Guidebook for Farfalla di Toscana, Pescia
City/town information
Pescia is an old town, with a long history of being fought over by its bigger neighbors Florence and Lucca. Lots to see, including several medieval churches. Park your car in Piazza Mazzini (1 euro per hour) and take a walk. Plenty of cafes too.
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Pescia
Pescia is an old town, with a long history of being fought over by its bigger neighbors Florence and Lucca. Lots to see, including several medieval churches. Park your car in Piazza Mazzini (1 euro per hour) and take a walk. Plenty of cafes too.
"Terme" as in thermal baths. Even the ancient Romans loved coming here. Montecatini Terme was a popular "fin di siecle" destination for wealthy Europeans, and it still evokes that feeling of old wealth with its many elegant baths and parks. Be sure to take the kid-friendly funicular up to "Montecatini Alto", with an incredible view over the Valdinievole (and several cafes to enjoy a pleasant meal): https://visitmontecatiniterme.com/things-to-do/montecatini-funicular/
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Montecatini Terme
"Terme" as in thermal baths. Even the ancient Romans loved coming here. Montecatini Terme was a popular "fin di siecle" destination for wealthy Europeans, and it still evokes that feeling of old wealth with its many elegant baths and parks. Be sure to take the kid-friendly funicular up to "Montecatini Alto", with an incredible view over the Valdinievole (and several cafes to enjoy a pleasant meal): https://visitmontecatiniterme.com/things-to-do/montecatini-funicular/
Puccini's hometown is a gem. Park your car along the outer walls (not expensive) and stroll inside through one of the many passageways. Be sure to visit the cathedral (San Martino). The medieval walls are intact and covered by a pedestrian park (always packed with bikers and walkers) which can be walked in just over an hour. The main shopping street (Via Fillungo) is lined with boutiques and cafes. A hidden treasure is the nightly one-hour indoor concert offered at the church of St Giovanni, book your tickets in advance (www. puccinielasualucca.com). The outdoor antiques market is held the third weekend of every month.
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Lucca
Puccini's hometown is a gem. Park your car along the outer walls (not expensive) and stroll inside through one of the many passageways. Be sure to visit the cathedral (San Martino). The medieval walls are intact and covered by a pedestrian park (always packed with bikers and walkers) which can be walked in just over an hour. The main shopping street (Via Fillungo) is lined with boutiques and cafes. A hidden treasure is the nightly one-hour indoor concert offered at the church of St Giovanni, book your tickets in advance (www. puccinielasualucca.com). The outdoor antiques market is held the third weekend of every month.
You can easily see Montecarlo's belltower from our property: it's just to the left of Monte Pisano. Lots of vineyards and olive groves surround this prosperous village, and the main street (pedestrians only) has many cafes and restaurants serving the local wines and olive oils. There is a free parking lot just outside the city walls; leave your car there and enjoy a stroll. Great views too.
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Montecarlo
You can easily see Montecarlo's belltower from our property: it's just to the left of Monte Pisano. Lots of vineyards and olive groves surround this prosperous village, and the main street (pedestrians only) has many cafes and restaurants serving the local wines and olive oils. There is a free parking lot just outside the city walls; leave your car there and enjoy a stroll. Great views too.
No comments necessary. However, the security measures for visiting the tower are quite strict. Book your ticket in advance, and be sure to leave any handbags and so forth in the free lockers located nearby. Details are easily found online; they change frequently, so they're not posted here.
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Pisa
No comments necessary. However, the security measures for visiting the tower are quite strict. Book your ticket in advance, and be sure to leave any handbags and so forth in the free lockers located nearby. Details are easily found online; they change frequently, so they're not posted here.
No comments necessary. I strongly recommend to park at Pescia's train station (free and ample parking) and take one of the many daily trains to Florence (takes about 1 hour, costs about 10 euros round-trip, and Santa Maria Novella station is in the heart of the city), as driving in Florence is not for the faint of heart. But in August, the line connecting Pescia to Florence is often closed for tunnel maintenance. So be sure to check online (www.trenitalia.it) before starting out. If the train lines are closed, please contact me and I'll tell you of a good and relatively painless way to drive to a Florence car park with central location.
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Florenz
No comments necessary. I strongly recommend to park at Pescia's train station (free and ample parking) and take one of the many daily trains to Florence (takes about 1 hour, costs about 10 euros round-trip, and Santa Maria Novella station is in the heart of the city), as driving in Florence is not for the faint of heart. But in August, the line connecting Pescia to Florence is often closed for tunnel maintenance. So be sure to check online (www.trenitalia.it) before starting out. If the train lines are closed, please contact me and I'll tell you of a good and relatively painless way to drive to a Florence car park with central location.
No comments necessary. Not convenient to reach by train, so best to drive there (about 90 minutes) and park outside the city limits (plenty of clearly labeled parking lots) and walk inside. The cathedral and the central piazza are amazing.
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Siena
No comments necessary. Not convenient to reach by train, so best to drive there (about 90 minutes) and park outside the city limits (plenty of clearly labeled parking lots) and walk inside. The cathedral and the central piazza are amazing.
An old (REALLY old) walled gem of a town: first the Estruscans, then the Romans, and then the Tuscans. About a 90 minute drive from our property; park your car outside (plenty of well-marked lots) and walk inside. Fabulous view over the countryside. Be sure to visit the Etruscan Museum.
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Volterra
An old (REALLY old) walled gem of a town: first the Estruscans, then the Romans, and then the Tuscans. About a 90 minute drive from our property; park your car outside (plenty of well-marked lots) and walk inside. Fabulous view over the countryside. Be sure to visit the Etruscan Museum.
Vellano is the largest (or rather least small) of the ten old "castella" villages making up the Valleriana, the long river valley that runs north from Pescia. Well worth a day trip. You can read about them here: https://www.valleriana.it/ If you're keen on eating lunch somewhere, plan to be in one of the "bigger" villages from 1230-1400 (Castelvecchio, San Quirico, Vellano) otherwise you'll go hungry, as this is not a touristy area. But that's part of its charm. Four of these villages are visible from the north side of our property: Pietrabuona, Medicina, Fibbiala, and San Quirico.
Vellano
Vellano is the largest (or rather least small) of the ten old "castella" villages making up the Valleriana, the long river valley that runs north from Pescia. Well worth a day trip. You can read about them here: https://www.valleriana.it/ If you're keen on eating lunch somewhere, plan to be in one of the "bigger" villages from 1230-1400 (Castelvecchio, San Quirico, Vellano) otherwise you'll go hungry, as this is not a touristy area. But that's part of its charm. Four of these villages are visible from the north side of our property: Pietrabuona, Medicina, Fibbiala, and San Quirico.
Sightseeing
Kids of all ages love this place. Adults will also like the adjacent Garzoni Gardens ("Villa e Giardino Garzoni") and the Butterfly House ("Casa delle Farfalle"). About a 30 minute drive from our property (www.pinocchio.it).
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Pinocchio-Park
SP35Kids of all ages love this place. Adults will also like the adjacent Garzoni Gardens ("Villa e Giardino Garzoni") and the Butterfly House ("Casa delle Farfalle"). About a 30 minute drive from our property (www.pinocchio.it).