By day the activities are endless trekking, horse-riding, yoga, mountain biking, truffle hunting. Beyond the fort, check out Livornos port, which still functions as an important trade and travel destination. From left: Cocktail hour at Belmond Castello di Casole; Bar Visconti, a recent addition to the hotel. At the center is the Palazzo del Capitano. Arezzo doesnt have a ton of major sights or activities, so you can definitely see the city all in one day. Offers may be subject to change without notice. From left: The bar, and garden, at La Pescaia Resort in the Maremma. Borgo Pignano: Located near Volterra, this property follows the classic model of a refurbished farming hamlet centered around an 18th-century villa, with a rather fine restaurant that leans heavily on the resort arm's own organic produce. The stunning location, beautiful property and gorgeous view make it one of the unique places to stay in Tuscany. #1 Best Value of 34 Family Resorts in Tuscany. The Piazza Pio II is the villages central square, designed in a trapezoidal shape by architect Bernado Rossellini with several formidable buildings. Avenues of cypresses, olive trees, vineyards and medieval villages, here you will experience Tuscany as it is known from the pictures. The shops and restaurants of Yosemite Village are also popular. Val d'Orcia: Top 15 Most Amazing Places to Visit! There are bronze Moroccan lanterns on wrought-iron tables (and blankets and log burners if it gets chilly) and a feast of delicious salads, huge prawns and steaks grilled right in front of you. The previously rather staid dcor was refreshed by design studio ArchFlorence in a style that exudes Tuscan heraldic class but is also bright and contemporary (the capacious spa, housed in the former olive mill, is a particular delight). Livorno is famous for having some of the best seafood on the Tyrrhenian coast. There's a small hammam and a dungeon of a wine cellar with some stellar bottles, all available at near-cost prices, on the honor system. Half Dome and El Capitan are two of the granite cliffs made famous by photographer Ansel Adams. While this village is small, its inviting and rich with history, held in its museums, fortresses and archaeological sites. Without further ado, these are the best places to stay in Tuscany: Our Number One Suggestion: the Tuscan countryside in the very central area between Florence and Siena, which just also happens to enclose the entire wine region of Chianti within its borders. When its a village. The 10 Best Tuscany Hotels Where To Stay in Tuscany, Italy Cortona is home to several museums and beautiful Italian churches. Are you wondering where to stay in Tuscany? 15 Best Places to Visit in Tuscany, Italy! - PlacesofJuma This dedicated attention to detail and quality makes wines hailing from this region world-class. Where to stay in Tuscany: top ten AMAZING rental you will LOVE BEST PLACES TO STAY IN TUSCANY IN CRETE SENESI. The longer you spend contemplating its rich hues, the better it gets. There are also great villas in the surrounding countryside, making this walkable and dynamic city a great place to stay in Tuscany. 8. Siena also has some great hostels for backpackers, as well as several AirBnBs and hotels within the main city center. Now that Rosewood Hotels has taken over management, things can only get slicker. Unlike some other towns on this list, Lucca is not a hilltop village, giving your climbing legs a well-deserved break. Sleep is taken seriously too, and the rooms are staggering. Opposite the museum is the Church of Santa Maria della Spina, a small but dynamic 13th century church with adorned white and green striped stone walls and various sculptures. And the upkeep is meticulous. Cioffi has sponsored an archaeological dig on the site, makes a policy of training and employing locals whenever possible, and frequently hosts free concerts, symposiums, and other art events. Now all you need to do is talk some friends into sharing the place with you. Nearby is the Piazza Grande, Arezzos main city square. Small shops, wine bars and restaurants are scattered throughout the main streets, with many serving Chianina cattle meat, a Validichiana speciality. There's an amazing range of things to do, from truffle-hunting expeditions and star-gazing sessions to treatments in the elegant spa and a pasta-making course in rustic-chic Osteria La Canonica (the former priest's house, next to the organic kitchen garden, and the more low-key of the two restaurants). Here, 12 one-, two-, and three-bedroom villa suites straight out of a coffee-table book on "new Tuscan country style" cluster around a huge swimming pool and vegetable garden. A few years back, two sisters from Milan came to the Maremma a wild, ruggedly handsome swathe of the southern Tuscan coast and hinterland to sell a farm estate that belonged to their father. The beautiful cobblestone and aging buildings make for a great picture under the sunset. If youre looking for lively nightlife, great shopping and fun in the sand and surf, Viareggio is a great place to stay in Tuscany. 