Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

Prato province is the smallest of the ten provinces of Tuscany and one of the smallest in all of Italy. Six main communes are situated in Prato province and would make for a few excellent day trips if you’re planning to rent a villa in Prato for some or all of your vacation.

The capital is called Prato and it’s the second largest city in Tuscany after Florence.

The other main towns are called Cantagallo, Poggio a Caiano, Carmignano, Montemurlo, Vernio and Vaiano. Prato city is located at the foot of Monte Retaia and offers a wealth of attractions to keep tourists entertained.

It's home to many stunning buildings, beautiful piazzas and monuments which would be well worth a tour around for a day. Textile production was a large part of Prato’s economy and can be learned about in greater detail at the large textile museum here in the city. It also displays an incredible collection of archived writings by the master Tuscan poet, Dante Alighieri.

Stop off for a day in the hilltop village of Fosdinovo, built upon a mountain overlooking the spectacular Tuscan coast in Massa Carrara province. From the Middle Ages onwards, Fosdinovo prospered thanks to the powerful Malaspina family who lived in a fortressed castle.

They established strong trading ties across sea and land and attracted business due to the castle’s proximity to the famous pilgrim route to Rome called Via Francigena.

Stay in a fabulous villa rental in Rometta, which is located only nine kilometres from Fosdinovo.

The colourful fishing town of Porto Santo Stefano in Monte Argentario is a beautiful sight to behold on your vacation to Southern Tuscany. Porto Santo Stefano was an unfortunate frequent target of attack from menacing pirates until the Spaniards seized control of Monte Argentario and fortified it.

Military structures dot the hills and rugged coastline around the town where the keen eyes of trained lookouts spotted trouble from long distances and could effectively alert and protect the town from danger.

The vibrant town of Porto Ercole is situated on the eastern promontory of Monte Argentario which juts out on the Tuscan coastline.

Monte Argentario was once an island but several thousand years ago two strips of land called tombolos were formed by waves and tides pushing sand together and upwards above the water’s surface.

These two strips connected the island to the mainland and since then its two main towns have become popular tourist spots to visit. Porto Ercole is the most popular tourist hub with its stylish shops and classy restaurants. It’s also renowned as being one of the finest nightlife districts in the Maremma!

Spend a delightful few hours of touring around the pretty town of Stia in Arezzo province during your next holiday to Tuscany!

Although Stia is often referred to as the ‘source of the Arno’, the real source is in fact located 1,200 metres further uphill on the slopes of Monte Falterona.

Tourists with a love of nature would be intrigued to follow the young River Arno from where it rises down to the town of Stia where it is joined by the River Staggia.