Archive for 'Must See Attractions'

There is no shortage of palaces, gardens, and architectural gems in and around Florence, however, if you have found a luxury villa in Florence, you should make sure to set aside some time for a visit to Villa La Pietra, which combines all of the above. Set in the hills just outside Florence, it is one of the grandest villas in Florence, is surrounded by extensive gardens, filled with wonderful objects, and an extraordinary sight to behold.

Head into the hills around Florence – looking down upon the city, where the noble families of the area, like the Medici had their country estates in which to pull back from urban hustle and bustle and seek out rest and recuperation – and you will encounter a grand entrance and a long avenue lined by cypresses standing tall and proud. At the end of this driveway is a fifteenth-century villa and, arranged around it, 57 acres of olive groves, fruit trees, and incredible gardens.

Tuscany is world-famous for her hearty cuisine, which is based on peasant traditions but is now synonymous with being tasty, comforting, and utterly irresistible. There are endless excellent places to eat all over the region if you have found a vacation rental in Tuscany, in fact it often feels like you could stumble into any given eatery and have one of the best meals of your life. However, if you are a more discerning eater or, especially, a foodie, there are some particular restaurants that you should check out: Tuscany's 2019 Michelin-starred and listed restaurants. With one three-star option, four two-star restaurants, and a whopping thirty-three one-star eateries, there is plenty of choice all over the region for foodies looking to taste a slice of the Michelin lifestyle over the course (or multiple courses, as the case may be) of their holiday in Tuscany...

There are plenty of wonderful and fascinating gardens and, in particular, botanic gardens located all over Italy and Tuscany. However, one of the most unique and interesting of all has to be the Orto Botanico delle Alpi Apuane"Pietro Pellegrini", also known as the Orto Botanico di Pellegini-Ansali, or the Orto Botanico di Pian della Fioba, or the Botanic Garden of the Apuan Alps in Massa.

This incredible green oasis is home to native plants of the Apuan Alps and is found in Pian della Fioba, at an altitude of around 900 metres. It was established as a nature preserve and very special, naturally-occurring botanic garden in 1966 in order to study these indigenous plants. Named for the botanist Pietro Pellegrini (1867-1957) who was from the area, it is operated by the town in conjunction with the Università della Toscana.

Many will have seen this image of the Tuscan countryside before. This striking and beautiful image of a sharply winding road, lined by cypresses and cutting through vivid lush fields and old stone buildings is the kind of almost unreal postcard-perfect corners of Tuscany that need to be seen with one's own eyes to be believed. If you are a fan of scenic settings and pretty views and want to see it for yourself, just find a vacation rental in the Val d'Orcia and come and take it in.

Bottega Pecchioli is a highly-regarded family-run winery and vineyard in Carmignano, Tuscany, not far from Florence. If you have found a vacation rental in Florence and are thinking about setting aside a day to go wine-tasting and to learn some more about wine and Tuscan culture, then it is an ideal option.

The history of the winery is long and goes back to when the surrounding area of Poggio alla Malva was a small farming village. The first note of the family institution records the Bottega Pecchioli and its “storage area of salt, oil and wine, corn, candles and coal.” In the second half of the 18th century, it became a precursor to what we know a food store to be today and over the years it has been various kinds of business including a tavern, bakery, milk and butter shop, a post office, and wine bar.