Tuscany beyond Florence, Siena and the postcard sights: the Lunigiana, the Garfagnana, the inland Maremma and the Casentino guard silent medieval villages, woods, free hot springs and white gravel roads where mass tourism never arrives. Authentic destinations for those seeking slow landscapes, village taverns and corners of countryside to discover at leisure, far from the crowds.
131 guides in Tuscany · 🛏 Dove dormire in Tuscany
430 km from Padua to Monte della Verna following the footsteps of Saint Anthony of Padua, through the Euganean Hills, the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and beech forests.
Jul 9, 2026
A flat, almost entirely gravel cycle route that crosses the Val di Chiana along the Canale Maestro, between Arezzo and Chiusi. While the tourist crowds head straight for Siena and Florence, this farming countryside stays quiet and perfectly suited to slow pedalling.
Jun 30, 2026
Arezzo sits on the Florence-Rome high-speed line with frequent trains, but from the A1 it's reached only via a short connector road: here's how to plan your trip.
Aug 3, 2026
In the heart of Casentino, Poppi safeguards an intact medieval castle and an arcaded old town almost unknown to Tuscany's major tourist flows.
Jul 29, 2026
Guide to the flavours of Cortona: Chianina steak, pici al ragù, ribollita and the best restaurants, trattorias and wine bars within the Etruscan walls and Valdichiana countryside.
Jul 11, 2026
Complete guide on where to stay in Cortona: best areas in this Tuscan hilltop town between Val di Chiana and Etruscan art, accommodation types and budget tips.
Jul 11, 2026
A 2-day itinerary for Cortona: Etruscan walls, Fra Angelico at the Diocesan Museum, medieval alleys, the Medici Fortress and breathtaking views over the Val di Chiana.
Jul 11, 2026
Complete guide on how to get to Cortona by train, plane, car and bus. Connections and local transport to reach the Tuscan hilltop town above the Valdichiana.
Jul 11, 2026
Arezzo food guide: from Chianina steak to acquacotta, the best trattorias in the center, historic osterias and tips for authentic Tuscan eating.
Jul 11, 2026
Complete guide on where to stay in Arezzo: from the historic centre of Piero della Francesca to Valdichiana, albergo diffuso, period residences and farm stays among vineyards.
Jul 11, 2026
2-day itinerary in Arezzo: from Piero della Francesca's frescoes to the Etruscan Chimera, Piazza Grande, the Medici Fortress and surrounding valleys.
Jul 11, 2026
The Tuscan stretch of the Via di Francesco crosses the Casentino and the Valdambra for 150 km, past Camaldolese abbeys, medieval villages and deserted Sienese hills.
Jul 9, 2026
The frescoes of the Legend of the True Cross, Piazza Grande and the antiques market: Arezzo is the Tuscany that doesn't stand in line.
Jul 5, 2026
The Alpe della Luna Nature Reserve, in the Tuscan Upper Tiber Valley above Sansepolcro, is a wooded ridge range between Tuscany, Umbria and Marche, close to the source of the Tiber on nearby Monte Fumaiolo. Dense forests and almost no visitors, because it stays off to the side compared with the valley's art cities.
Jun 30, 2026
Between the Casentino and the Valdarno around Arezzo, the Pratomagno is a long grassy ridge little frequented by tourists: high-altitude meadows, beech woods and Romanesque parish churches offer 360-degree panoramas far from Tuscany's crowded destinations.
Jun 30, 2026
Florence has a very strong popular food culture, from street-food lampredotto to bistecca: here's where to find it away from tourist-only venues.
Aug 3, 2026
Just steps from the Duomo, a state museum tells the story of Florentine pietre dure mosaic art: Medici masterpieces and almost no tourists.
Jul 29, 2026
Uscire dal cuore di Firenze la mattina, tornare la sera con le scarpe impolverate e un sacchetto di pane toscano, nel raggio di pochi chilometri dal centro.