177 places to stay Viareggio 397 places to stay Castiglione della Pescaia 230 places to stay Siena 541 places to stay Follonica 318 places to stay Pisa 615 places to stay Lido di Camaiore 185 places to stay Livorno 269 places to stay Florence Siena Lucca Pisa San Gimignano Volterra Montepulciano Pienza These are the best, must-see towns and cities in Tuscany: 1. Slightly beaten off the tourist path, Arezzo is a hidden gem in Tuscanys crown. Perched stately atop a hill, the charming medieval town of Montepulciano is a city of elegance, Renaissance architecture and some of Tuscanys best red wines. Two recent updates have raised the resort's already strong game. For supper, Oreade restaurant has a seasonal menu, which might include wild boar or truffles. WHERE TO STAY in MONTEPULCIANO in 2023 - The Tour Guy Pisa, the home of the famous Leaning Tower, 11. Start a day here at the Piazza Grande, Montepulcianos main city square, located at the highest point in Montepulciano. Noblesse obliges on a 750-acre estate with an embarrassment of accommodation options. (An aperture in the wall of one bathroom is baffling until you realize it provides amazing views from the shower.). Read also: Best places to stay in Florence, best places to stay in Rome, best places to stay in Cinque Terre, best places to stay in Venice, best places to stay in Verona. Art Museums. In fall 2023, a new casual farm-to-table osteria, Zita, will open, complementing the existing fine-dining restaurant, Oreade. Experience Viareggios unique cultural atmosphere by grabbing an afternoon cocktail at Gran Caffe Margherita, a Viareggio historical institution where leading whos-whos of Italian history once dined. Discover these amazing places to stay in Tuscany. Pici is a classic spaghetti-like dish served in most restaurants, while ricciarelli, is a must-try Sienese biscuit served for dessert. Once the center of political and religious life in the Middle Ages, this paved brick city center has three formidable buildings, including the 12th century Church of Collegiata with its stunning interior frescoes depicting biblical stories from both the Old and New Testaments. Photograph: Laura Di Biase/Alamy Down the coast from the port and ancient hilltop town centre of Maratea, Hotel Martino's fantastic-value balconied rooms all have superb sunset views of. Cortona is the perfect place to stay in Tuscany if youre looking for that quaint Italian village feel. What follows is my pick of the properties that are either new to the scene or have made big changes in recent years. "People are looking for places away from the crowds, with lots of alfresco corners to relax in," said Margherita Ramella, CEO of La Pescaia Resort, a hotel in Tuscany. Both are under the aegis of Italian-American chef Giancarla Bodoni, who also steers Monteverdi's Culinary Academy. Siena, where to stay in Tuscany in a beautiful medieval town, 3. Regarded as one of the greatest medieval squares in Europe, Il Campo is formed in a tilted shell-shaped square of red brick, built on the intersection of three main roads. Launched in 2008, this accommodation arm of fashion scion Massimo Ferragamo's Brunello di Montalcino wine estate was conceived as a private club, where suites and villas would be used by members. Florence - where to stay in Tuscany for the first time 2. In terms of accomodation, Florence also has the largest network of hotels, including five-star luxury hotels concentrated within the main district, and cheaper hotels and hostels outside the city center. Federico Ciamei La Pescaia Resort: The Laid-back Face of the Maremma The Maremma is as much a mindset as a place. Pitiglanos restaurants feature traditional Tuscan home-cooking and prime Maremma valley wine, including the regions white wine staple, Bianco di Pitigliano. The chicest pool in all Tuscany. A similar effect can be achieved by overindulging in the excellent cocktails served up in the resort's chicest corner, the Bar Visconti. Open all year, unlike the suites (which operate from around Easter until mid-November), these three-to-six-bedroom refuges, most with fireplaces and private pools, are the ultimate venue for a family or group of friends. Top 10: the best luxury hotels in Tuscany | Telegraph Travel THE 10 BEST Hotels in Tuscany 2023 Tuscany Hotels and Places to Stay Enter dates to find the best prices Check In / / Check Out / / Guests 1 room, 2 adults, 0 children Florence Hotels Elba Island Hotels Cortona Hotels Lucca Hotels Camaiore Hotels Scandicci Hotels Montaione Hotels Capoliveri Hotels Pisa Hotels Viareggio is now a seaside resort destination, but still very active in the fishing and shipbuilding industries, fundamental to the citys booming economy. Start in the triangular Piazza della Cisterna, aptly named for the cistern served by the well in the squares center. But, due to the importance of Livornos port to historical Tuscan trade, you will find a melting pot of culture and multiethnic influences. Here youll find religious