Tuscany

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Tuscany in Italy.
Tuscany in Italy.

Tuscany (Italian: Toscana) [1] is a region on Italy's west coast, on the Tyrrhenian sea. It is one of the most popular places to visit in a country that is itself one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. There are several reasons to visit Tuscany: some of the most important ones are seeing Renaissance art in Florence, eating Tuscan food and tasting the excellent local wines, and after all this enjoying a day at the beach in Viareggio.

[edit] Regions

The 10 provinces of Tuscany.
The 10 provinces of Tuscany.

[edit] Provinces

[edit] Other regions

[edit] Cities

[edit] Other destinations

The Tuscan islands:

[edit] Understand

Tuscany has two very diverse faces - the art cities such as Florence, Siena, Lucca and Pisa on one hand, and the countryside on the other. The small towns, villages, castles, villas and vineyards of Tuscany make a welcome change from the traffic and noise of some of the larger Tuscan cities.

[edit] Get in

[edit] By air

International flights commonly come in to Milan or Rome, where one can rent a car and do the three-hour drive to Tuscany.

Florence and Pisa have important airports. Every major city has a railway station.

  • Pisa International Airport Galileo Galilei [2], located 1.5km (1 mile) north of Pisa city centre.
  • Florence Airport Amerigo Vespucci [3], Located four kilometers from the center of Florence.

[edit] By train

Florence, Pisa and Grosseto are important rail destinations. Florence has two major rail stations, Santa Maria Novella (SMN) in the city center and Campo di Marte (CdM) a bit further away.

Connections from Florence to the rest of Italy by train are generally fast and frequent and EuroStar Italia services are available. Easy connections can be found to:

Night train services are available from Florence to:

and others.

[edit] Get around

[edit] By train

From the central station of Florence you can easily reach most places in Tuscany, including:

  • Siena (1.5 to 2 hours)
  • Pisa (1 to 1.5 hours)
  • San Gimignano (by train to Poggibonsi, 1 hour ride, and then a bus that runs every 30-40 minutes, 25 minute ride)
  • Volterra (also reachable by bus from Poggibonsi)
  • Lucca
  • Arezzo

[edit] By car

[edit] By bike

[edit] By bus

[edit][add listing] See

  • Cathedrals. Every Tuscan city has a cathedral (duomo), each one prettier than the other.  edit
  • David, [4]. Michelangelo's masterpiece is in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. Copies in the same city on Piazza della Signoria and Piazzale Michelangelo.  edit
  • Leaning tower. The instantly recognizable landmark is in Pisa on the square of miracles, Piazza dei miracoli.  edit
  • Uffizi Gallery, [5]. The best collection of Renaissance art in the world is in Florence.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

Besides wandering in beautiful cities and looking at Renaissance art, there are many other things you can do in Tuscany. For example, you can learn to cook or just taste Tuscan food, do trekking, golf or go to a health spa.

See also: Wine tourism#Italy

Most of the important traditional wine producers are located along the axis formed by Florence and Siena. The most famous region is Chianti along with neighboring Montalcino and Montepulciano. The white wines are less famous than the reds, but as an exception the Vernaccia of San Gimignano is recognized as a DOCG wine. The Tuscan wine industry has evolved a lot during the last 30-40 years, and the result is what is called Super Tuscan wine, famously produced in Bolgheri but also in Maremma and many other parts of Tuscany.