Jul 21, 2026
Non i soliti nomi da cartolina né i borghi presi d'assalto ogni estate.
Jul 18, 2026
Medieval thermal towns, tufa-stone villages, Etruscan crypts, the overlooked Pratomagno mountains, Lucchesia, Val di Cornia. Tuscany far from the standard itineraries.
Jul 18, 2026
Beyond the Ponte Vecchio, where the Uffizi crowds don't reach: artisan workshops, hidden gardens, the house Michelangelo lived in before the David, a hilltop Romanesque sanctuary, and the piazza where Florence still comes alive after dark.
Jul 18, 2026
Near-empty cenacles, sixteenth-century botanical gardens, cloisters with masterpieces and no lines. Beyond its two most famous landmarks, Florence is a city that waits for you calmly. Here's where.
Jul 18, 2026
All the ways to reach Florence: plane, train, car and bus. Airports, stations, highways and local transport from arrival point to the city centre.
Jul 12, 2026
Complete guide on where to stay in Florence: best neighborhoods, accommodation types, budget tips and suggestions for every type of traveler.
Jul 12, 2026
Discover what to see in Florence in 2 days: a day-by-day itinerary through the Duomo, Uffizi, Oltrarno and secret corners of the cradle of the Renaissance.
Jul 12, 2026
Certaldo Alto is an intact medieval borgo with the same towers as San Gimignano but without the tourist hordes. The birthplace and final home of Boccaccio.
Jul 5, 2026
Among the Balze cliffs of the Valdarno, the Orientalist castle of Sammezzano guards the most colourful rooms in Tuscany, today closed to the public.
Jul 1, 2026
Overtourism in Florence: the data on visitor numbers, short lets and residents, and how to experience Tuscan art while avoiding the queues.
Jun 29, 2026
In Florence, near San Marco, the Chiostro dello Scalzo holds Andrea del Sarto's Stories of Saint John the Baptist, free of charge.
Jun 23, 2026
Just steps from the Accademia, Florence hides a sixteenth-century botanical garden and the quiet cloisters of San Marco: two havens of calm.
Jun 23, 2026
Orbetello sits on an isthmus between two lagoon basins, halfway to Monte Argentario: where to stay between the historic centre and the sandy tomboli.
Aug 3, 2026
Orbetello's cuisine is that of its lagoon: mullet bottarga and smoked eel are the dishes that best tell the story of the area.
Aug 3, 2026
Orbetello combines a walled historic centre suspended over the water with a protected lagoon and sandy tomboli towards the Argentario: two unhurried days.
Aug 3, 2026
Orbetello is served by Orbetello-Monte Argentario station on the Tyrrhenian line and by the Via Aurelia: here's how to get there.
Aug 3, 2026
At 405 metres above sea level, within Aldobrandeschi walls and views that reach as far as Corsica on clear days, Giglio Castello is the Isle of Giglio without the port's bustle.
Aug 3, 2026
On the north-western coast of Giglio, the bay of Campese is framed by a coastal tower built for Cosimo I against Saracen raids: today just sunsets and water that keeps changing colour.
Aug 3, 2026
Castle, canal-port and the Tombolo pine forest stretching east: Castiglione della Pescaia is the Maremma coast at its most intimate, between Etruscans and reclaimed marshland.
Aug 3, 2026
Once called Punta Troia, renamed in the 1930s and developed as a resort mostly from the 1970s onward: Punta Ala is the Maremma's most organised stretch, with pine forests and a modern marina.
Aug 3, 2026
Built up around one of Europe's largest 19th-century ironworks, Follonica today is beaches and pine forests on its namesake gulf, with the Colline Metallifere hills rising behind it.
Aug 3, 2026
Inside the Maremma Regional Park, Alberese beach is one of the most unspoiled stretches of sandy coast left in Tuscany, protected precisely because it's so rare.
