Tales of Tuscany

Fly from London Heathrow to Pisa. Free time in the city to view its most iconic monuments, the cathedral, its Leaning Tower campanile, and the baptistry, all clustered together in the flat lawns of the UNESCO listed Campo dei Miracoli (Field of Miracles). Transfer to Montecatini for seven nights at the 4-star Hotel Settentrionale Esplande).

UNESCO listed as one of the ‘Great Spa Towns of Europe’, Montecatini’s varied aspects and best assets are seen in a morning walking tour today, from thermal spas and art nouveau architecture to the medieval upper town. Enjoy refreshments on a visit to the classically styled Tettuccio Spa, built in 1780 and restructured in 1928; and take the late-19^th century funicular to Montecatini Alto, its cobbled streets, Romanesque church, and sturdy clocktower looking out to glorious views.
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A return train ticket is provided to nearby Pistoia, where you are met by a local guide for a walking tour of the town. Uncrowded, untrumpeted, and undilutedly authentic, its watchtowers, striped churches, and arcaded squares form a compact cluster of medieval monuments. In the central Piazza del Duomo, the Romanesque San Zeno Cathedral, with its six-centuries-old silver altar, is flanked by a beautifully ornate belltower, the green and white Gothic baptistry of San Giovanni, and the 11^thcentury Bishops’ Palace. Free time for exploration.
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Travel by train (return ticket provided) to Florence, for a guided introductory walking tour of this inimitable city. With churches like art galleries, medieval palaces now revered museums, and famous former residents from the Medici family to Machiavelli and Galileo, notable art and architecture includes the Ponte Vecchio bridge, the frescoed walls of Santa Croce church, the fortress-like façade of Palazzo del Popolo (Bargello), Michelangelo’s ‘David’ in the Galleria dell’Accademia, Botticelli’s ‘Birth of Venus’ in the Uffizi, and, dominating the city and its skyline, the iconic Duomo, with its Giotto belltower and terracotta-tiled Brunelleschi dome. Free time for exploration. Return later, independently, by train.
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A day at leisure, perhaps to explore independently, spoil yourself with spa treatments, browse in Montecatini’s boutiques, or simply relax by the pool in the hotel’s garden terrace.
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Take the train (ticket provided) to Lucca, for a walking tour of Puccini’s hometown. Known as the City of a Hundred Churches, Lucca’s landmarks include the elliptical Amphitheatre Square, lined with lemon and cream façades; well-preserved 16^thcentury ramparts, making superb strolling grounds; the seven-centuries-old Torre delle Ore tower, soaring above the red-tiled rooftops; the duomo in Piazza San Martino, and its imposing (but, intriguingly, never completed) bell tower; the 13^thcentury Basilica di San Michele; and the pretty church of San Giovanni, the venue for a Puccini concert this evening. Return by minibus to Montecatini.
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In a final full day at leisure, perhaps take the train to the Tyrrhenian Sea shore at Viareggio; or travel to Prato, birthplace of the Cantuccini Biscuits, off the beaten track of tourism, and boasting a beautifully frescoed duomo and formidable Castle of the Emperor.
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Transfer to Pisa for your return flight to London Heathrow.
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