Lunigiana

Lunigiana is an area which consists mainly of the province of Massa-Carrara, the northern part of the region of Tuscany, and partly of the province of La Spezia in the south of the region of Liguria.

Apuan Alps

The southwest of Lunigiana borders the Tyrrhenean Sea. In the southeast Lunigiana is bordered by the Apuan Alps.

Here you can visit the Apuan Alps Geopark. 
The park’s flora mainly consists of oak and mixed wooded areas which give way to Mediterranean scrub on the coastal slopes.

CASTIGLIONE DELLA PESCAIA

Castiglione della Pescaia lies between blue sea and green hills. This well-known seaside resort is very popular both with Italian and foreign tourists. 

It boasts beautiful beaches with all modern-day comforts backed by a strip of thick pine forests which stretches to Marina di Grosseto. Thanks to the large number and high quality of available accommodation, port infrastructures and its undeniable beauty, it has held the record number of visitors in Maremma. The town is an ancient fishing village and every evening fishing boats return with their wriggling catches in the picturesque port canal, where today pleasure boats of all types dock.

Grape harvest time in Tuscany

While the majority of tourists prefer to sample the delights of Tuscany during the summer months, for wine lovers September and October is the time the magic happens.

September and October are the months for the Tuscan vendemmia, the Italian word for the grape harvest. The exact date of the grape harvest is decided year by year, depending on the weather, the quantity of rain fall and the changes from one vineyard to another.

Eurochocolate 2013 in Perugia Umbria

From Friday 18 October until Sunday 27 October 2013, the 20th edition of the international chocolate festival, Eurochocolate, takes place in Perugia.

With the slogan EverGreen, this year’s event focuses on environment-friendly issues. The official figure of Eurochocolate 2013 is fully focused on the green aspect, a mint plant (mint and chocolate taste great together) in a tasty cup of chocolate.
The exhibition takes place in the city centre of Perugia and it attracts many entrepreneurs from the chocolate sector and Eurochocolate attracts around one million visitors, mainly tourists.

World Road Cycling Championships in Tuscany Florence Italy

The World Cycling Championships 2013 kick off on Sunday 22 September in Tuscany near Florence. The races are scheduled from 22 until 29 September. The profile of the Tuscan road tracks, with flat roads alternated with tiresome climbs, is considered tough and selective and probably one of the hardest for many years. 

The Tarot Garden near Capalbio in Tuscany

The Tarot Garden is a garden which contains sculptures of the symbols found on Tarot cards, created by Niki de Saint Phalle, who was inspired by Gaudi’s work in Barcelona. The artist was born in France in 1930 and in 1979 she started to work on her garden in Garavicchio, in the south of Tuscany, about 110 km north-west of Rome along the coast, near Capalbio. The garden was completed in 1996 and opened to the public in 1998. 

Driving a car in Tuscany

If you choose to travel to Tuscany by car or if you fly to Tuscany and use a rented car to explore Tuscany, some of the following tips are interesting to know.

It is compulsary, also during the day, to drive with your car lights on, even though many other cars don't have their lights on. In Italy, as in many other countries, you need to use your cell phone with a hands free system, even if almost everybody seems to use the cell phone while driving. And most traffic rules in Italy are no different than in most other countries, even if it doesn't seem so. 

Pinocchio Park in Collodi (PT), Tuscany, Italy

In the province of Pistoia, in Tuscany, in the town of Collodi, you find Pinocchio Park, a beautiful and well maintained outdoor park, with sculptures and statues of the characters and relevant passages of the tale of Pinocchio. Children who know the story love this place. Collodi is a small town which is part of the bigger town of Pescia and is situated at 17 km from Lucca.

Easter Holidays in Tuscany

This year in most European countries schools will be closed for Easter Holidays at the beginning of April. If you are fed up with your local weather in this period you may consider to spend a week in Tuscany. In this period the weather is generally nice and spring temperatures are mild, around 17-21 degrees with peaks of 25 degrees. This means that this period is ideal to go and explore Tuscany. 

Tourist tax in Italy and Tuscany

All major cities in Italy (Rome, Milan, Florence, Naples and Venice) but also smaller towns, mostly in touristic areas in Italy have recently introduced (2012) a tourist tax for non-residents.

In Tuscany the tax is applied in about 50% of all cities and towns. Especially in the province of Florence almost all towns are applying the tourist tax. 

The local administrations are in charge of the tax and therefore different conditions and requirements apply. 

CHIANTI, Wine and Food Traditions

        

WINES 

It is easy to say that the identity of Chianti lies in its wine, but it would be a simplification. Yet it is absolutely true that this is a terroir that is among the most important, fascinating and famous in the world. 

FOOD

 

Chianti vineyards

Side by side with wine this rural wisdom has also preserved and then re-launched olive-oil, has brought back the  pig breed Cinta Senese and a certain amount of sheep-rearing with the production of excellent sheep’s-milk cheeses (pecorino). Part of Chianti’s identity lies in its cuisine. Every dish is the result of a culture that harks back to the land and the bond established between man and environment, perhaps maintained more than elsewhere precisely because here it has been experienced more.