Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
tain, or a 50-minute Bond-style
4WD tour
( 05 8577 9673;
www.carraramarbletour.it
;
adult/child
€10/5; 11am-6pm summer)
of the open-cast quarry above. (Yes, the Bond movie
Quantum
of Solace
was shot here). Both tours are dramatic.
Paolo Costa & Co
( 05 857 17 40;
www.costapaolo.it
; Via Carriona 92; 1-4.30pm Mon-Sat)
To watch professional
sculptors work with Carrara marble, visit these workshops in town. Visiting hours vary
considerably, so call ahead.
ARTS CENTRE
Eating
The
only
place to lunch is in the hamlet of
Colonnata
, 2km from Fantiscritti, where one of
Tuscany's greatest gastronomic treats,
lardo di colonnata
(thinner-than-wafer-thin slices
of local pig fat) sits ageing in marble vats of herby olive oil. Once you're hooked, pur-
chase a vacuum-packed slab (from €13.50 per kilogram) to take home from one of the
many
larderie
(shops selling
lardo
) in the village.
Ristorante Venanzio
( 05 8575 8062; Piazza Palestro 3, Colonnata; meals €30; lunch & dinner Mon-Wed, Fri & Sat,
lunch Sun)
Even those who initially find the idea of noshing on a hunk of fat off-putting are
bound to be won over when sampling it melted over piping-hot
focaccette
(small, flat
buns made of wheat flour and cornmeal) at this family-run restaurant with classical decor
on Colonnata's central, marble-paved square. Its €40
menu degustazione
(tasting menu;
minimum two people) is a real treat.
TUSCAN
€€
Locanda Apuana
( 05 8576 8017;
www.locandaapuana.com
;
Via Communale 1, Colonnata; meals €30; lunch & din-
ner Tue-Sat, lunch Sun)
The other key address in Colonnata, just off central Piazza Palestro,
to feast on
crostini caldi con lardo
(warm toasts topped with lardo) et al.
TUSCAN
€€
Information
Tourist office
( 05 8584 4136; Viale XX Settembre; 9am-4pm)
Opposite the stadium; stop
here to pick up a map of Carrara, its marble workshops and out-of-town quarries.
Getting There & Away
