Oltrarno
This eye-catching stone medieval tower is the tallest, and probably best preserved, in Florence. It was built for the wealthy Belfredelli family in the…
Must-see attractions in Tuscany
Val d'Orcia
The future Pope Alexander VI, then just Cardinal Roderigo Borgia, was gifted this palace by Pius II and subsequently modified and enlarged it in 1492. It…
Northwestern Tuscany
This impressive bulk of a history museum opened in 2013 as one of Tuscany's smartest museums after a record 20-year renovation job. An entire room is…
Montepulciano
Designed by Antonio da Sangallo (Sangallo il Vecchio) and constructed in the late-16th century, this splendid Renaissance church in the valley below the…
Southern Tuscany
Founded by the Lombards in the 8th century, this abbey was originally entrusted to the Benedictines but later passed to the Cistercians. An important stop…
Southern Tuscany
More than 200 caves pepper a high rock ridge here, making it one of the largest troglodyte dwellings in Italy. The complex was first inhabited in…
Southern Tuscany
In 2004 archaeologists excavating beneath the ruined 9th-century Church of St Mamiliano made the discovery of a lifetime – a cache of 498 gold coins…
Northwestern Tuscany
Opposite the tourist office, Carrara's Marble Museum tells the full story of the marble quarries outside town, from the old chisel-and-hammer days to the…
Siena
One of the city's most handsome medieval buildings, this 14th-century Gothic-style fortified palace was built for the Salimbeni family, wealthy Ghibelline…
Montepulciano
From the central Piazza Grande, Via Ricci runs downhill past Palazzo Ricci, now home to the European Academy for Music and Performing Arts. The street…
Montepulciano
Built in the 14th century in Gothic style and remodelled in the 15th century by Michelozzo, the Palazzo Comunale still functions as Montepulciano's town…
Siena
This towering Gothic structure with double lancet windows was built in stone between 1205–1212 for the Tolomei family, Guelph bankers. It now houses the…
Siena
The baroque facade of this church dates from 1613, but the church itself is much older, having been constructed in the 12th century. Inside are works by…
Southern Tuscany
An extraordinary 140 species of birds have been seen on Orbetello Lagoon. The best place to spot some of them is at the L'Oasi WWF north of town. As well…
Calamita: Miniere di Capoliveri
Elba
Guided tours take visitors from a small site museum in Vallone, 11km south of Capoliveri, to the Genevro mine where magnetite was extracted until the…
Mura di Pisa (Eastern Entrance)
Pisa
Access the eastern end of Pisa's 12th-century city walls via a purpose-built staircase inside Torre di Legno, in a gated courtyard next to Piazza…
Northwestern Tuscany
Behind the clock tower on the seafront, this family-friendly bathing establishment rents out slide-equipped pedalos and canoes to beach-goers and has a…
Southern Tuscany
Designed in a Romanesque–Gothic transitional style, the 16th-century frescoes in the apse of this church are perhaps the main reason to head inside; there…
Galleria Comunale D'Arte Contemporanea
Arezzo
Showcasing the work of contemporary visual artists – many based in the Arezzo region – this multifloor art gallery in a building next to the Basilica di…
Chiesa di Santa Maria della Spina
Pisa
Don't miss this waterside, triple-spired church, an exquisite Pisan-Gothic gem encrusted with tabernacles and statues. It was built between 1230 and 1233…
Orto Botanico delle Alpi Apuane 'Pietro Pellegrini'
Northwestern Tuscany
This delightful botanical garden in Pian della Fioba is ideal for discovering alpine flora. Opening hours can be variable; check the day's opening hours…
Southern Tuscany
Climb to the top of this 13th-century, 30m-high tower on the border between the Città Vecchia and Città Nuova for views over the old town. It's the only…
Southern Tuscany
Opened in 2017, this beautifully presented multimedia museum next to the medieval fortress in Archidosso showcases the art, craft and cultures of the…
Northwestern Tuscany
An eye-catching sea of bright orange-and-white parasols and deckchairs polka-dot the vast stretch of sand at this vintage beach, as popular as it was when…
Elba
The shingle-sand beach at Cavoli, just 6km west of Marina di Campo, is particularly family-friendly, thanks to its beach cafe, sun loungers, pedalos and…
Southern Tuscany
Conveniently located next to Porta Corsica, this park is home to a large and extremely popular children's playground filled with well-maintained equipment…
Northwestern Tuscany
No visit to San Miniato is complete without a stiff hike up to this reconstructed medieval fortress tower – the panorama at the grassy top is wonderful.
Volterra
Just west of the cathedral is the 13th-century baptistry with a small marble font (1502) by Andrea Sansovino.
Northwestern Tuscany
Prato's textile museum, in the town's former Campolmi textile mill, explores the history and use of textiles through the ages.
Siena
Siena is unusual in that unlike many Tuscan cities, it isn't located next to a watercourse. To compensate, it has a unique historical network of…
Azienda Agricola Frantoio Pruneti
Chianti
Gionni and Paolo Pruneti's family business has produced top-quality olive oil for over a century. Their 28,000 olive trees are hand-harvested between mid…
Southern Tuscany
Housed in the 13th-century Palazzo del Podestà, the historic residence of the town's chief magistrate, this archaeological museum has a small collection…
Lucca
Legend has it that Lucca's 13th-century clock tower – at 50m tall, the highest of the city's 130 medieval towers – is inhabited by the ghost of Lucida…
Pistoia
Delve into the underbelly of subterranean Pisa with a one-hour guided trek (in English) of passageways snaking beneath 13th-century hospital Ospedale del…
Arezzo
Construction of Arezzo's cathedral started in the 13th century, but wasn't completed until 1511. In the northeast corner, next to the vestry door left of…
Chianti
Site-specific contemporary artworks created by artists from over 20 countries are scattered throughout this 7-hectare wood, including a glass labyrinth by…
Area Archeologica della Linguella
Elba
The 16th-century Torre del Martello was where Napoleon was 'imprisoned' at the start of his fleeting exile on Elba in 1814 and the russet-red, hexagonal…
Val d'Orcia
This magnificent palace was the residence of Pope Pius II, and is considered Bernardo Rossellino's masterpiece. Built on the site of the pope's family…
Central Tuscany
Built by the Republic of Siena in the 13th century as a defensive outpost against Florence, Monteriggioni's castle resisted a number of sieges and attacks…
Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo
Livorno
Livorno's Natural History Museum is beloved of school groups and families. The highlight of the permanent collection is a 20m-long whale skeleton called…