Aug 3, 2026
Spanish bastions, a 19th-century botanical garden and the story of Caravaggio's death: Porto Ercole is the most intimate corner of Monte Argentario.
Aug 3, 2026
Monte Argentario's main port and ferry hub for the islands, Porto Santo Stefano is the practical base for exploring this stretch of the Tuscan coast.
Aug 3, 2026
A 474-hectare nature reserve between Orbetello and Monte Argentario, crossed only on foot or by bicycle: the wildest stretch of Tuscan coast left standing.
Aug 3, 2026
Grosseto is the gateway to the Maremma: where to stay between the walled old town and easy access to the sea and the Maremma Regional Park.
Aug 3, 2026
Grosseto is the gateway to Maremma cuisine: land and coastal produce, from trattorias in the centre to weekly markets.
Aug 3, 2026
Grosseto is often just a stop on the way to the sea, but its walled centre and closeness to the Maremma Park deserve two unhurried days.
Aug 3, 2026
Grosseto is served by a central station on the Tyrrhenian line and a small local airport: here's how to reach it by train, car or plane.
Aug 3, 2026
Between Manciano and Saturnia, a walled 13th-century village with heart-shaped walls, a church that holds a work by Sano di Pietro, and a two-Michelin-star restaurant.
Jul 29, 2026
Houses carved into the rock, an Orsini fortress and Etruscan cave roads: Sorano is Pitigliano's lesser-known twin, in the tuff country of the Maremma.
Jul 29, 2026
Cascate del Mulino at Saturnia: travertine pools at 37°C with free access in the Maremma. A complete guide with timing tips, what to bring, and nearby sights.
Jul 5, 2026
In the interior between Pisa, Siena and Grosseto, the Colline Metallifere offer a geothermal, mining Tuscany all but forgotten by tourism: vapours rising from the earth, woods and silent villages far from the classic routes of Chianti and the coast.
Jun 30, 2026
In the Tuff Area of the Maremma's interior, far from the crowded coast, the Etruscan Vie Cave are deep gorges carved into the rock linking Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano: a journey among cliff-perched villages and necropolises, magnificent in the off-season.
Jun 30, 2026
Between Sovana and Sorano, Etruscan pathways carved into the tufa lead to the necropolis and the monumental Ildebranda Tomb, in the heart of the Maremma.
Jun 23, 2026
Among the hills of Magliano in Toscana, Pereta is a fortified medieval village where a few dozen inhabitants live in the hilly Maremma.
Jun 21, 2026
In Pitigliano, beyond the postcard terraces, narrow lanes and hidden courtyards tell the story of an authentic life carved in stone.
Jun 21, 2026
350 inhabitants, a single port, no sandy beaches: Capraia is Tuscany's wildest island, poised between Corsica and Elba.
Jul 5, 2026
167 metres above the sea, among medieval alleys and views over the gulf, Capoliveri is Elba seen from up high, far from the bustle of Portoferraio's port.
Aug 3, 2026
A handful of houses perched on a white cliff, a pebble beach and a 2,000-year-old Roman shipwreck on the seabed: Chiessi is Elba at its most secluded.
Aug 3, 2026
Portoferraio is the first stop for anyone arriving by ferry from Piombino: here's how to find your way between the fortified centre and coastal hamlets to choose where to stay.
Aug 3, 2026
Discover where to eat in Livorno: cacciucco alla livornese, red mullet, chickpea cake, the central market and canal-side trattorias. A guide to Tuscan coast flavours.
Jul 12, 2026
Practical guide to reaching Livorno in Tuscany: Pisa airport, trains, car, ferries to the islands and buses. All connections for the Tuscan coast.
Jul 12, 2026
Complete guide on where to stay in Livorno: best areas between centre, Venezia Nuova and the coast, accommodation types, seaside stays and budget tips.
Jul 12, 2026
Discover what to see in Livorno in 2 days: Venezia Nuova, Terrazza Mascagni, Fortezza Vecchia, the central market and Tuscan coast beaches.
