Tips for excursions in the surrounding area
Florence…
can be reached in about one and a half hours: You drive down to Montecatini Terme and take the train to Florence from there. This saves you from fines for driving through restricted zones and the hassle of finding parking! Florence offers a wide range of entertainment: on one hand, of course, there are numerous world-class museums and a historic old town, and on the other, a great shopping experience with its many small shops and studios. Anyone who takes the time to visit one of the many top restaurants will be greatly rewarded! Stopping at one of the city’s countless cafes is always a special experience in Florence!
See also: https://www.reise-nach-italien.de/florenz.html
Montecatini Terme and Montecatini Alto
Montecatini Terme and Montecatini Alto
From our estate, you can look out over Montecatini Terme. Countless hot springs make this town the largest and most famous of all spa towns in Italy. It is also considered a center of Art Nouveau architecture. There are well over 200 hotels of all categories, many of them from the 19th century.
See also: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montecatini_Terme
The original settlement core of Montecatini Terme is considered to be the mountain village of Montecatini Alto, which lies almost directly across from us at eye level. From our house, you can reach Alto via a winding descent and a climb from Nievole within about 20 minutes. Alto is known for having the oldest still-operating funicular railway in Italy, the “Funicolare.” From the city wall, you have a good view of our house!
See also: https://www.globetrotter-fotos.de/reisefotos/europa/italien/toskana/montecatini-alto.html
Pisa
A trip to Pisa is truly a MUST! Not only is the world-famous Leaning Tower and the surrounding ensemble of cathedral, baptistery, monastery, and cemetery absolutely worth seeing! But also the vibrant old town with its beautiful bridges over the Arno, its cafés, and student hangouts. Thanks to its universities, Pisa has a very youthful flair nestled among medieval walls.
The drive by car takes about an hour and fifteen minutes.
See also: https://de.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pisa
Tarot Garden by Niki de Saint Phalle
Tarot Garden by Niki de Saint Phalle
Admittedly, this destination is more than a two-hour drive away! But the trip is absolutely worth it!
Voluminous, colorfully painted female figures — the famous “Nanas” — are among the best-known works of the rebellious artist Niki de Saint Phalle. But in her Tarot Garden in Capalbio, you encounter much more. Spread across 22 stations are fascinating colorful sculptures, some up to 15 meters high and even walkable. With them, the artist presented her own interpretation of the major arcana of the Tarot. Everything sparkles and shines — bizarre shapes decorated with colorful mosaics, mirrors, and vibrant glass.
The French-born artist, who passed away in 2002, began designing the Tarot Garden in the late 1970s. It took nearly two decades to realize her dream. In 1998, the spectacular art park was opened and has since attracted countless international visitors.
http://ilgiardinodeitarocchi.it/de/