  • 2Be In Siena [6] Phone +39 334 9363253 mail: info@2beinsiena.com Travel Designers, offers customized wine tours and sightseeing tours for Siena and Florence. Transfers, ballooning, horseback riding, Vespa rental, trekking and mountain bike.
  • La Mia Toscana [7] Phone: +39 340 7844938 mail: info@lamiatoscana.info Offers wine & food trips, trekking excursions, relax and golf programmes.
  • Arianna & Friends [8] Phone: +39 348 335 2039 - +39 347 938 1292 mail: info@ariannandfriends.com Tourist incoming project that offers both accommodation, and tourist services such as wine and food tours, cooking classes, cultural tours, arts classes, outdoor activities.
  • Organic Tuscany [9] mail: info@organictuscany.org Offers week-long "farm to table" organic cooking courses in the Tuscan hills. The program includes visits to local organic farms, cooking classes using organic ingredients, wine tastings and tours of Siena and Florence.
  • Mandala Trek [10] Phone: +39 340 224 7436 mail: foren83@hotmail.com Offers walks through the villages of Chianti region, Florence and Siena. The program includes visits of the “Via Francigena”, an historical itinerary leading to Rome from Canterbury.
  • Bike tours in Tuscany [11] Guided hiking, cooking, and biking tours throughout Tuscany and Umbria, with dinners at wonderful local restaurants, and nights in romantic country inns.
  • Around Pisa Airport [12] Give some ideas and suggestions about how spending the time while staying in Tuscany.
  • Sailing in Tuscany [13] Offers selected yachts and catamarans for sailing around tuscany archipelago: Elba, Capraia, Giglio, Giannutri. Week and weekend tours, with or without skipper.
  • La Lucertola [14] Eco-Friendly farmhouses in Nature Reserve (Monti Pisani). Offers a number of activities including: trekking, bird-watching, organic farming, cooking. The premises are solar powered and a natural spring feeds both houses and swimming pool with mineral water.
  • Castello La Torre [16] Mail: info@cookingintuscany.net Our cooking classes specialise in Italian & Tuscan cuisine's conducted at a magnificent castle ‘La Torre’ situated near the River Arno in Florence, Italy.
  • ROSS Hotels Group [17] Mail: info@rosshotels.it A young chain of hotels whose structures are located in Chianti. During the stay guests have the possibility to enjoy several activities, for example: cooking lessons to prepare typical Tuscan dishes, wine tastings, guided tours in the main Tuscan cities and in the most interesting Chianti villages, shopping in the famous designer labels' outlets.
  • Bella Toscana Tuscany portal, [18]. Much useful information with pictures on a wide variety of activities, places to eat and places to sleep in Tuscany.  edit
  • Angela Saltafuori, [19]. Private wine tours with a minibus and a driver-guide. In addition to guaranteeing a well-informed commentary, this approach ensures that the vineyards you visit are open when you arrive and means you do not have to "taste" and drive.  edit

[edit][add listing] Eat

[edit][add listing] Drink

DOC, DOCG, IGT?

Tuscany boasts over 30 wines with a Denominazione di origine controllata certificate, some of which have also obtained the Denominazione di origine controllata e garantita certificate. The denominations witness to the strong dedication of the people of this land to vine-growing, and their deep knowledge of wine-making techniques. But some of the best Tuscan wines are labeled with the less strict Indicazione geografica tipica designation, often a sign of a more modern, "international" wine.

The question about what to drink in Tuscany is easy to answer. The region is famed for its wines, most notably the sangiovese reds Chianti, Brunello di Montalcino and Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and the white Vernaccia di San Gimignano. Of these, Chianti can be anything from inexpensive, drinkable plonk to, when it comes to the best examples of Chianti Classico, a world class wine. The wines of Montalcino and Montepulciano are generally of a high standard, and in particular Brunello regularly receives lots of awards (something reflected on the price as well). If you are not prepared to pay a fortune for your wine but would still like something a bit nicer, both Montalcino and Montepulciano have the common man's version of their wines, Rosso di Montalcino and Rosso di Montepulciano.

Of these traditional wines perhaps only Brunello has the power to accompany a big Florentine steak, bistecca alla fiorentina. For something fleshier, you have to turn to the Super Tuscan wines. These commonly use cabernet sauvignon to complement or to completely replace the traditional grapes. Famous examples are Sassicaia and Tignanello.

[edit] Get out

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