Jul 12, 2026
Complete guide on where to stay in Lucca: inside the Renaissance walls or in the villa countryside, best areas, accommodation and tips for every type of traveler.
Jul 11, 2026
A tiny quarrymen's village at the gateway to the Antro del Corchia, half-swallowed by an artificial lake: its houses rise roughly every ten years like a mirage, when the reservoir is periodically drained.
Jul 5, 2026
Lucca has its own cuisine within Tuscany, tied to extra-virgin olive oil and Garfagnana farro: where to find it inside the Renaissance walls.
Aug 3, 2026
Lucca has a station just steps from the walls on three railway lines and two dedicated motorway exits: here's how to get there.
Aug 3, 2026
Viareggio offers a Liberty-style seafront, a historic Darsena and the calm of Torre del Lago Puccini: where to stay depending on the atmosphere you want.
Aug 3, 2026
Viareggio is a fishing town before a holiday resort: its seafood cuisine is found above all around the historic Darsena.
Aug 3, 2026
Viareggio combines the Liberty architecture of its seafront, the historic Darsena and nearby Torre del Lago Puccini: two days between sea and culture.
Aug 3, 2026
Viareggio has a central station on two railway lines and sits on the A11-A12 corridor: here's how to reach it by train, car or plane.
Aug 3, 2026
On the shore of Lake Massaciuccoli, among reed beds and the villa where Puccini lived, a corner of Versilia that faces fresh water instead of the fashionable sea.
Aug 3, 2026
2-day itinerary in Lucca: walking the Walls, towers with hanging gardens, elliptical squares and hidden villas in the Lucchese countryside waiting to be discovered.
Jul 11, 2026
Thermal springs on the Lima river in the Garfagnana, once frequented by Byron and Shelley: the grand spa is shuttered, but the wild pools in the woods remain free.
Jul 5, 2026
Four kilometres of Renaissance ramparts turned into a park, a hundred churches, and a Roman amphitheatre reborn as a piazza. Tuscany at a human pace.
Jul 5, 2026
A medieval village submerged beneath the artificial Lago di Vagli in Garfagnana: it re-emerges at each draining, the last one awaited for decades.
Jul 5, 2026
A rugged, little-travelled valley between the Apuan Alps and the Lucca Apennines, made of woods, mountain pastures and Este fortresses. The Garfagnana with the Orecchiella park is an authentic mountain Tuscany, ignored by mass tourism.
Jun 30, 2026
Carrara alternates a medieval centre at the foot of the Apuan Alps with the coastal Marina di Carrara: where to stay depending on whether you want art, quarries or the sea.
Aug 3, 2026
Carrara's cuisine takes its name from its most famous hamlet, Colonnata, but goes beyond lardo: here's where to try it between town and quarries.
Aug 3, 2026
Carrara is far more than the city marble passes through: a compact historic centre and the quarries in the Apuan Alps make for a complete two-day itinerary.
Aug 3, 2026
Carrara is served by Carrara-Avenza station on the Tyrrhenian line and by the A12 motorway with a dedicated exit: here's how to get there.
Aug 3, 2026
Massa spans a historic centre at the foot of the Apuan Alps and a distinct seaside area (Marina di Massa): where to stay depending on what you're after.
Aug 3, 2026
In Massa, the food changes with altitude: mountain dishes inland towards the Apuan Alps, seafood cuisine at Marina di Massa.
Aug 3, 2026
Massa combines a Renaissance centre overlooked by the Malaspina fortress with proximity to the marble quarries and the Apuan Alps: a two-day itinerary between history and nature.
Aug 3, 2026
Massa is served by Massa Centro station on the Tyrrhenian line and is easy to reach by car via the A12 motorway: here's how to plan your trip.
Aug 3, 2026
A historic route that descends from the Apennine passes of the Lunigiana down to Lucca, among Malaspina castles and stone villages. An almost forgotten pilgrimage way that crosses the most hidden and wild corner of Tuscany.