manuscripts, Renaissance artworks and ancient tapestries. From. Its placement offers panoramic views of the surrounding valley and distant Lake Trasimeno. Originally constructed to protect Livornos port, the fort now towers over Livornos canals with preserved ancient walls. Fifty 500-year-old farmhouses are scattered around the undulating hills of northern Umbria. By juma 23. Take your pick from scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, canoeing and glass-bottom boat tours, among other outdoor pursuits. Around that time, some smaller properties also debuted boutique charmers like Castello di Vicarello, Borgo Santo Pietro, Villa Fontelunga, and the Val d'Orcia bolt-hole La Bandita Country Hotel. There's a meandering meadow with a croquet lawn, tennis courts, and a lake with a bridge straight out of a Monet waterlily painting where the hotel's artist in residence has a studio. 1. Many of the 76 rooms and suites are still clustered around the main piazza, each of them softly masculine with moodily muted decor, yet also subtly individual with original beams, terracotta floors and either a fresco of the surrounding countryside or a huge wooden bathtub in the bedroom. There's a glass cantilevered Juliet balcony, wide sun-trap terraces and a flickering fire pit, each blade-sharp line softened by climbing roses and lavender. But this historic Chianti estate, with its Renaissance frescoes, formal gardens, and pared-back, airy bedrooms courtesy of Italian designer Paola Navone, is still a lovely setting for a week of rest and relaxation. There are cookery lessons from chef Rosario Russo in the restaurant's kitchen, clay-pigeon shoots and fallow-deer stalking - look out for the wild porcupine. Address: Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Castiglion del Bosco, Province of Siena, Italy. They provide a welcome sanctuary from the city center and include several sculptures, expertly-trimmed gardens and grottos, including Giambolognas Bathing Venus. There are rows of olive trees, six hectares of vineyard (the hotel produces its own wine and deliciously tangy olive oil), two infinity pools and a tiny Scandi-style spa with a hot tub on the outside deck. The best places to stay in Tuscany, Italy | Booking.com Time was, to stay in rural Tuscany was either to rent a villa or stay in a draughty castle that had been turned into a luxury hotel with Medieval plumbing. You can enjoy tastings of this wine in several cellars beneath the city or in the famous, 1,000-year-old Contucci Winery. Be sure to check out Viareggios historical bathing establishments, including the famous Bagno Balena, modernized to include showers, pools and restaurants. Elba Island - a laid-back Tuscan island turned trendy under-the-radar destination The largest Island of the National Park of the Tuscan Archipelago Elba is rich in history dating all the way back to the Ilvati tribe and later The Etruscans, The Romans and in 1814 Napoleon himself was exiled here. When it opened in 2003, the Castello di Vicarello resort and wine estate was a trailblazer. Today, the history of Florence is told through world-class monuments, churches and museums, enchanting visitors every day. How different things are now. The Maremma is as much a mindset as a place. The Da Vinci Museum is also well-worth checking out, with immersive exhibits displaying Da Vincis early forays into gravity, design and mechanics. PIENZA. Pass up on the gallons of Chianti made right on the hotel's doorstep and sign up for one of the detox, weight-loss or anti-ageing programmes devised by Professor Giorgio Calabrese (a diet legend in Italy). Crete Senesi, a lunar-like landscape with medieval fortifications, 15. By Kristen / April 4, 2019 Like it? Arezzo - great for the local vibe of Tuscany 5. 10 Unique Places to Stay in Tuscany, Italy - Merryl's Travel & Tricks The result is a varied offering that stretches from whole rural villages transformed into resort hotels to small boutique offerings within the walls of charming hilltop towns. An architectural wonder, the Leaning Tower was constructed in the 12th century on a somewhat shaky foundation, giving it the famous tilt its known for today. Visit the historic Teatro Romano. Much of what was already good here has been retained, including Daniele Sera, the head chef at its Tosca restaurant, who, rather than do anything too fancy, pulls off the more difficult feat of delivering commandingly good versions of classics like spaghetti al pomodoro and Tuscan fish soup. After dinner, explore Pitiglianos vicolo, or small alleyways connecting its larger streets. And Borgo San Felice has another arrow to its quiver. The billionaire owner (Cardiff via Silicon Valley) and charming GM Luciano Lusardi (ex Borgo Egnazia and Verdura) have created an almost-too-good-to-be-true country estate within 750 acres of organic farmland (olive groves, vineyards, fields and woods) where butterflies swarm on sprawling lavender and the soundtrack is birdsong. With views straight out to sea and around to the town