A weekend in Tuscany, my tips

For your weekend, or a short break, in Tuscany, is perfect to land in Pisa, and rent a car with Avis: they have there a fleet of fantastic Fiat 500, there’s nothing better than that for a weekend in Tuscany. You’ll need with you a GPS with Italian maps, for sure.

If you decide to sleep one night in Pisa, this hotel is modern and great: NH Hotel Cavalieri Pisa. Well placed in the city center, with a very good breakfast buffet. Checked by myself.
To see in Pisa, the Miracles Place with the famous Tower, the river in the city center, and a walk in the Old town, not far from Piazza dei Miracoli.
Eat in Pisa: not near Piazza dei Miracoli, go in Borgo Stretto, Piazza Dante Alighieri, Via San Martino and choose one you like.

Another place to visit is Lucca. The old town is inside the big walls, where you go, is always great, small and very oldy with nice places. Lovely!
Where to sleep in Lucca? I slept in a big hotel near the Train Station, close to the old town outside the wall, there is a useful parking outside. Unfortunately I don’t remember the name, but in the city the choice of accommodation is adeguate: Hotels in Lucca.
Eat in Lucca, go straight here: Cantine Bernardini, Palazzo Bernardini, Via del Suffragio 7.

A place where you should go, definitely, is SAN GIMIGNANO.
Sleep here in the Tuscany countryside: Hotel Vecchio Asilo Via delle Torri, 4 Ulignano, 53030 San Gimignano.
Eat here in San Gimignano: Trattoria Chiribiri Piazza della Madonna 1.

I loved a lot PISTOIA. Slept in Hotel Villa Chiappugi, they have a good restaurant as well.

SIENA as well is unforgettable. I'll soon dedicate a post to this lovely place with all the info I have.

You like the seaside? Drive to VIAREGGIO, and the VERSILIA area.

If you want to have an idea looking pictures, in this page there are some pics about the cities I mentioned: Tuscany pictures.

Buon viaggio in Toscana!!

San Gimignano, Italy

From 2010 New Year's Day, 3 days in Tuscany holiday, is unforgettable and really enjoyful trip in my life.

Four-season in Tuscany, are all attractive. Beautiful view even in the winter, maybe much more mysterious: a charming scenery, a green rurality, a fresh temporature, a bright sunny sky, amazing discovery...

San Gimignano in Tuscany, is one of the surprise on our trip. It rises on a hill (334m high) dominating the Elsa Valley with its towers. Once the seat of a small Etruscan village of the Hellenistic period (200-300 BC) it began its life as a town in the 10th century taking its name from the Holy Bishop of Modena, St. Gimignano, who is said to have saved the village from the barbarian hordes. The town increased in wealth and developed greatly during the Middle Ages thanks to the "Via Francigena" the trading and pilgrim's route that crossed it.

It's called ''City of Towers''

San Gimignano is an important town in the Middle Ages due to its position on a trade and pilgrimage route, it was full of tall towers built by competitive and quarrelsome Tuscan families. Warring, the Black Death and the aggression of nearby Florence put a halt to the town's progress, and it remained a memorial to its 11th-13th century prosperity. There were once an incredible 72 towers rising above the town's rooftops. There are fewer towers nowadays, but the fourteen remaining are still impressive in the misty distance.

In the Museo Civico/Pinacoteca you can see various paintings depicting the town in the days when it bristled with warlike skyscrapers. One depiction shows a miniature town in the lap of St. Gimignano himself, who - to judge by the illustrations of his life - seems to have been a very busy patron saint.

Hotels in San Gimignano, click and find great deals, good availability and best rates. You would must have a fantastic holiday in San Gimignano.

Tuscany, a dream holiday

As everyone knows, Tuscany (Toscana) is one of the most beautiful and popular tourist destinations in Italy. It is located in central Italy, along the Mediterranean coast. Tuscany is a gently hilly region, well-known for its vineyards and olive groves, with large houses or small settlements scattered around the low hills. Its rich rolling landscape is complemented by towns overflowing with Renaissance art and architecture. The most important river is the Arno, on which Florence and Pisa are situated, although the Tiber also passes briefly through Tuscany.

Tuscany is one of Italy's best wine-producing areas, with Chianti and Montepulciano among its famous products.

Tuscany is divided into ten provinces: Arezzo, Firenze (Florence), Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena.

Tuscany tourist destinations
Florence is Tuscany's unmissable crown jewel, with its beautiful buildings, colourful history, priceless art and unique atmosphere. But Tuscany is one of the few Italian regions well-known to foreigners as a tourist destination in itself. For decades a Tuscan villa has been the dream holiday for many travellers. And amongst the vineyards and hills of Tuscany are other lovely historic towns - not as packed with attractions as Florence, but not as packed with tourists either.
Siena is a patrician hilltop town with a past to rival that of Florence, famous for the rivalry between its districts (called contrade) which climaxes in the Palio.

Pisa boasts not just the legendary leaning tower, but also several other attractions, and good transport links to other parts of Italy. Smaller Tuscan destinations which are popular with holidaymakers include Lucca, San Gimignano (a forest of medieval towers on a hill) and the wine-producing Chianti area.

Where to stay: booking hotels in Tuscany online, is easier to find a suitable accommodation for your dream holiday.