{"id":16017,"date":"2012-11-21T08:02:17","date_gmt":"2012-11-20T22:02:17","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=16017"},"modified":"2018-05-15T04:20:39","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T18:20:39","slug":"top-10-in-tuscany","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/top-10-in-tuscany\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 in Tuscany"},"content":{"rendered":"
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lastminute lovely Louise gives her top 10 things to do in Tuscany! <\/strong><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n


\n1. Cycle the streets of Florence<\/strong>
\nThe best way to get your bearings around the unbelievably beautiful city of Florence is to enrol in a local bike tour<\/a>. You\u2019ll scoot around the cobbled laneways with a trusted tour guide who\u2019ll deliver a fun-filled heritage talk at key sites including:
\n\u2022 The Duomo
\n\u2022 Palazzo Vecchio
\n\u2022 Ponte Vecchio
\n\u2022 The artisans district
\n\u2022 Local food & leather markets
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2. Sample every flavour of ice cream you can get your mitts on<\/strong>
\nI recommend averaging two to three scoops of ice cream a day whilst holidaying in Tuscany. That way you\u2019ll be able to discover all kinds of flavours. (Note: any more and you should be congratulating yourself as a serious aficionado.)
\nMy favourite flavours:
\n\u2022 Fig & Mascarpone \u2013 fruity yet deliciously creamy and rich.
\n\u2022 Lemon sorbet \u2013 for when you\u2019re seeking something tongue-tinglingly refreshing and icy.
\n\u2022 Tiramisu \u2013 Italian coffee, dark chocolate and luscious cream. Enough said.
\nAnd the granddaddy of Tuscan ice cream shops has to be the Gelataria di Piazza<\/a> in San Gimignano. Join the long line-up and sample the pink grapefruit and champagne sorbet. Delicious.
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3. Stay in a luxurious country retreat<\/strong>
\nTuscan villas are parodied the world over. But you don\u2019t get better than the real deal. And the archetypal Tuscan villa experience can be found at L\u2019Andana<\/a> in Castiglione della Pescaia, south-western Tuscany.
\nCypress lined driveway \u2013 tick. Olive grove strewed hillsides \u2013 tick. Award-winning on-site restaurant set in a vineyard \u2013 tick. Stunning villa complete with exquisite antique furnishings \u2013 tick. And rejuvenating spa complex with hot pool boys \u2013 tick (woops, the gorgeous Italian staff are a nice added bonus you might not expect).
\nL\u2019Andana is seriously deluxe, whilst retaining the Tuscan charm that many international resorts fail to retain. Trust me, you\u2019ll be planning your return vacation before you depart.
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4. Eat like a local<\/strong>
\nIn the international bestseller Eat, Pray, Love I only really enjoyed the \u2018eat\u2019 part \u2013 you know the section where the main character eats her way around Italy and puts on like five kilos. I\u2019m not sure what that says about me and my lack of spirituality or distaste for soppy romance, suffice to say, Italian food totally rocks my world. Whether you\u2019re lunching in the vines or propped at a bar with a Peroni and slice, the food is so god darn good in Tuscany you\u2019ll be hard pressed to eat badly.
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5. Walk the walls of Lucca<\/strong>
\nLucca is a very picturesque medieval town in northern Tuscany, 17 kilometres from Pisa. Encircling the town is a ginmormous brick wall that you can walk, cycle or even run around if you\u2019re feeling that way inclined. Whichever you choose, lose a day in Lucca wandering shady streets, admiring the attractive churches and sipping limoncello in one of the many bustling squares.
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6. Climb the Duomo <\/strong>
\nSo you\u2019ve marvelled at Michelangelo\u2019s statue of ‘David’ at the Accademia and sighed at Botticelli\u2019s \u2018The Birth of Venus\u2019 at the Uffizi but you simply cannot leave Florence without tramping up the 400 odd stairs inside the Duomo. Get close to majestic frescos and then continue up a spiralling staircase for simply breathtaking rooftop views. Sigh!
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7. Drink Tuscan vino<\/strong>
\nWine making in Tuscany can be traced back almost 3,000 years so it\u2019s fair to say they\u2019ve got it down to a fine art. And, there are so many wineries you could spend your entire jolliday exploring the region\u2019s varied vineyards. Sip lips at the ready!
\nKey regions to explore:<\/strong>
\n\u2022 Chianti
\n\u2022 Montalcino (home to the infamous Brunello vineyards)
\n\u2022 San Gimignano
\n\u2022 Montepulciano
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8. Discover San Gimignano<\/strong>
\nSan Gimignano is one of my favourite spots in the world. Perched on a beautiful Tuscan hillside, San Gimignano\u2019s ancient skyscrapers mark out the town from afar. And oh boy is she a beauty. Don\u2019t be put off by the crowds of European tourists, explore the back alleyways and marvel at the Tuscan countryside stretching for miles.
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9. Take \u2018that\u2019 photo in Pisa<\/strong>
\nI\u2019m not going to lie, Pisa isn\u2019t my favourite spot in Tuscany. It\u2019s busy and urban, and quite frankly, you\u2019ve come to Tuscany to do some serious relaxing in quaint towns or beautiful countryside. But the leaning tower of Pisa is an architecture anomaly and one to tick off the bucket list. My advice is to get in, have a quick squiz, and out of the city in half a day.
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10. Cheer the horses at Il Palio<\/strong>
\nTwice a year Sienna puts on an exciting horse race around the city\u2019s main square Piazza del Campo. Thousands of spectators cram into the piazza and watch the galloping bareback racing. Doesn\u2019t sound dangerous at all, right? Well, you\u2019ll be pleased to hear mattresses line the corners of buildings to cushion any collisions. Oh and it is heaps of fun. Just gird your loins for the excitement and join the passionate, noisy local crowd.
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