Archive for 'Parks & Gardens'

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.

The Area Naturale Protetta di Interesse Locale del Monteferrato, or the Monteferrato Protected Area of Local Interest, is a stunning protected swathe of the Tuscan landscape that lies within the hilly-mountain system in the Florence-Prato-Pistoia plain. Named for the mountain complex of Monteferrato, it is a stunning area to hike, explore, get some fresh air and well and truly escape from daily life for a moment. If you have found a luxury villa in Florence or a holiday rental in Pistoia, it is a perfect place to go and spend a day of your vacation in Tuscany.

Cecina is a relatively small city of less than 30,000 people located in the Province of Livorno around 30km from the coastal city of Livorno and around 80km from Florence. While it has its cultural and historic attractions and plenty of charm, there is one thing that we think means you should pencil in a visit if you have found a vacation rental in Livorno and that's the city zoo.

Parco Gallorose, or Gallorose Park, is a wildlife centre and zoo in Cecina that began its life as a farm owned by a local family (and still is one run by the same family to this day to this day). In 1997, the family had the idea to turn the land into a park that protects and preserves local fauna and educates the people about it, and, in 2001, it was opened to the public.

I think the first time I saw topiary in real life my little mind was blown. To me, it was only something I had seen in photographs of grand palaces, cartoons and, most memorably, in “Edward Scissorshands,” which I had been allowed to watch when I was far too young and had deeply imprinted on my brain, as a result. Then, while visiting a country house on an estate near my family home, I saw magical plants shaped like all sorts of animals. It was mind-boggling that such a thing was real.

All of this may be why, to this day, I have such a soft spot for topiary and, when I discovered the topiary art that dotted the Tuscan city of Pistoia, it endeared the lovely place to me even further.