Jun 30, 2026
Pisa has Tuscany's main airport and a station on five railway lines: it is among the easiest cities in the region to reach.
Aug 3, 2026
Volterra is a walled hilltop town of Etruscan origin: where to stay between the compact centre and the Val di Cecina countryside.
Aug 3, 2026
Volterra has a hearty hill-country cuisine built on wild boar and truffle, backed by the produce of the surrounding Val di Cecina.
Aug 3, 2026
One or two days in Volterra? Practical itineraries for exploring the Tuscan Etruscan city and its hills, far from the tour buses of San Gimignano.
Jul 19, 2026
Guide on where to stay in Pisa: from central areas along the Arno to university neighbourhoods, with budget tips, accommodation types and the ideal area for every traveller.
Jul 11, 2026
What to see in Pisa in 2 days: from Piazza dei Miracoli to the lungarni, from the San Martino quarter to Keith Haring's murals and the Pisan hills.
Jul 11, 2026
Guide to the best places to eat in Pisa: hot cecina, bordatino, torta co' bischeri and the Lungarno trattorias. Street food, markets and budget tips.
Jul 11, 2026
A 2-day Volterra itinerary through Etruscan walls, the Roman Theatre, alabaster workshops, spectacular clay cliffs and medieval alleys of Tuscany's oldest city.
Jul 11, 2026
Complete guide to reaching Volterra by train, plane, car and bus. Connections, times and tips for arriving in the Etruscan city on the Tuscan hills.
Jul 11, 2026
Pistoia, often skipped in favour of Florence, has a compact medieval centre: where to stay to enjoy it unhurried.
Aug 3, 2026
Pistoia serves classic Tuscan cuisine, but with the prices and pace of a city less trodden by mass tourism.
Aug 3, 2026
Pistoia combines a medieval centre with one of Italy's finest silver altars and the surrounding nursery countryside, among Europe's most important.
Aug 3, 2026
Pistoia is just minutes by train from Florence and Lucca, on the line connecting them: one of the easiest ways to reach it without a car.
Aug 3, 2026
Pistoia is authentic Tuscany: Romanesque art, secret gardens and real everyday life one hour from Florence, with no queues and no crowds.
Jul 5, 2026
Medieval squares, Della Robbia ceramics and a cathedral with Giovanni Pisano's pulpit — all just twenty minutes from Florence, without the crowds.
Jul 5, 2026
Prato, just 20 km from Florence, offers a walled historic centre with far more accessible prices than the capital: where to stay.
Aug 3, 2026
Prato is the birthplace of cantucci biscuits and has its own mortadella: Tuscan cuisine with specialities of its own, often overlooked by Florence visitors.
Aug 3, 2026
Prato, Tuscany's second city, has top-tier Renaissance heritage and a Swabian castle, without the crowds of Florence just 20 km away.
Aug 3, 2026
Prato is about 20 km from Florence and well connected by train: one of the simplest ways to get there without a car.
Aug 3, 2026
A cascade of sulphurous water at 43°C in the heart of the Maremma, completely free and open to all: Tuscany's thermal secret that costs absolutely nothing.
Jul 5, 2026
Siena has a hearty land-based cuisine of fresh pasta, ancient sweets and cinta senese pork: where to find it between the centre and the contrade.
Aug 3, 2026
Montepulciano spirals up a hill to Piazza Grande: where to stay between the Renaissance centre and the Vino Nobile countryside.
Aug 3, 2026
San Gimignano is more than towers: the Vernaccia DOCG wine and its medieval saffron tell of a distinct cuisine worth seeking beyond Piazza della Cisterna.
Aug 3, 2026
Guide on where to eat in Montepulciano: handmade pici, Chianina steak, Vino Nobile DOCG, old town osterias, markets and budget tips for your visit.
