Tuscany Things to Do

We so often associate Tuscany with things like rolling hills covered in Chianti vineyards and the occasionall hilltop village that it’s sometimes surprising to realize that Tuscany has a long stretch of coastline on the Ligurian Sea. While it’s not going to be possible for you to fully explore Tuscany’s sights in a short visit from a cruise, you’ll certainly be able to get a taste for this famous Italian region that’s sure to leave you wanting more.

Of course we’re all familiar with Pisa‘s most famous monument – the Leaning Tower of Pisa is one of Italy’s most visited tourist attractions. Most people who check Pisa off their must-see list do so after a couple of hours en route from one city to another, or as a brief day trip from nearby Florence. There is, however, much more to see and do in Pisa than just the tower.

While each town in Tuscany will get into the Christmas spirit to some degree, shopping aficionados will want to make sure to visit the cities and towns that include good Christmas markets in their celebrations. There are several towns in Tuscany with good Christmas markets, so you shouldn’t have to travel too far to find one close to where you’ll be. And if you plan your days right, you could visit quite a few of them.

Many of us are familiar with the idea of wine tasting, especially in wine-rich regions like Tuscany, and sampling the local wines is a great way to explore the flavor of a new travel destination. How many of us, however, think about tasting olive oil? Really, how many of us think of olive oil at all, beyond being a key ingredient in our favorite salad dressings? Olive oil, like wine, is produced in Tuscany and tastes extremely different depending on who makes it, where it comes from, and the quality of the olives.

At the top of Monte Forato in the Apuan Alps is a strange hole. On clear days you can see it from all around the mountainous Garfagnana district and the Versilia, an area of the Tuscan coast. There’s nothing like seeing something strange from afar to make you want to go there. For visitors to Tuscany the hike to Monte Forato is a popular one but should not be taken lightly – you’ll need to allow a whole day and wear proper hiking boots, take water and stick to the trails.

Many of the hill towns of Tuscany are famous for their clustered houses, cobbled streets and lovely views. To an outsider, they often seem interchangeable – unless one of them is particularly noted for a wine grape that’s arguably even more well known than the town from which it comes. Such is the case with Montepulciano. The town and the wine grape share the name, and any visitors drawn to the area for one of the two is likely to be equally charmed by the other.