Archive for 'Food and Wine'

While serious runners will take the opportunity to get a run in whenever and wherever they can, there is no denying that a scenic setting majorly adds to the experience. A run while on holidays, therefore, offers the chance to get your run in while also getting out and taking in your surroundings.

Imagine, for example, that you find a perfect option among our Tuscany Villas and are staying in a dreamy vacation rental in Chianti, your run of the day could be down winding old roads amidst the vineyards of this beloved wine area. With the leaves on the vines rustling in the breeze or sunlight dancing across your path between branches, with backdrops of pretty old towns and rolling green hills, and with fresher than fresh air and the relaxing sounds of nature, we could think of few places more magical and atmospheric for a run! If, however, you are feeling like you also want a challenge or to indulge in a bit of competitive spirit, then maybe you should sign up for the Chianti Classico Marathon! 

Many people dream of a vacation in Tuscany. Maybe you’ve been before and can’t wait to get back. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to go and are finally planning a trip. Whatever the case may be, we have thousands of incredible vacation rentals in Tuscany and villas in Tuscany to choose from. From villas with pools in Tuscany to holiday rentals in Florence, right in the centre of the city, we have a range of different options to suit your needs and tastes. However, it doesn’t just stop at helping you find an ideal villa in Tuscany. Here at Tuscany Villas, we want to help you all throughout the entire booking process and your holiday itself – from finding the rental that is just right, to managing payments, to having a smooth arrival, to finding plenty of things to see and do in the area.

As we really want to help you make the most of your time in the region and make that dream vacation happen – whether you’re a seasoned visitor to Tuscany, it’s that first time, or it’s a once-in-a-lifetime blow-out experience – we established this blog years ago to keep guests abreast of the best things to see and do in Tuscany. There are endless articles about famous attractions, what to visit and when, places to eat, unique curiosities that you won’t want to miss, traditions and festivals, special events, hidden gems, and more. So, if you want to know what to eat, where to go wine-tasting, when you should visit the Leaning Tower of Pisa or what to do this spring, you’ll find the answers on our blog – it’s a great resource for planning your itinerary!

It may come as no surprise to some that Florence is the most visited city in Tuscany. Not only is Florence the capital of the region and the most populous city in Tuscany (with 364,073 inhabitants in the city itself and 990,527 in the metropolitan area as of 2024), but it is also very much the culture capital.

The birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence is only overshadowed by Rome due to its incredible age and sheer size but in almost any other place, this would be the uncontested titan when it comes to art, culture, history, tourist attractions, and more. As it stands, Florence is still considered one of the great cities of the world and a must-see. 

For those who book one of our Tuscany Villas and who come to the region, it is an unmissable spot for at least a day-trip or two but if you want to dive in a little deeper – though any one trip will only allow you to scratch the surface of what it is on offer – then you could book one of our vacation rentals in Florence, instead. 

Once you have browsed our gorgeous array of villas in Chianti, among the rolling green hills and endless vineyards, the pretty little villages and the famous wine areas for which this beloved destination in Tuscany is so well-known, you will likely be looking forward to experiencing Tuscan wine for yourself. And what an experience awaits!

From delicious wines with your meals in restaurants, to excellent bottles picked up while on a regular supermarket run to be enjoyed by the pool in your villa with a swimming pool in Tuscany, to wines sampled in a guided tasting at a vineyard, there are endless ways to appreciate the lauded wines of the region.

In fact, many years ago, a local told me that while lots of Italian wine is exported, the best Italian wine rarely leave the country. Instead, it is kept to be sold and enjoyed by Italians themselves. So, if you really want to sample the best of the best when it comes to wines in Chianti and at a lower price point than you can expect elsewhere (they haven’t needed to be imported somewhere else after all) then you have to enjoy them while in Tuscany.

Of course, once you’ve scheduled your visit to a winery (or two or three) and experienced it for yourself, then you might want to share this experience with loved ones or your favourite neighbour who watered your plants while you were away. Or you might simply want to stock up for the future. In either scenario, you might be wondering if it is possible to bring wine home from Chianti?

Autumn in Tuscany is synonymous with eating really, really well. Wine harvests are an obvious culinary delight of the region but there are two other key ingredients that are commonly used at this time of the year: truffles and chestnuts. While both ingredients are found in different parts of Italy and in the local cuisines of various regions of Italy, Tuscan dishes utilising both are especially delicious. Plus, festivals dedicated to both ingredients pop up in villages and towns all over Tuscany right through the season. For example, the town of Marradi has had a dedicated chestnut festival that has been running for more than 50 years. Chestnuts are not something that everyone is used to eating but there are all sorts of delicious Tuscan chestnut-based dishes to sample and it is a perfectly autumnal food. So, if you are enjoying a fall escape to a villa in Tuscany and you want to get cosy, eat well, and embrace the season, be sure to check it out!