Christmas in Tuscany

Lucca

During the Christmas period in Tuscany the streets are illuminated with Christmas lights and shops and houses are decorated. In Tuscany Christmas is, as in the rest of Italy, celebrated with many traditions, which can vary from region to region, but also from family to family.

Michelin-starred restaurants in Tuscany

The new Michelin Guide Italy 2015

In Milan earlier this month Michelin presented the 60th edition of its new Italian Michelin Guide. In this 2015 edition 332 of Italy’s best restaurants have been awarded Michelin Stars. The red guide is published in 24 countries and worldwide Michelin’s selection criteria are the same. Reviewers apply these criteria in Italy as they do in the UK, the USA or even Japan or China. This means that the quality of a 3-starred restaurant in Florence or London is the same, and so is the quality of a 1-starred restaurant in Lucca or in New York.

In Livorno beaches to reopen: summer is back!

The seaside city of Livorno in central Tuscany, about 25 km south of Pisa, is located at the so called Costa degli Etruschi, a fantastic place that still has the original charm of Tuscany, a place where you still feel the harmony between man and nature. 

The vintage car race "Coppa del Chianti Classico"

Castellina in Chianti – End of September the Tuscan town of Castellina in Chianti is traditionally the place to be for fans of vintage sports cars. From 26 to 28 September 2014 the 35th edition of the vintage sports car race Coppa del Chianti Classico will take place in this Tuscan Chianti town. 

Divine Beauty in Siena

Siena, cathedral

The floor of the cathedral or duomo in Siena is called La Divina Bellezza or in English "Divine Beauty" and is currently exceptionally opened to the public. The floor is a masterpiece created by various artists from the 14th to the 19th century and is made with a technique of marble inlay. It is extraordinary, not only because of the technique used, but also because of the message and the illustrated figures.

Famous visitors in Tuscany

Guess what Mister Bean and Nick Mason, the drummer of Pink Floyd, are doing on a normal week day in May on a sunny terrace in Tuscany, more particularly in the relatively small town of Roccastrada in the region Maremma? As you can see in the picture they enjoy an espresso and relax in the Tuscan sun.

Castiglione della Pescaia, European Town of Sport 2014

Castiglione della Pescaia, a beach resort in Tuscany's most southern province, Grosseto, was elected European Town of Sport 2014 and this event will not slip by unobserved in Castiglione della Pescaia. 

From April 12th until June 22nd 2014 no less than 54 sport events and competions are scheduled to take place, with numerous peripheral events.

Carnival Parades in Follonica

When Carnival time is approaching the Tuscan towns of Viareggio (LU) and Follonica (GR) prepare the annual parades of floats and masks, usually made of paper-pulp, depicting caricatures of popular people, such as politicians, showmen and sportsmen or of current affairs. 

Travelling to Tuscany

If you consider travelling to Tuscany, there are several ways to get to your holiday destination and to travel around.

BY CAR/MOTORCYCLE  

In the summer, mainly families with children are heading to Tuscany for longer summer holidays, and in that case the most appropriate way to get there is by car. For a longer stay a car is really indispensable to explore the extended Tuscan countryside. Once you've arrived, also visiting Tuscan cities of art like Siena, Pisa or Arezzo is perfectly possible by car. For Florence we recommend that you travel by train if you're staying near a train station which serves Florence. The train station Santa Maria Novella is situated in the centre of Florence and cars are not allowed inside the city centre unless they have a special permission e.g. a resident's permission.

Dream holidays in sunny Tuscany

Thinking of going on holiday to Tuscany? Well, I just came accross some interesting data; good reasons for choosing Tuscany as your next holiday destination.

In six months from April through September southern Tuscany (Grosseto) has about 1.600 sunshine hours. That's about twice as much as in London in the same period. In summer, from June through August, on average there are over 310 sunshine hours per month, which makes an average of around 10 hours a day, with average maximum temperatures around 30-32°C.