Archive for 'Tourist Attractions'

Siena is one of the less hyped but most beautiful of all Tuscan cities. While it may not compete with Florence in terms of scale or choice, it is an equally lovely town, blessed still by the looming presence of the Renaissance. By day, there is much to see and do – many galleries, museums, architectural gems and more to visit, restaurants to try out, customs to learn about and much more besides – but, by night, the city takes on a different and rather special charm. The best way to experience this is by checking out “Divina Bellezza – Dreaming Siena”. Taking place in the unfinished Duomo Nuovo, part of Siena’s Duomo complex, Divina Bellezza is an immersive video mapping project that sees huge 3D images projected on the Facciatone and on the other two facades of the Duomo Nuovo and is accompanied by tales of the city in times gone by and more. It is an evocative, special spectacle that is unique to the city and is a must-see for those who have found a villa with pool in Siena and are planning to spend time there.

We almost all had that phase where we were completely and utterly obsessed with dinosaurs, right? Some digested encyclopedias of knowledge as if they were a comic book, others smashed plastic figurines together in back yards and some visited every museum in sight while others watched Jurassic Park over and over again. For nineties kids, it was pretty much a rite of passage as a child but everyone can appreciate the might and majestic beauty, as well as the intrigue and mystery, of these long gone and long dead creatures.

Dinosaur skeletons are awe-inspiring and reconstructions fascinating and you'll find both in Pisa for the next few weeks. If you're looking for an activity to please everyone in the group – across all ages – find a villa with pool in the Pisa area and head to the "Terra dei Giganti", or “Land of Giants”, exhibition.

In the previous article we discussed the importance of kicking back and relaxing on holidays. No matter how many museums you want to see, shops you want to visit or dishes you want to try, it's best to take it easy for at least a little bit of your holiday.

Tuscany, though the pace of life is calmer than most of us are used to, can encourage running around like a headless chicken as there is just so much to see and do and you're sure to want to do it all.

Luckily, however, it is also the perfect region in which to balance it out with some days of pure and utter relaxation as there are many wonderful and historic spa towns with natural hot springs and top-notch facilities dotted all over.

Sometimes a holiday in Tuscany can involve so much running around from place to place, lining up for museums and planning that it isn't actually all that relaxing. If you're the type that prefers to do nothing at all during a vacation than to spend all your time exploring, you might consider checking out a spa town and getting away from it all. Tuscany is home to a whole host of beautiful, characteristic spa towns with natural hot springs and wonderful facilities that have been attracting visitors from near and far for centuries.

Just find yourself a holiday rental in Tuscany and spend some time soaking in the warm waters, getting a massage or a facial, dining on good food and forgetting the outside world for a while in one of the following spa towns. Or, if you've got money and time to spare, maybe you could even do a tour of the towns.

Our last few articles have discussed activities in Tuscany that go beyond the usual trips to palaces, churches, museums, galleries and other cultural institutions. Instead, we focused on activities that you might not have thought of before and that will keep the entire family happy, not just the adults. This article also gathers together some child-friendly activities for you and yours to enjoy once you have found the perfect holiday rental in Tuscany.

If you are getting familiar with the city of Florence, for example, there are plenty of different sorts of tours that you can try, both conventional and more interesting and unique varieties. However, one of the most unique ways to see the city is probably by going on the water bike tour. While it may not be suitable for young kids and ten is the minimum age allowed, it's definitely something that older children and teenagers would enjoy and gets the whole family out and about together for an adventure. The bicycles are standard mountain-bikes which have been transformed into proper water-bikes. Tours depart at either 7pm or 9pm and last for a duration of two hours and an informative, friendly and professional guide takes small groups out, allowing for lots of attention and personalisation.