Adventure Guide: Tuscany & Umbria (Hunter Travel Guides)

481 Pages·2005·9.67 MB·English

Tuscany &
Umbria
Emma Jones
HUNTER
Adventure Guide to
HUNTER PUBLISHING, INC,
130 Campus Drive, Edison, NJ 08818
% 732-225-1900; 800-255-0343; fax [phone]
www.hunterpublishing.com
Ulysses Travel Publications
4176 Saint-Denis, Montréal, Québec
Canada H2W 2M5
% 514-843-9882, ext. 2232; fax [phone]
Windsor Books
The Boundary, Wheatley Road, Garsington
Oxford, OX44 9EJ England
% 01865-361122; fax [phone]
ISBN 1-58843-399-4
© 2005 Hunter Publishing, Inc.
Manufactured in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a
retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic, mechan-
ical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the
publisher.
This guide focuses on recreational activities. As all such activities contain ele-
ments of risk, the publisher, author, affiliated individuals and companies disclaim
responsibility for any injury, harm, or illness that may occur to anyone through, or
by use of, the information in this book. Every effort was made to insure the accu-
racy of information in this book, but the publisher and author do not assume, and
hereby disclaim, liability for any loss or damage caused by errors, omissions, mis-
leading information or potential travel problems caused by this guide, even if such
errors or omissions result from negligence, accident or any other cause.
Cover photo: On the Piazza della Vittoria, Montichiello, Italy
(Terry Donnelly)
Maps by Toni Carbone © 2005 Hunter Publishing, Inc.
Index by Nancy Wolff
4 3 2 1
Contents
Introduction 1
History 1
Geography 10
Climate 13
Flora & Fauna 13
Economy 14
Top Attractions 14
Travel Information 17
Tuscany 27
Florence 27
Getting Here 28
Getting Around Town 29
Information Sources 32
Sightseeing 33
The Historical Center 33
The Quarter of Santa Maria Novella 42
From San Lorenzo to Santa Croce 46
The Oltrano 52
Adventures 57
On Foot 57
On Wheels 60
On Water 61
On Horseback 62
Entertainment & Events 63
Cinema 63
Theater 63
Classical Music 65
Live Popular Music 65
The Big Events 66
Shopping 67
High Fashion 68
Affordable Fashion & Department Stores 69
Craft Workshops & Boutiques 70
Markets 71
Where to Eat 71
Santa Croce 73
Santa Maria Novella 74
Oltrano 75
North of the Center 76
South of the Center 77
Where to Stay 78
The Station & San Lorenzo Market Area 79
Historical Center: From the Duomo to San Marco 80
vi n Contents
Historical Center: From Palazzo Strozzi to the Uffizi 81
Santa Croce 82
Oltrano 82
Youth Hostels 83
Camping 83
Outside of Florence 84
Fiesole 84
Sightseeing 85
Adventures On Foot 88
Adventures on Wheels 89
Where to Eat 90
Where to Stay 91
The Mugello 91
Information Sources 92
The Mugello Valley 92
Alto Mugello 98
Where to Eat 100
Where to Stay 101
Empolese Val d’Elsa 103
Le Terre del Rinascimento 104
Where to Eat 107
Where to Stay 108
Val d’Elsa 108
Sightseeing & Adventures in the Val d’Elsa 109
Where to Eat 110
Where to Stay 111
Prato 111
Sightseeing ~ The Historical Center 112
Adventures on Foot 115
Adventures on Wheels 116
Adventures on Horseback 116
Shopping 116
Where to Eat 117
Where to Stay 118
Excursions from Prato 118
Val di Bisenzio 118
Monte Albano 120
Pistoia 122
Getting Here & Around 122
Information Sources 122
Sightseeing in the Historical Center 122
Adventures 126
Where to Eat 127
Where to Stay 127
Excursions from Pistoia 127
Valdinievole 127
Pescia & the Svizzera Pesciatina 130
The Montagna Pistoiese 132
Contents n vii
Chianti 134
Getting Here & Around 134
Information Sources 134
Sightseeing & Adventures 135
Where to Eat 137
Where to Stay 138
Siena & its Surroundings 141
Getting Here 141
Information Sources 142
Siena 143
Sightseeing 143
Adventures 150
On Foot 150
On Wheels 152
On Horseback 154
On Water 154
In the Air 155
Shopping 155
Where to Eat 155
Where to Stay 157
Entertainment & Events 159
Outside of Siena 160
San Gimignano & the Val d’Elsa 160
Getting Here & Around 160
Information Sources 161
Sightseeing 161
Adventures on Foot & on Wheels 166
Where to Eat 167
Where to Stay 168
The Crete 169
Getting Here & Around 169
Information Sources 170
Sightseeing & Adventures 170
Where to Eat 174
Pienza, the Val d’Orcia & Monte Amiata 174
Getting Here & Around 174
Information Sources 175
Sightseeing ~ Montalcino 175
Adventures ~ Montalcino 177
Sightseeing ~ Pienza 178
Adventures ~ Pienza 179
Sightseeing & Adventures ~ The Val d’Orcia 180
Where to Eat 185
Where to Stay 187
Montepulciano & the Val di Chiana 188
