Pisa 955

Sometimes a holiday in Tuscany can involve so much running around from place to place, lining up for museums and planning that it isn't actually all that relaxing. If you're the type that prefers to do nothing at all during a vacation than to spend all your time exploring, you might consider checking out a spa town and getting away from it all. Tuscany is home to a whole host of beautiful, characteristic spa towns with natural hot springs and wonderful facilities that have been attracting visitors from near and far for centuries.

Just find yourself a holiday rental in Tuscany and spend some time soaking in the warm waters, getting a massage or a facial, dining on good food and forgetting the outside world for a while in one of the following spa towns. Or, if you've got money and time to spare, maybe you could even do a tour of the towns.

Uliveto, in the province of Pisa, is one of several Tuscan towns known for its thermal baths but is a particularly memorable one among the bunch for its rich history and exceptional facilities – both natural and manmade. If you are planning a spa getaway in Tuscany, or even if you hadn't considered it but could do with some serious R&R, then Uliveto has to be one of the best possible destinations that you could choose!

Take a dip in Uliveto's water with its unmistakable taste, effervescence and beneficent virtues, go to a team of specialists and have them help you change your life and health forever or enjoy the surroundings, take a dip in the pool and even try out archery or martial arts. Once you have found a luxury villa in Uliveto, you'll never be short of something to do and you'll return home a much more relaxed person.

The University of Pisa is one of the oldest universities in the world and it is also home to a Natural History Museum that is also one of the oldest museums in the world. It has a surprisingly impressive and rich collection that could compete with any natural history museum in the world. If you have found a vacation rental in Pisa and you are looking for somewhere to spend a couple of hours out of the sun and learning more about the natural world, this is a fun and educational spot that is perfect to do just that!

Located in the Pisa Charterhouse (the Carthusian Monastery of Calci), 10km from the city of Pisa in the comune of Calci, the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Museo Di Storia Naturale dell'Università di Pisa) was founded in 1596 by Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany. Originally composed of specimens sent from the Florentine palaces of the Medici and the Uffizi, in particular, it was somewhat fashioned on the German idea of a “wonderland”, meaning that it gathered together a variety of natural curiosities and oddities. This selection of minerals, zoo animals, skeletons, fossils, and more eventually expanded into a proper institution in its own right and became an early example of a natural history museum, which boasted a rich and impressive collection.

Spend a fascinating few hours in the welcoming town of Calci in Pisa province. The origin of the town’s name comes from the Latin terms ‘calx’ and ‘calcis’ meaning lime. This mineral is abundant in stone quarries around Calci town.

Choose from a wide range of stunning Tuscan luxury villas or peacefully located vacation rentals with a pool in the Calci area.

This quaint little commune is tucked in the amphitheatre shaped Val Grazioso at the foot of the Pisa Mountains. Calci is surrounded by olive groves, chestnut forests and fragrant pine woods which make it look like a perfect scene out of a fairy tale!

If you have found a vacation rental in Pisa and are planning a trip in the area, you'll likely be looking into what there is to see and do in and around Pisa. While the pretty and historic city itself has its famous Leaning Tower (in a complex of other fascinating religious buildings), cute little streets lined with restaurants and shops, some great museums, and much more besides, the surrounding landscape is also beautiful and full of gems and well worth exploring. For example, just ten kilometres from town you will find the little town of Calci, located on the foothills of the Monte Pisano hillside, which is home to the breathtaking Calci Charterhouse.

The Charterhouse of Pisa (or Certosa di Pisa), more often referred to as the Calci Charterhouse in English, is a stunning architectural complex that is a former Carthusian monastery, or charterhouse, and is home to two different museums today: National Museum of the Monumental Charterhouse of Calci and the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa. If you're fond of frescoes, architectural prowess, dinosaurs, pretty gardens, and more, this is somewhere to see all of the above under (and adjacent to) one roof.

You may have read our previous article about the great work of a non-profit Italian organization called the FAI (Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano). They launched an innovative project called ‘Luoghi del Cuore’ which is aimed at raising awareness of national cultural and historical attractions which have fallen into disrepair and require funding to restore them to their former glory.

This year the votes are pouring in and so far in 2014, a beautiful Tuscan landmark called the ‘Certosa of Calci’ is leading the way! Situated only ten kilometres from Pisa is an ancient monastery of the Certosine Order in Graziosa Valley. Founded in 1366 it began as a humble residence of monks and continued as one for several centuries.

Stay in a charming villa rental in Pisa where you can easily visit the Certosa of Calci among many other intriguing attractions in the province.