Bonassola

Although this romantic walk isn’t in Tuscany, it’s so close to the northern Tuscan border that you both could easily enjoy a day trip to Liguria and walk along a path where many couples first met. It’s called Via dell’Amore and is located along the coast. There is a wealth of gorgeous villas and other holiday rentals available in northern Tuscany for you to base your stay and plan a trip to this enchanting place!

Via dell’ Amore is a trail along the rocky cliff coastline between the towns of Riomaggiore and Manarda.

Visit the gorgeous town of Tresana in the province of Massa and Carrara in Tuscany, a little gem immersed in nature! This ancient town is surrounded by medieval walls and visitors can still see some of the four old towers and ruins of a castle that once stood majestically over the area.

It’s privately owned now but tourists can walk around the remains of what was once a glorious fortress to take some photographs. Those wishing to explore the area can find plenty of vacation rentals in Treschietto, a nearby town.

There is a second castle close by to Tresana called Giovagallo fortress and its ruins now stand up on a rocky hill outside of the town.

A legend of this castle tells the story of the meeting between the famous Italian poet, Dante Alighieri, and the wife of Morello Malaspina. She convinced the doubtful Dante to undertake his ambitious idea on creating what would be his most famous work, The Divine Comedy. This is one of the longest and most detailed poems in history which earned Dante the right to be called one of the masters of the literary world.

Panigacci are a speciality bread from Podenzana in the Lunigiana, an area set within an isolated valley along the border of Liguria and Tuscany. It is a type of round bread, unleavened, cooked in the special traditional ways using special equipment. They can have a soft or crunchy texture and are thin and well cooked. They are then dunked in sauces, mopping them up and served with toppings called salumi, which are cured meats and cheeses. You can now buy pre-packaged panigacci in supermarkets but the best way to eat them is when they've been freshly made in front of you. Typically eaten as a snacking food or street food, they are a very popular local dish that you need to try.

A cradle of arts, crafts and culture...Pontremoli town in the province of Massa & Carrara is a perfect spot to visit on your travels to Tuscany!

Home to a majestic Baroque designed cathedral with an intricate Neoclassical exterior, this town has much to offer in terms of admirable architecture, art collections and history.

Other beautiful churches in the town and surrounding area are decorated in many styles and house exquisite works. In the Church of San Francesco, tourists can see a magnificent artwork by the well known artist, Agostino di Duccio dating from the 15th century.

Why not stay in a beautiful villa near La Spezia city, only forty kilometres south west of Pontremoli? It offers magnificent views of the sea and would be the perfect place to relax and unwind after a few days of tourist explorations!

If you are a fan of small towns off the beaten tourist track, hidden gems and endless surprises, Tuscany is the perfect town for you. It is full of charming, little-known towns that are authentic, peaceful and exceptionally pretty. Just find a villa rental in Tuscany and begin discovering its endless charms for yourself!

One of these lovely little towns is Pontremoli, one of the main villages of Lunigiana, located at the bottom of Tosco Emiliano Apennines. In the lush and wild part of northern Tuscany, it is far from queues, tacky souvenirs and the regular itineraries. Boasting a stunning natural setting, pretty town, rich history and culinary tradition, and a slow pace of life, it is an excellent place to spend a day soaking up the atmosphere of daily life in a real Tuscan town.

Spongata di Natale is a round, flat festive Italian cake that has ties to various regions and towns in Italy and is thought to have been brought to Italy by the Jews, though others believe that it is a Roman dish that survived through the Middle Ages. The first recorded written recipe dates back to the end of the 14th century and required three days to complete and we know that its production was even regulated by the famous ducal family of Este by a special decree. While the exact origins are uncertain, we do know that it is a delicious treat, perfect for some rich sweetness during the colder months. A thin, pie-like cake that consists of a crunchy pastry coating and sweet filling made of spices, nuts, honey and dried fruit, it is actually not dissimilar to that more familiar Christmas food staple; the mince pie.