Getting Here & Around 188
Information Sources 189
Sightseeing ~ Montepulciano 189
Adventures on Foot 193
viii n Contents
Adventures on Wheels 193
Sightseeing ~ Chianciano Terme 193
Adventures On Foot in Chianciano Terme 194
Adventures on Wheels in Chianciano Terme 194
Adventures on Horseback in the Val di Chiana 194
Sightseeing ~ Chiusi 194
Adventures on Foot in Chiusi 196
Adventures on Wheels in Chiusi 196
Adventures on Water in Chiusi 196
Adventures on Foot on Monte Cetona 196
Adventures on Wheels on Monte Cetona 197
Where to Eat 197
Where to Stay 197
Arezzo & Its Surroundings 201
Getting Here & Around 202
Information Sources 202
Arezzo 202
Sightseeing in the Upper Valdarno 202
The Montagna Fiorentina 204
Sightseeing in Arezzo 206
Adventures 210
Entertainment & Events 210
Where to Shop 211
Where to Eat 211
Where to Stay 213
Outside of Arezzo 214
The Casentino 214
Getting Here & Around 215
Information Sources 215
Sightseeing ~ North into the Foreste Casentinesi 215
Adventures on Foot 220
Adventures on Wheels 221
Adventures on Horseback 221
Adventures on Snow 222
Where to Eat 222
Where to Stay 223
Sansepolcro & the Valtiberina 224
Getting Here 224
Information Sources 224
Sightseeing 225
Adventures on Foot 226
Adventures on Horseback 226
Where to Eat 226
Where to Stay 227
Cortona & the Val di Chiana 228
Getting Here 228
Information Sources 229
Sightseeing ~ Walking Cortona 229
Contents n ix
Adventures on Foot 231
Adventures on Wheels 231
Adventures on Horseback 231
Adventures in the Val di Chiana 232
Where to Shop 233
Where to Eat 233
Where to Stay 234
Lucca 237
Getting Here 237
Getting Around Town 238
Information Sources 239
Sightseeing 239
Adventures on Foot 243
Adventures on Wheels 244
Adventures on Horseback 245
Events & Entertainment 245
Where to Eat 246
Where to Stay 247
Outside of Lucca 248
The Versilia Coast 249
Getting Here & Around 249
Information Sources 250
Sightseeing & Adventures 250
Torre del Lago 250
Viareggio 251
Camiore 254
Pietrasanta 254
Forte dei Marmi 255
Vittoria Apuana 256
Where to Eat 256
Where to Stay 257
The Apuan Alps 258
Getting Here & Around 258
Information Sources 259
Sightseeing 259
Adventures on Foot 259
Adventures on Snow 263
La Garfagnana & the Valle del Serchio 263
Getting Here & Around 264
Information Sources 264
Valle del Serchio 264
The Garfagnana 266
Where to Eat 268
Where to Stay 269
Massa Carrara 270
Getting Here & Around 270
Information Sources 271
Sightseeing & Adventures 271
x n Contents
Massa 272
Carrara 273
Where to Eat 275
Where to Stay 276
Lunigiana 276
Getting Here & Around 276
Information Sources 276
Sightseeing & Adventures 277
Where to Stay & Eat 283
Pisa 285
Getting There & Around 285
Information Sources 286
Sightseeing 286
Adventures 295
Events & Entertainment 299
Where to Shop 301
Where to Eat 301
Where to Stay 302
Outside of Pisa 303
Valdarno Inferiore 304
Getting Here & Around 304
Information Sources 304
Sightseeing 305
Castelfranco di Sotto & Santa Maria a Monte 305
Montopoli in Val d’Arno 305
Santa Croce sull’Arno 306
San Miniato 306
Adventures 307
Where to Stay 308
Volterra & the Colline Metallifere 308
Getting Here & Around 308
Information Sources 309
Sightseeing & Adventures 309
Where to Eat 316
Where to Stay 317
Livorno 317
Getting Here & Around 318
Information Sources 318
Adventures 319
Where to Eat 320
Where to Stay 321
The Costa degli Etruschi 322
Getting Here & Around 322
Information Sources 323
Sightseeing & Adventures 323
Where to Stay 329
The Tuscan Archipelago 330
Contents n xi
Getting Here & Around 331
Information Sources 331
The Island of Elba 332
Sightseeing 332
Adventures 335
The Sister Islands 336
Capraia 336
Gorgona 337
Pianosa 338
Montecristo 338
What to Eat & Where 338
Where to Stay 339
Maremma & Grosseto 341
Information Sources 341
Grosseto & Its Coast 341
Getting Here & Around 341
Information Sources 342
Sightseeing & Adventures 342
The Grosseto Coast 342
Grosseto 343
Where to Eat 344
Where to Stay 344
Parco Naturale Regionale della Maremma 345
Getting Here & Around 345
Information Sources 345
Sightseeing 346
Adventures 346
Where to Stay 348
Costa d’Argento 348
Getting Here & Around 348
Information Sources 349
Sightseeing & Adventures 349
Orbetello 349
Monte Argentario 349
Giglio & Giannutri Islands 351
Ansedonia 352
Capalbio 352
Where to Stay 353
Where to Eat 353
The Southern Hilltowns 353
Getting Here & Around 353
Information Sources 353
Sightseeing 354
Manciano 354
Pitigliano 354
Sorano 355
Sovana 356
Saturnia 358