with impressive stalactites and stalagmites. At the Grotte di Equi, visitors can try a cable-car ride over the stream, climbing on a climbing wall set up on the rock face at the cave entrance, and a speleo-adventure course. In a thermal cave, diving enthusiasts can move through the cave underwater under the supervision of specialised instructors.
For more regional information, the pages continue to Grosseto, Lucca, Massa-Carrara, Siena and Pistoia.
For the higher-level travel overview: Italy.
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