Archive for 'August'

Our last few articles have discussed activities in Tuscany that go beyond the usual trips to palaces, churches, museums, galleries and other cultural institutions. Instead, we focused on activities that you might not have thought of before and that will keep the entire family happy, not just the adults. This article also gathers together some child-friendly activities for you and yours to enjoy once you have found the perfect holiday rental in Tuscany.

If you are getting familiar with the city of Florence, for example, there are plenty of different sorts of tours that you can try, both conventional and more interesting and unique varieties. However, one of the most unique ways to see the city is probably by going on the water bike tour. While it may not be suitable for young kids and ten is the minimum age allowed, it's definitely something that older children and teenagers would enjoy and gets the whole family out and about together for an adventure. The bicycles are standard mountain-bikes which have been transformed into proper water-bikes. Tours depart at either 7pm or 9pm and last for a duration of two hours and an informative, friendly and professional guide takes small groups out, allowing for lots of attention and personalisation.

Once you have found a vacation rental in Pistoia you might be looking for ways to fill your days while in this beautiful city.

Between the music festivals, historic and artistic gems, pretty views of the Tuscan landscape and local cuisine, you'll never be short on interesting (and delicious) things to see and do (and eat) but one event that we can particularly recommend is the traditional Feast of Saint Bartholomew that takes place on the 24th of August each year and combines a lot of the best parts of Pistoia in one event: good food, beautiful buildings, local tradition and the partying spirit of the city's inhabitants.

If you are planning on visiting this summer, this is one event that you won't want to miss!

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.

2015 is the Year of Archaeology in Tuscany and, due to this there are many events taking place which celebrate the history of the region. Each summer in Tuscany, there are countless food festivals, one in almost every town and something on somewhere in the region each weekend.

This traditional passion for food and the commemoration of the rich historical heritage of Tuscany are being combined this summer in a series of special events, tours, shows, exhibits and dinners.

Throughout the summer, there is no shortage of festivals in Tuscany – normally centred around food as all good festivals are – but there is one that stands out as just a little different. Vivamus festival, which takes place in the south of the region, is a festival that combines the Italian passion for food and fashion. Events take place in a variety of towns in the area from May through to August each year. The closing event takes place on the first of August 2015 in the picturesque town of Manciano. A three-hour drive from Florence and the bustle of that famous city, the quaint town of Manciano suddenly becomes a cultural hub of activity for the festival and will showcase what the Tuscan countryside has to offer tourists from music to fashion, history to cooking.