Tuscany has a huge amount to offer the discerning tourist… too much to list in this article so we’ve stuck to our top three (in no particular order):
Visit the Galleria degli Uffizi
This is one of Italy’s finest museums of art and possibly one of its most important. If you like architecture then you must certainly take in its breathtaking horseshoe structure which is almost 500 years old and designed by Giorgio Vasari.
It has 45 rooms housing paintings from the 14th and 15th centuries, but masterpieces from other parts of Italy as well as four centuries’ worth of works from leading artists in Germany, Spain and Holland. You’ll also discover ancient Roman and 16th century sculpture.
Galleria degli Uffizi
Make sure you see:
- Botticelli’s Primavera and Birth of Venus
- Filippino Lippi’s Madonna and Child with Two Angels
- Titian’s Venus of Orbino
- Lots of other works, including from the early Masters Cimabue and Giotto, Early Rennaisance pioneers Fra Angelico and Masaccio, and Caravaggio and Rembrant.
Visit The Wind Grotto
Situated in the Park of the Apuan Alps you’ll find the hidden treasures of The Garfagnana (an area known for its mystical woods and scenic mountains). If you fancy a little trek then you can’t go wrong by visiting the Grotta del Vento (Wind Grotto), which is an incredible system of caves and grottoes that wind underneath the Pania Secca.
The road to get there is rocky, windy… and a little like something out of the final few minutes of The Italian Job (film). It isn’t for the faint hearted!
There are various tours (from around 10 Euro) you can choose to go on and each starts at a precise schedule with guides that speak English, German and, naturally, Italian.
There is heaps to explore and see including stalagmites, stalactites and even some 8,000 year old bear bones … make sure you bring your camera!
The Wind Grotto
A trip to Chianti
Now, for all those wine lovers out there, you may wish to take in the delightful sights and tastes of Chianti region. You’ll be greeted by rolling panoramic hills, vineyards, olive groves and ancient walled villages that look like they haven’t been touched for centuries.
There’s so much to see here, but we recommend you start with Greve, Panzano, Radda, Gaiole and Castellina, all of which offer a type of romanticism only found in Italy.
There’s too much to list here (we’ll cover it in another article), but be sure to trial the local wines and foods… this wine region is one of the finest in the World.
Chianti's rolling hills
Accommodation in Tuscany 2010
We recommend the following villas (for all sizes):
Mare e Montagne, Pedona – Camaiore, 3 bed
Villa dei Fiori, Montefollonico, 5 bed
Il Ciocchetto, Arliano – Lucca, 1 bed
See our entire range of villas with private pools in Tuscany.