of Amalfi, this is up there as one of the most outstanding locations on this stretch of coast. And if you want rural seclusion, Voigtmann can do that too: located a short drive away, his original venture, La Bandita Countryhouse, has one of the most scenically located pools known to man. Florence Historic Center. Lucca has incredible restaurants, cafes and smaller gelato shops perfect for a hot Italian day, often featuring classic Italian musical performances. But what really makes Castiglion del Bosco special was there from the start: it's a stunning slice of Tuscany 40 times the size of Vatican City, where you can wander all day perhaps on a truffle-hunting or foraging expedition without ever leaving the estate. The town also offers great shopping, with leather goods and hand-made crafts produced from local olive wood. Address: Reschio, Lisciano Niccone, Province of Perugia, Italy. Siena is one of the most beautiful villages in Tuscany and . Agriculture is the main source of livelihood here, with growers producing grain, olives and livestock at peak times during the season. A champion of the arts, Cioffi has also set about stuffing the place with contemporary culture. When its Danish owners Jeanette and Claus Throttrup bought the place in 2001, it was a run-down estate centering on an abandoned 13th-century villa. Emma Love, Address: Localit Castelfalfi, 50050 Montaione. "Breakfast was excellent and included in the room rate. When is a hotel not just a hotel? Yet in just two decades, that stunning, UNESCO-listed stretch of Tuscan countryside has shifted from an ultra-niche walking and cycling destination to an Italian El Dorado. Be sure to stop by the medieval hilltop town of Radda, complete with picturesque views over the surrounding vineyards. Hotels in Montepulciano are spread out throughout the countryside and offer luxury accommodation amongst the olive groves and shady Tuscan trees. Most of the hotels here are classic Tuscan villas, with many including pools and vineyards of their own. This biodynamic hideaway has 14 rooms, plus smaller cottages and a farmhouse for 20 but they take bookings so strategically youll feel you practically own the place. Lee Marshall, Address: Localit San Felice, 53019 Castelnuovo Berardenga SI, Italy, Storm the gates of the most beautiful Tuscan castles and Umbrian walled villages, Marseille is the underrated city in the South of France that should be on your summer bucket list, An epic sun-baked road trip across the Peloponnese: one of the last wild parts of Europe, These are the safest countries in the world in 2023, 39 best hotels in Rome, from art-filled palazzos to upscale hostels, Localit Pescaia, 58036 Sticciano Scalo GR, Italy, Corso il Rossellino, 111, 53026 Pienza SI, Italy, Castello di Vicarello, Via Vicarello, Poggi del Sasso, Province of Grosseto, Italy, Borgo Santo Pietro, Chiusdino, Province of Siena, Italy, Borgo Pignano, Volterra, Province of Pisa, Italy, Monteverdi Marittimo, Province of Pisa, Italy, Rosewood Castiglion del Bosco, Castiglion del Bosco, Province of Siena, Italy, Castello di Casole, A Belmond Hotel, Tuscany, Localit Querceto, Casole d'Elsa, Province of Siena, Italy, Castel Monastero, Castelnuovo Berardenga, Province of Siena, Italy, Reschio, Lisciano Niccone, Province of Perugia, Italy, Torre di Moravola, Montone, Province of Perugia, Italy, Localit San Felice, 53019 Castelnuovo Berardenga SI, Italy. Borgo 69: Just half a mile from Fontelunga lies Kastelec and Robinson's other project. Breakfast is in the villa's huge farmhouse-style kitchen or on the terrace, where stone busts sit on distressed sideboards and the view is of lemon trees and the green hills beyond. Although you can hit most of Pisa in a weekend, this city is great for exploring and is worth a stop on any Tuscan itinerary. Beyond its culture, Livorno is a great place to stay in Tuscany if youre looking to get away from the crowd and experience inexpensive luxury. In addition, this area is known for its white truffle production, so be sure to grab a dish at any of the great restaurants in this area. Experiencing considerable growth in the past decades, Viareggio explodes in color and energy when the season of Carnival hits. Buildings surrounding the square were built in different periods of history, giving this Piazza a unique architectural look. Especially worth a visit are the 317-foot Vernal Fall, beautiful Mirror Lake, and Yosemite Falls, the fifth tallest waterfall in the world. A true treasure trove of historic sites, Tuscany has Renaissance art, quaint villages with medieval heritage and a truly incredible landscape with a distinct pastoral atmosphere encompassing its rolling hills. Sienas place in the Chianti region means theres a diverse selection of wine found at most local bars and restaurants, making it the perfect place to stay in Tuscany for wine aficionados. Ducks waddle alongside the cypress-tree-lined drive at Borgo Santo Pietro in Palazzetto. Its infinity but in a Slim Aarons way, carved out of a limestone quarry.