Bagni di Lucca Holidays, Italy Famed for its health-giving waters since Roman times, this Tuscan spa in a wooded valley of the River Lima is a quiet but charming place. Bagni di Lucca’s thermal centres and steam caves claim success in treating many different ailments. The town’s popularity peaked in the early 19th century when international artists and writers such as Byron and Puccini flocked to its sulphate springs. Europe’s first licensed casino opened here in 1840.
Forte dei Marmi Holidays, Italy A 17th-century fortified customs house gives Forte dei Marmi its name (‘marble fort’). By the 1860s, holiday villas were springing up on its golden beaches and today, wealthy celebrities maintain the town’s reputation as one of the most fashionable Versilian resorts, full of chic boutiques, art galleries and pavement cafés. Its Wednesday market does a good line in designer clothing.
Lucca Holidays, Italy Set amidst the rolling Tuscan hills, Lucca is renowned for its top quality olive oil. Walkways traverse the 16th-century city walls—fully intact—that surround the old town, protecting its fine medieval churches and Renaissance palaces. Visit the 12th-century church of San Frediano, San Martino cathedral, elliptical Piazza Anfiteatro, and climb Guinigi Tower for views over Lucca’s terracotta rooftops. Via Fillungo is the main shopping street.
Versilia (region) Holidays, ItalyThe name of an ancient principality on the borders of north-western Tuscany and Liguria now refers to a 30 km coastal strip between the Gulf of Spezia and Torre del Lago Puccini. Flat, straight beaches of soft sand set with sun loungers and parasols roll past a seamless series of small resorts, including Viareggio and Forte dei Marmi. Inland, the jagged Apuan Mountains rise steeply to high forests past the glittering Carrara marble quarries.
Viareggio Holidays, Italy This classic seaside resort on Tuscany’s Riviera della Versilia is still a fashionable watering hole with lively clubs and cafés. Viareggio enjoyed its heyday during the 1920s, when the ornate Liberty- style (Art Nouveau) villas sprang up along its palm-lined promenade and the grid of streets behind. Broad, dune-backed beaches, a harbour filled with fishing boats and luxury yachts, and its flamboyant Shrovetide carnival attract the crowds.
