7 Things to Do in Tuscany, Italy
Tuscany is a fantastic destination for a vacation. Packed with culture, beautiful scenery, exciting cities, tasty food and fine wine, there is something for everyone here.
Florence is the most popular destination in Tuscany, but there are plenty other must see destinations in the region.
It is relatively easy to travel around the different places in Tuscany. You can rent a car and drive yourself, or hire a driver to do it for you. You can also take the bus or the train to towns and villages such as Siena, Lucca, Pisa and San Gimignano.
1. Many people are familiar with the leaning Tower of Pisa. Pisa is located in central Italy, 50 miles from Florence, and the bell tower really is leaning and is a sight to behold. It only takes an hour to get to Pisa from Florence by train.
2. The greatest medieval town in Italy to see is Siena. As is true with many places to visit in Tuscany you can enjoy the culture by walking through alleyways and narrow streets. If you are feeling fit, you can always climb to the top of Siena's tall bell tower and take in some amazing views of the city and the Piazza Del Campo below. The people here are very friendly and it is quite a small place with just 250,000 people.
3. The most popular place to taste wine is Chianti, which is very well known for its world-famous red wines. There is lots of beautiful scenery to enjoy in Chianti while you are tasting the wine in the vineyards.
4. Another popular place to visit to Tuscany is Lucca. Here you will find many churches and other medieval buildings that are simply amazing. The Roman amphitheater is located in Lucca and is over in 1900 years old. The town centre is completely enclosed by a brick wall built in the 16th century and you can take a walk along the top of the wall, which stretches 4km. Lucca is considered to have some the best food in the Tuscany region especially the tortelli lucchese. Tortelli lucchese is bright yellow pasta, stuffed with seasoned meat and topped with a heavily meat-laden ragu that is very rich in flavor.
5. San Gimignano is a wonderful place to visit while in Tuscany. It is set on a hill over 300m high and dates back to the 10th century. San Gimignano originally had 72 tower houses, some which were as high as 50m. In their day, the towers were a symbol of wealth and there are now only 14 towers in total.
6. Another place in Tuscany that is worth a mention is Fiesole. If you are in Florence and pressed for time you can make a quick trip there as it is just 5 miles outside of Florence. You can take a local bus and enjoy the great views.
7. Finally we have Florence, which will no doubt be one of the main highlights of your trip. You will want to spend at least a few days taking n the sights of Florence. There are many different sights to see and you should be sure not to miss the Uffizi. The Uffiza Gallery is home to thousands of paintings and sculptures and is world famous. Because of how popular it is you can wait up to 5 hours to get in so it is best to reserve a ticket in advance.
Suzanne Morrison has visited the Tuscany region many times and is the author of the Ultimate Guide to Florence. Visit her website for more Florence Italy Sights as well as photos of Florence and the rest of Tuscany.
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