Lucca

The beautiful, historic town of Lucca has an unspoilt medieval centre which is totally enclosed by walls which you can walk or ride around.

Lucca is a fascinating and beautiful city, full of stunning sights but small enough to get around easily. There are plenty of places to eat and drink and shop in the maze of narrow streets.

Lucca often called ‘Little Siena” and has an array of wonderfully intact historical sites making it a ‘must-see’. Casa di Puccini, where the great opera composer was born, is now a house museum.

Florence

Florence (Firenze) is magnetic, romantic and busy. Its urban fabric has hardly changed since the Renaissance. Its narrow streets evoke a thousand tales and its food and wine are so wonderful the tag ‘Fiorentina’ has become an international label of quality assurance.

To travel to Florence by train for the day leaving your car at Aulla. A scenic 2 hr trip there and then back and in time to watch the sun go down at your villa.

Pisa

Pisa now draws its fame from an architectural project gone terribly wrong, but the world-famous Leaning Tower is just one of many noteworthy sights in this compelling city.

The town is interesting in its own right and once a maritime power to rival Genoa and Venice. It is definitely worth a day trip and discover other parts especially around the river Arno.

Away from the tourist attractions there is also an interesting city with great restaurants, shopping, architecture and history.

Parma

Parma is a lively university city in Emilia-Romagna, famed for Parmesan cheese and Parma ham (prosciutto). Romanesque buildings, including the frescoed Parma Cathedral and the pink marble Baptistery, grace the city centre.

Famous for food throughout Italy, Parma is only 1 hours drive and considered the food capital.

Massa & Cararra

Carrara, famous for its marble, can be roughly divided into two areas: the historic centre and the seaside town. The centre itself is small but full of beautiful old buildings with a glorious cathedral and beautiful main square whilst a few kilometres down the road you’ll find a lively port area and beaches.

Massa and Carrara restaurants serve good food and it is a less touristy town than elsewhere in Tuscany.

MUST-VISIT VILLAGES

Licciana Nardi & Monti

Our local town has 3 bars, a butcher, bread shop, grocer and an attractive town square. Monti has a pharmacy and various shops including a deli. Both have lovely old churches and there are 3 fully working castles within a mile.

Aulla

The old pedestrianised part of Aulla has all kinds of shops, bars, restaurants and several ice cream shops. There is a great market on Saturday mornings and worth a visit. The Fortezza, just outside Aulla, is worth a visit as it is also a museum.

Filattiera

Filattiera is famous for its Parish Church in Sorano, a wonderful example of Romanesque architecture, and is without a doubt worth a visit. There is a deli store not far away selling local meats and cheeses.

Castelnuovo Magra

Castelnuovo Magra is on the border of Liguria and Tuscany. The hilltop location has great views. Few tourists find their way to this town with atmospheric streets and a beautiful location. The town has an excellent and well-attended Trattoria (Armanda), a small grocery store, one bar and a bakery.

Filletto

A nearly completely intact little medieval town inside the town walls. During the summer they close the centre to cars. It is smothered by tourism, and walking around will transport you back 400 years. There is at least one really good restaurant.

Villafranca

Villafranca has a museum which shows the way of life through the ages of the area. There is a market every Friday. It is an easy walk to the medieval town of Filletto which is less than 1km away and this is worth a visit - beautiful.

Bagnone

Bagnone is a known as the 'Pearl of Lunigiana” and has a dramatic gorge running down its centre. There are beautiful historic buildings, a fine dining restaurant and several other great places to eat. The quaint market is held on Mondays and one can take a lovely walk over the gorge and up to the castle.

Pontremoli

Pontremoli was one of the eighty stages of the Via Francigena, the ancient medieval route connecting Canterbury in the UK to Rome. Pontremoli has an incredible history with a cathedral, and medieval architecture. There are some really good restaurants and the museum fascinating.

Crespiano

Not much in the village but a really great family run restaurant bustling with guests and great homemade pasta.

Sarzana

One of our favourite towns. The large market on Thursday is open all day and a second hand market on the weekends in the summer is very interesting. There are castles, a cathedral and a number of beautiful church squares. The restaurants are numerous and good. There is even a tea shop.

Comano

Lovely mountain views and nice drive only 20 minutes. The restaurant is good.

Fosdinovo

The gateway to the historic region of Lunigiana, dominating the entire hilltop village is the Malaspina Castle, one of the most beautiful and best preserved fortresses in the area. This area was also known for its resistance activities during WWII. Worth a visit.

Panicale

A tiny medieval village near the church at the bottom of our road. Panicale has an ancient stone portico leading into the square. It is a good walk from Braia back down the road.

Fivizzano

In the town’s splendid old centre, visitors can see the historic defense walls built in 1540, as well as the Palace and tomb of the Arcadian Labindo and the beautiful Baroque fountain from 1683. The large Piazza Medicea is still the centre of life in Fivizzano today, with the church that was restored after it was severely damaged by a major earthquake that hit the city in 1920. Market on Tuesday.

Capriolo

Capriolo is the village you can see perched on the hilltop just after the turnoff to Parma on the coastal autostrada. it is a beautiful small walled ancient village still with many inhabitants overlooking the Magra River. A really nice village to visit on the way back form the coast.

Mulazzo

Discover some of the most charismatic places around Mulazzo, whose main attractions include the ruins of the Malaspina aqueduct and castle, the remains of a Byzantine tower and some noble buildings, one of which houses the study centre dedicated to the navigator Alessandro Malaspina. A wine festival is held in August.

Montimarcello

Montemarcello is a delightful town at the highest point of the peninsula bordered by the Magra River and the Bay of Poets. It is well worth the visit. It has a number of places to eat and is picturesque with great views. A lovely village to wander around and base to explore the peninsula further.

Vezzano Ligure

Vezzano Ligure is extraordinarily pretty with its multi-coloured buildings clustered together on a steep hill.I t is the town seen to the left as you turn from the autostrade towards Parma. The most famous sight in the village centre is the Torre Pentagonale which dates back to the twelfth century. Amazing views and an interesting detour on the way to La Spezia.

COASTAL TOWNS

La Spezia

La Spezia is often overlooked as a tourist destination. The winding streets of the old town are hugely atmospheric and there are plenty of cosy trattorias showcasing the Ligurian kitchen’s finest as well as good clothing shops.

There is a great fish market and also food and general market which are interesting and colourful. In the center of town is the main market for fruits & vegetables of every type, flowers, fish, cheese, salumi.

Genova

Genova, Italy’s largest sea port is a place of contradictions; full of grandeur, squalor, sparkling light and deep shade. It’s weighty architectural heritage speaks of its former glory.

The city’s once-tatty port area now hosts fantastic museums and a number of eating and drinking options. Its old town, too, has had its own revitalisation, with a bright new crop of fashionable shops, restaurants and bars lighting the way.

Livorno

Livorno is worth a stop as it is a charming city and is considered one of the most important ports in Italy, rich in history. Although not a quaint medieval town, as it was bombed heavily during WW2, its shabby historic quarter threaded with Venetian-style canals is full of character, and its elegant belle époque buildings offer evocative reminders of a prosperous past.

Livorno has many archaeological remains that fortunately were not destroyed. Today its seafood is the best on the Tyrrhenian coast.

CITIES TOWNS VILLAGES

CITIES