Italy Travel Tours

Posts Tagged ‘Apuan Alps’

There are northern Italy tours to suit every taste and budget.  Northern Italy is best known as Tuscany, that enchanting part of the world that has spawned books and films and drawn visitors from across the globe.

To the north Tuscany is fringed with mountains; the Pratomagno range and the Apuan Alps.   Between the Alps and the coast lie the lower Chianti hills, an area famous for its wines, its soil rich in minerals for growing, and its gentle climate.

The coast features the sandy shores of Versilia to the north and the rocky cliffs near Livorna at the mid-point.  And just off shore are the islands that form the Tuscan Archipelago.  The most popular among them are Capraia, Giglio, Elba, Pianosa, Montecristo and Giannutri.  All of these are well equipped for visitors looking for sun, beaches, charm and excellent cuisine.

With its Mediterranean climate, look for hot summer months and warm winters, except  in the mountains where snowfall allows for winter sports.  Generally, Tuscany has favorable weather no matter when you go.  The month of July is the hottest and it can feel quite tropical throughout the region.

Tuscany is the birthplace of Italian art, dating back to the Iron Age, but the Etruscan civilization is credited with spawning the best ancient art.  Items of terracotta and pottery in the form of vases and urns are considered masterpieces of the time.

Visitors to Tuscany are treated to an abundance of art from the Middle Ages which occurred after the fall of the Roman Empire.  The walls of Monteriggioni and the Castle at Prato are some of the surviving architecture on display from this period.

Siena and Florence reveal the Italian Gothic influence and in Florence the zenith of Renaissance design delights tourists and students alike.  Contact TuscanyWithMe.it to organize a trip within northern Italy tours and see history on display.

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Abundant and Enchanting Destinations Italy will assure you never forget your trip to this marvelous country.

Of course, many visitors begin with the art in Tuscany.  Art is an important part of the Italian culture that dates back centuries.  The earliest art predates anything available in America; it is the cave dwellings in Cetona with ancient treasures.  Early art is also found in Lunigiana with stele statues.

Elba Island illustrates ancient civilizations and the Etruscan cities mimic the history of Rome. Of course some of the most enchanting aspects of Italy are vestiges of the Renaissance which began in beautiful Florence.

For a powerful experience travel to the mountains of Tuscany where there are hundreds of activities to enchant you.  Explore marble cathedrals and the hermitages and monasteries that dot the Casentino forests.

Bring someone you love to the high peaks of Monte Amiata and capture photographs of fallow deer.  In the summer hike the Abetone woods that host skiers in the wintertime.  Ask your tour guide to arrange a schedule of trekking and biking through the mountain trails, and also recommend places for meditation and contemplation.

If the ocean is more your preference, there are miles of coastline in Italy that are surrounded by the Apuan Alps, notable for their constitution of white marble.  Charming villages built into the hills will make you fall in love all over again.  Enjoy outdoor seating in a little café where the proprietor will tempt your palette with local specialties you’ve never had before.

Visit churches and cathedrals on your walks throughout medieval cities lined with cobblestone streets and see the ocean open up beneath you with cliffs that plunge into azure blue water.

Lastly, don’t overlook the beautiful spectacle of the sun setting into the Mediterranean Sea, capping off Enchanting Destinations Italy.