INTRODUCTION
Tuscany remains the most popular of Italian regions and is loved by tourists and would-be property buyers for many reasons, not least because of its beautiful countryside and cities laden with Renaissance treasures and historic monuments.
But while property prices remain high, the allure does not wane, and enthusiastic Italophiles still flock to the idyllic region. The good news is that appealing properties can still be found in abundance and, as Tuscany is a pretty large region, the patient and persistent will find some hidden nuggets that don’t have to cost an arm and a leg. Here we highlight the main areas, and some off-the-beaten-track locations.
NORTH OF LUCCA
1 Liguria borders the head of this part of Tuscany while Emilia-Romagna sits at its back. The two dominant areas are the coast and the mountains, the Apuan Alps and the Apennines. If you want to explore the seaside resorts, you should pay a visit to Forte dei Marmi, with its imposing fortress, and Viareggio, the heart of the northern Tuscan Riviera. Move inland to Abetone, north of Pistoia,
for good skiing. Two important valleys cut a swathe through the area’s mighty chestnut forests, the north of Lucca, and the above Florence. Marble is still quarried at and near the coast, and is the same stone that was used by the maestro Michelangelo for his sculptures all those centuries ago. Further south is a treasure trove of monuments such as the 16th-centuryand its thermal waters, and to medieval which is lush with attractive flower and tree nurseries.
