Archive for 'Livorno'

Tuscany is famous for her food and wine and, as a result, there is no shortage of excellent eateries, bars, wineries, and more located all over the region. We have noted many great wineries before in various parts of Tuscany but if you have found a vacation rental in Livorno, in particular, and are thinking about pulling yourself away from the province’s incredible beaches for a while to go and sample some excellent local wines, then we definitely recommend a visit to Batzella.

Batzella Estate is a family-run winery established in 2000 by Khanh Nguyen and Franco Batzella who left careers in international finance to return to Italy and live out their passion for Italian wine. They chose the West Coast of Tuscany and set up in the prestigious Bolgheri appellation, founding the estate ex novo and planting a brand new vineyard of 7.5 hectares with mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.

If you are very attached to your four-legged best friend and can't bear to part with them, if you're planning on bringing them with you on holiday and want to do activities where they don't have to be left out, or if you simply like dogs a whole bunch and you're booking a trip to Tuscany, then you need to take note of one particular destination: the Dog Beach of San Vincenzo, in Livorno. This dog-friendly cove is a wonderful stretch of soft sand, lapped by clear waters that is made all the more beautiful for all the cute critters wandering around. Dog-lovers who have found a vacation rental in Livorno, keep it in mind: it is a must!

Tuscany's Coast boasts lovely beaches, pretty views, incredibly well-preserved nature reserves, delicious eateries, wonderful fortresses and architectural gems, and seaside towns that range from sleepy little villages to major resorts with active an nightlife and plenty to see and do. However, compared to the bigger and more famous cities inland, there are comparatively few of the traditional attractions that one associates with Tuscany, like palaces and museums. Yet, the institutions of this kind that are littered sporadically throughout the area are rather special.

Take Livorno, for example. If you have found a vacation rental in Livorno, you will find that this charming seaside town only offers one public art gallery. However, it is well worth a visit and filled with wonderful pieces in a rather extraordinary setting.

If you have found a vacation rental in Livorno and are driving along the coastal road by the Tyrrhenian Sea, you will round a corner 9km down the road and take in the incredibly evocative sight of the lovely Boccale Castle. Located just south of the Antignano district, along the road to Quercianella, the castle is romantically and dramatically perched on top of a stop cliff on the Etruscan coast in a cove called the Cala dei Pirati (or “Den of Pirates”).

This charming castle was originally built as a defensive structure that was intended as a method of protecting the area from marine attacks, particularly those by pirates and other clans or rulers that might be contesting ownership of the lands in the area at any given time. The oldest part of the building dates back to the 16th century and was a Medici-built lookout tower but the complex that exists as we see it today resulted from building works that took place in the 19th and the 20th centuries.

Cecina is a relatively small city of less than 30,000 people located in the Province of Livorno around 30km from the coastal city of Livorno and around 80km from Florence. While it has its cultural and historic attractions and plenty of charm, there is one thing that we think means you should pencil in a visit if you have found a vacation rental in Livorno and that's the city zoo.

Parco Gallorose, or Gallorose Park, is a wildlife centre and zoo in Cecina that began its life as a farm owned by a local family (and still is one run by the same family to this day to this day). In 1997, the family had the idea to turn the land into a park that protects and preserves local fauna and educates the people about it, and, in 2001, it was opened to the public.