Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
NORTHERN TUSCANY
Of all the regions of Tuscany, this one offers something for
everyone. The historic towns are rich in art, architecture and
music festivals, while many sporting activities can be enjoyed
along the coast or in the mountains. The landscape, too, is marked by a
vast range of features, from marble quarries to market gardens, and
from mountain ranges and nature reserves to beaches.
The heavily populated
Lucchese plain between
Florence and Lucca is dom-
inated by industry: the textile
factories of Prato produce three
out of every four woollen
garments exported from Italy.
But in spite of their large suburbs,
cities such as Prato, Pistoia and,
above all, Lucca have rewarding
churches, museums and galleries
within their historic city centres.
The land between the cities is fertile
and is therefore intensively cultivated.
Asparagus and cut flowers are two of
the most important crops, and the
wholesale flower market at Pescia is
one of the biggest in Italy. East of
Lucca towards Pescia are garden
centres and nurseries where huge
quantities of young trees and shrubs
are grown in long, neat rows.
North of the Lucchese plain the
scenery is very different again. A
series of foothills is covered in olive
groves which produce some
of the finest oil in Italy. Then,
the land rises to the wild and
mountainous areas of the
Garfagnana, the Alpi Apuane
(Apuan Alps) and the Lunigiana,
with its fortified towns and
castles built by the Dukes of
Malaspina. Here you will find some of
Tuscany's highest peaks, rising to
2,000 m (6,550 ft) or more. Vast areas
of the mountains are designated as
nature parks and the wild scenery
attracts ramblers, trekkers and riders
as well as hang-gliding enthusiasts.
Finally, the coastal area, known as
the Versilia, includes some of Italy's
most elegant and popular beach
resorts. It stretches from the famous
marble-quarrying town of Carrara in
the north down to the area's main
town, Viareggio, and to Torre del
Lago Puccini, the lakeside home of
Giacomo Puccini, where he wrote
nearly all his operas.
Lucca's Piazza del Mercato, echoing the shape of the original Roman amphitheatre
