The summer is coming and are you thinking of a trip out of town, a fun weekend or a break in contact with nature? The advice is to combine all these aspects into one low cost holiday in Tuscany, a region that offers many attractions especially in spring.
For many people, Tuscany is there land of cities of art and Chianti; after many trips I can say that there is much more, which is why I have prepared a short tourist guide of Versilia, the most loved and known coast not only by Italians.
Let's discover Forte dei Marmi.
Versilia is the area located in the north-west of Tuscany and includes a series of localities, all with a strong tourist vocation; traditionally this area is thought of as a chic destination, where there is a lot of excitement and numerous social events, as well as many trendy clubs and pubs where you can have a drink and listen to trendy music.
In reality, you can choose Versilia for a relaxing stay by taking advantage of limited promotions and offers to spend a weekend without having to incur high costs.
The first recommended stop is Forte dei Marmi, a historic town on the Versilia coast that overlooks the Ligurian Sea and owes its name to the Fortino located right in the center of the city. This is where our itinerary begins, because this former military fortress summarizes the history of the place and demonstrates the versatility of locations created to defend the cities and which have now become unique panoramic points and museums.
The Lorraine Fort, in fact, was built in the eighteenth century and was used not only with defensive functions but also as a deposit of marble in the period in which this village was a commercial port for the precious white marble extracted from the quarries in the Apuan Alps, one of the main sources of wealth of the territory.
Il Fortino is known above all for being the site of art and art exhibitions Museum of Satire and Caricature, a place that collects historical documents relating to satirical art (texts, drawings, sketches, entire collections of humorous magazines from the 1800s to the present day), an important testimony to the attention to joviality, cheerfulness and witty joke; admission is completely free!
It is here that the event that establishes Forte dei Marmi as the capital of political satire takes place every year in September: an Award is assigned to the best satirical authors, writers, designers and journalists who have been able to renew the humorous language to make people laugh and reflect time. If you love satire this is the right place to go on vacation.
Those who prefer to dance perhaps in a historic venue frequented by VIPs but also by many tourists, there is Capannina di Franceschi, a nightclub that has existed for over 80 years whose myth endures undeterred. La Capannina also has a renowned restaurant, however you can choose the simple entrance ticket with drink, the fun is guaranteed by the DJs who alternate in the console and the parties organized periodically.
It's a place so popular that it even inspires a film, now in the works, about the story and the characters that animate it.
A stop in unspoiled nature
As you know, there is a lot of talk about Versilia in summer, as there are so many bathing establishments equipped with all comforts and the beaches are among the cleanest in Italy. However, here there are also tourist resorts surrounded by greenery, ideal for a weekend of pure relaxation.
I suggest a hotel in 4 stars near Massa, the Hotel Eden, which provides quality services, a family atmosphere and a welcoming hospitality attentive to the needs of guests at an advantageous price.
If you are on holiday as a couple or have a large family, Eden can be a good solution: a hotel with swimming pool, spacious rooms, aexclusive play area for children and a garden that is a real living room in the open air where you can sunbathe or read a book under an umbrella.
Pasta it is a pleasant destination especially in the spring season, characterized by the numerous buildings of the Renaissance period, churches and parks, recommended for strolling and discovering some of the historical beauties of this part of Tuscany.
I visited two peculiar places in Massa: the Rocca Malaspina and Villa La Rinchiostra.
The Rocca is located on a hill so it is the best point from which to admire the whole city, it dates back to the Middle Ages and is a sort of open-air museum that shows the various changes it has undergone over the centuries. Inside there are Renaissance frescoes and the fourteenth-century keep, the castle is open to the public only on Saturdays and Sundays.
Villa La Rinchiostra is surrounded by a large garden with luxuriant plants like the beautiful ones cedars of Lebanon, the enchanting magnolias, the imposing holm oaks and even exotic specimens such as webbed, eucalyptus and camphor trees.
With just one trip you will have the opportunity to visit many fascinating locations just a few kilometers away from each other: a small paradise for true connoisseurs.
