Destination Spotlight - Tuscany, Italy

Arezzo	Pisa	Elba	Florence

	Destination Spotlight: Tuscany
From the Romans to the extraordinary paintings and sculptures of the Renaissance, Tuscany is arguably the most comprehensive artistic hub on the planet. As well as being an epi-centre of fine art, Tuscany has the allure of exquisite countryside, sundrenched coasts, mountainous regions and culturally rich cities such as Florence and Pisa. In short, Tuscany is a veritable land of discovery and wonder; a place many have revisited time and time again.

Pisa

With its international airport, Pisa is a typical starting point. Although the world-famous Leaning Tower is Pisa’s biggest draw, the perpendicularly challenged building is just one of many architectural marvels this incredible city has to offer.

Leaning tower of Pisa For Pisa’s main attractions head to the Campo dei Miracoli, or ‘Field of Miracles’, where you will find the unmistakable Leaning Tower - luckily a recent project to prevent further subsidence has made it safe for visitors to travel up its 294 steps but remember to book your tickets in advance.

Right behind the tower is the Duomo - Pisa’s incredibly ornate cathedral which also houses important works of art by the likes of Giambologna and Della Robbia - and the Baptistery, a historic Romanesque dome.

Pisa is also served well with decent shopping facilities in the Corso Italia near the train station, where you will find a number of independent boutiques, tourist shops and a good selection of bars and restaurants.

Following your stay in Pisa, drive south along the beautiful coastal route to Livorno - just eight miles from Pisa and home to some of Tuscany’s best seafood.

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Elba

Alternatively, continue further south to the small town of Piombino and catch the car ferry across to Portoferraio, the capital of Elba - an island just 15 miles from the Tuscan coast.

As well as being a great place to relax and soak up the Mediterranean sunshine, Portoferraio has a number of family-friendly activities on offer such as water sports and mountain biking.

Elba Island, Tuscany Elba is also popular with tourists due to its historical value, most notably as the place where Napoleon was exiled in 1814. Many visitors take the cable car from Portoferraio up the mountain to his residence in San Martino, which has artefacts and displays documenting his life on the island.

On returning to the mainland, head south again towards Grosseto where you will pick up signs for the nearby Parco Naturale della Maremma. The park is packed with numerous outdoor activities including horseback riding (book ahead www.parks.it/parco.maremma), hiking, biking and is also home to a number of old monasteries, ruins and abbeys.

It is worth making a small detour into neighbouring Umbria to see the beautiful city of Orvieto. Purchase a ‘Carta Unica’ to gain entry to all of Orvieto’s main historical attractions, including its spectacular Duomo, the Musei Archeologici Faina e Civico and the fascinating Orvieto underground tour, which includes escape tunnels for nobility in Etruscan times, carved plumbing systems and underground food and drink cellars. After grabbing a bite to eat in Orvieto, make another short journey to Cortona just outside of town to visit the Etruscan tombs, which date back some seven centuries before the birth of Christ.