Jul 12, 2026
All ways to reach Montepulciano in Tuscany: Florence and Rome airports, train to Chiusi, driving from A1 and Tiemme bus. Practical transport directions.
Jul 12, 2026
Guide on what to see in Montepulciano in 2 days: Piazza Grande, Nobile wine cellars, San Biagio Temple, Val di Chiana views and trips to Pienza.
Jul 12, 2026
Guide on where to stay in Siena: from the old town contrade to the Sienese countryside, with budget tips, accommodation types and the perfect area for every traveller.
Jul 11, 2026
Guide to what to see in Siena in 2 days: from Piazza del Campo to the Cathedral, from secret contrade to the Sienese clays, with walking routes in the medieval centre.
Jul 11, 2026
Complete guide to reaching Siena by train, plane, car and bus. The city of the Palio in the heart of Tuscany with all connections and local transport.
Jul 11, 2026
Complete guide on where to stay in San Gimignano: within the medieval walls or in the Sienese countryside, with tips on accommodation, prices and areas.
Jul 11, 2026
Two days in San Gimignano exploring the UNESCO medieval towers, Ghirlandaio frescoes, Vernaccia wine, saffron and trails through vineyards and olive groves.
Jul 11, 2026
Practical guide to reaching San Gimignano by train, plane, car and bus. All connections to the city of medieval towers in the heart of Tuscany.
Jul 11, 2026
Montepulciano delivers Renaissance palaces, Vino Nobile and Val d'Orcia panoramas without the crowds that swamp Siena every single day.
Jul 5, 2026
Discover Bagni San Filippo, Tuscany's free thermal springs in the Val d'Orcia: white travertine cascades, 48°C waters, and trails through ancient chestnut woods.
Jul 5, 2026
Terme di Petriolo between Siena and Grosseto: medieval ruins, sulphurous springs at 43°C in the Farma torrent, and free natural pools in the Tuscan maquis.
Jul 5, 2026
Bagno Vignoni in the Val d'Orcia: the Renaissance thermal pool-piazza, waters at 49°C, the Parco dei Mulini, and the timeless atmosphere of a tiny Tuscan borgo.
Jul 5, 2026
Between Radda, Gaiole and Castelnuovo Berardenga lie gentle gravel tracks where cycling returns to silence, white dust and endless Tuscan views.
Jul 5, 2026
A few kilometres from Siena, the roofless abbey of San Galgano guards a real sword thrust into the rock: Tuscan history and legend.
Jul 1, 2026
Monte Amiata is an ancient extinct volcano in the southern corner of Tuscany, cloaked in beech and chestnut woods and ringed by mercury-mining villages. Far from the postcard hills of the Val d'Orcia, it is an authentic mountain where tourism arrives in tiny numbers.
Jun 30, 2026
Where to eat in Pienza: the famous DOP pecorino, pici al ragu, panoramic trattorias over the Val d'Orcia, typical Tuscan products and budget-friendly tips.
Jul 12, 2026
How to reach Pienza in the heart of Val d'Orcia: Florence and Rome airports, train to Chiusi or Buonconvento, driving from A1 and Tiemme bus options.
Jul 12, 2026
Discover what to see in Pienza in 2 days: Piazza Pio II, Cathedral, Val d'Orcia views, pecorino cheese, nearby villages and hidden old-town corners.
Jul 12, 2026
Pitigliano has no railway station, but reaching it is entirely feasible by car, bus, or a combination of train and transfer. Here is everything you need to plan your journey to the "Little Jerusalem" of the Maremma.
Jul 11, 2026
A 2-day itinerary through Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano: Jewish ghetto, Etruscan sunken roads and Saturnia hot springs in the hidden Tuscan Maremma.
Jul 11, 2026
Complete accommodation guide for Pitigliano: B&Bs in the tufa cliff old town, agriturismi among vineyards and olive groves, and thermal stays near Saturnia, in the heart of Tuscan Maremma.
Jul 11, 2026