Travel where others don&#039;t

Where to stay in Prato: Tuscany's second city, first-city prices avoided

Prato, just 20 km from Florence, offers a walled historic centre with far more accessible prices than the capital: where to stay.

How to get to Pistoia: train, car and airport

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.

What to see in Pistoia in 2 days: the Cathedral and its nursery tradition

Pistoia combines a medieval centre with one of Italy's finest silver altars and the surrounding nursery countryside, among Europe's most important.

Where to eat in Pistoia: Tuscan cuisine without the crowds

Pistoia serves classic Tuscan cuisine, but with the prices and pace of a city less trodden by mass tourism.

Where to stay in Pistoia: historic centre and nursery country

Pistoia, often skipped in favour of Florence, has a compact medieval centre: where to stay to enjoy it unhurried.

How to get to Massa: train, car and airport

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.

What to see in Massa in 2 days: the Malaspina fortress and the Apuan Alps

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.

Where to eat in Massa: between the Apuan Alps and the sea

In Massa, the food changes with altitude: mountain dishes inland towards the Apuan Alps, seafood cuisine at Marina di Massa.

Where to stay in Massa: between the old town and the Apuan Alps

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.