Enjoy a sunny beach holiday at Viareggio, the largest seaside town in Tuscany! This piece of paradise is perfect for those who want a relaxing holiday of sunbathing, shopping and a lively social scene.
Visitors wishing to stay here have a fine selection of luxury villas in Viareggio to choose from as well as other nearby towns and villages in the Versilia region.
Start the day with a visit to the beautiful Villa Borbone, a decorative town palazzo which houses charming market stalls, a detailed history of the royal Borbone family who once lived here and a mausoleum where some prominent members of the family are buried.
Stroll along some winding paths through the pinewoods that grow in abundance in Versilia. Guided tours can bring you around the large fishing harbour here that will teach tourists all they need to know about the culture and history of this picturesque part of the Tuscan coast.
Visitors wishing to stay here have a fine selection of luxury villas in Viareggio to choose from as well as other nearby towns and villages in the Versilia region.
Start the day with a visit to the beautiful Villa Borbone, a decorative town palazzo which houses charming market stalls, a detailed history of the royal Borbone family who once lived here and a mausoleum where some prominent members of the family are buried.
Stroll along some winding paths through the pinewoods that grow in abundance in Versilia. Guided tours can bring you around the large fishing harbour here that will teach tourists all they need to know about the culture and history of this picturesque part of the Tuscan coast.
In the afternoon, visitors can enjoy a fascinating guided tour around some of the most spectacular old liberty style buildings in the town centre. Named after a London merchant called Arthur Liberty, this architecture style follows the customs of ‘Art Nouveau’.
Buildings are designed through the eyes of an artist, from the floor to the ceiling, inside and out. Liberty style buildings are highly stylised, often in curved patterns that blend the motifs of ornate plants into the architectural structure.
One of the biggest and most exciting events of the Italian calendar takes place here. The Viareggio ‘Carnevale’ is the second largest of its kind in Italy, after Venice and attracts over a million people!
It’s held primarily on Shrove Tuesday before the forty days of Lent and involves huge colourful parading floats filling the streets, thousands of people dressed up in traditional medieval costumes and a thrilling atmosphere full of music, feasting, laughter, and dancing!
Buildings are designed through the eyes of an artist, from the floor to the ceiling, inside and out. Liberty style buildings are highly stylised, often in curved patterns that blend the motifs of ornate plants into the architectural structure.
One of the biggest and most exciting events of the Italian calendar takes place here. The Viareggio ‘Carnevale’ is the second largest of its kind in Italy, after Venice and attracts over a million people!
It’s held primarily on Shrove Tuesday before the forty days of Lent and involves huge colourful parading floats filling the streets, thousands of people dressed up in traditional medieval costumes and a thrilling atmosphere full of music, feasting, laughter, and dancing!
This magnificent festival is kicked off with a dramatic display in the town centre called ‘Flight of the Angel’. A mystery guest of Viareggio zooms along a zip wire from the top of San Marco Bell Tower to the middle of Piazza San Marco, cheered along by the massive crowds of jolly visitors!
Tourists can learn all about the history of this old festival at the Museo Cittadella del Carnevale in the town centre. It’s open Saturdays and Sundays and admission is free. Also worth a visit is the Carrara Cave in the nearby mountains where Michelangelo Buonarotti had the marble excavated to begin his masterpiece sculpture of ‘David’!
In the evenings, a peaceful walk along the glorious promenade built along the seafront would be a perfect end to a perfect day. A popular fish and chip boat is set up in the harbour where a delicious evening meal can be enjoyed! Related articles detail more of the thrilling things to do and see in the scenic Versilia region of Tuscany which could help plan your dream holiday here!
Tourists can learn all about the history of this old festival at the Museo Cittadella del Carnevale in the town centre. It’s open Saturdays and Sundays and admission is free. Also worth a visit is the Carrara Cave in the nearby mountains where Michelangelo Buonarotti had the marble excavated to begin his masterpiece sculpture of ‘David’!
In the evenings, a peaceful walk along the glorious promenade built along the seafront would be a perfect end to a perfect day. A popular fish and chip boat is set up in the harbour where a delicious evening meal can be enjoyed! Related articles detail more of the thrilling things to do and see in the scenic Versilia region of Tuscany which could help plan your dream holiday here!
Photo credits
picture 1: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Vinima / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0
picture 1: Sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Vinima / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 3: sailko / CC BY-SA 3.0
