February 2019

Must-see sights in Paris

By |2019-02-18T14:28:00-06:00February 13th, 2019|Feature, General, hidden gems, Informational, Paris, Summer, Travel Tips|

Must-See Sights in Paris

So, you have seen movies about Paris and have heard people talk about the “City of Lights” and you are now thinking about visiting this beautiful city.  Rest assured that you are not alone in considering visiting this amazing and beautiful city and for good reason.

Paris is simply a beautiful place to Experience and words cannot do it justice.  There are so many things to do, to see and to Experience that makes this place a perfect destination for just about anybody.  Whether you are a fan of the opera or like to take in beautiful parks, Paris has something that will take your breath away and leave you wanting more.

Some must-see sights in Paris:

  • The Palais Garnier Opera House which is probably one of the world’s most famous opera houses was built from 1861-1865 and has 1,979 seats.  Nicely situated in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, it is very easy to find.  Historically, the Palais Garnier was known for being the home of the Paris opera, but since 1989 the primary use is for the ballet.  The Palais Garnier also offers daily tours of the beautiful building and is highly recommended.
  • Notre-Dame de Paris, Meaning, “Our Lady of Paris” or just Notre Dame is an absolutely beautiful cathedral and is considered to be one of the finest examples of French Gothic architecture.  The cathedral is located in the 4th arrondissement.
  • The Eiffel Tower is one of the most iconic sights in Paris.  The tower was named after Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower.  The tower was built in 1887-1889 as the entrance to the 1889 World’s Fair.
  • The Louvre which is the world’s largest and the most visited art museum in the world is located in the 1st arrondissement.  This museum is home to approximately 38,000 objects over an exhibit area of 782,910 square feet.

The list above only scratches the surface of what this beautiful city has to offer.  We highly recommend getting off of the tourist track and exploring the local neighborhood cafés, bars, and restaurants.  It is only when you go into the local neighborhoods and eat and drink where the locals live that you will truly Experience Paris.  Join A Toast to Travel for our Paris and Champagne Experience and learn to Live Like a Local in Paris!

Share This Story

November 2018

Happy Thanksgiving!

By |2018-11-21T16:22:42-06:00November 21st, 2018|General, holidays, Informational, Olive oil, Tuscany, Wine|

Happy Thanksgiving!

When we think of Thanksgiving or giving thanks, we think of family and friends gathering around the dinner table with drinks in hand to relax, enjoy each other’s company and feast!  In America, it’s an important holiday largely centering on feasting, quality time and football! After all that food, what else can you do?

The tradition of Thanksgiving originated to celebrate the harvest of the year.  Plymouth, Massachusetts is where the first American colony started and its people were known as the pilgrims. After the first harvest, the pilgrims celebrated in November with a meal shared with Native Americans.  Thus, Thanksgiving was born.

There is no official Thanksgiving in Italy like that we know of in America.  There are many other days of thanks for other reasons including patron saints.  Generally, the typical Thanksgiving meal (turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole and plenty of pies) is not served in Italy.  Some restaurants will accommodate a special menu for a private group–especially in a city like Rome or Florence where there are many different nationalities constantly traveling through.

What we’ve found very popular is a group of friends and family looking to enjoy Thanksgiving together while learning how to cook.  A cooking experience all can enjoy over Thanksgiving is definitely very popular.  A Toast to Travel’s Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun experience fits the bill perfectly.  Each day, you will cook a meal from start to finish together while enjoying music, fun, and wine.  You will learn from an authentic Italian chef all the secrets of the Italian cuisine and then sit down with your friends and family to enjoy the meal you’ve all just cooked together.  It’s a very bonding experience and the unlimited wine doesn’t hurt either.

During the experience, you also have the opportunity to hunt truffles, explore Florence and Siena, tour and taste wine at a stunning winery in Chianti and enjoy relaxing yoga classes to burn off some of those calories.  All the dishes we cook are very natural (as is commonly the case in Italy) so you can indulge a bit more without the guilt.  We learn to make starters, fresh handmade pastas, pasta sauces, second courses, side dishes, and decadent desserts!  All while staying in a cozy, sleepy villa in Tuscany.

If you are looking for a different experience in 2019 for Thanksgiving for your friends and family, please contact us soon so we can hold the week for you.  Thanksgiving should be enjoyed to the fullest–filled with fun, authentic and life enhancing experiences.  We have one for you to enjoy!

Live like a local in Tuscany so you can enjoy it to the fullest and get the most out of your experience with your hosts, Natalie and John, at A Toast to Travel!

Share This Story

October 2018

Paris, the City of Lights

By |2018-10-24T21:02:29-05:00October 24th, 2018|Feature, Features, General, New Experiences|

Paris, the City of Lights

When we were planning where to launch our new experience, we spent a lot of time thinking about what our guests asked for over the last few years and how we could do it differently than other touristy experiences.

Paris was an easy choice.  It has to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world if not the most beautiful.  I lived in Paris for many years and each day, walking past the Eiffel Tower on my way to class or back home, I thought how lucky am I to have this beautiful view in this beautiful place?  Paris is not only the Eiffel Tower, though.  There’s the magnificent Opera, the Arc de Triumph, Trocadero, the Pantheon, the Latin quarter, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, and Montmartre to name a few.  The city is full of rich, historic sites and full of life!

Living like a local in Paris is a way of seeing the city differently.  Of course, there are sites which have to be seen (and yes, there are tourists) but staying in the right arrondissement at a hotel that makes you feel at home, eating at the restaurants where the locals eat, eating authentic French food and drinking delicious French wine all add to living like a local.

One could write about Paris forever.  We will endeavor to blog about Paris over the next few months so we can continue to share with you how the locals live so check our blog often for updates.

In addition to all there is to see and do in Paris, even outside of Paris there are important experiences to have.  The Palace of Versailles is one of a kind from the magnificent Palace itself to the perfectly manicured gardens to the Trianon, each of these takes you back to a time of royalty and helps you imagine what it would have been like to live during those times.  Marie Antoinette’s most famous line, “Let them eat cake!” may have cost her head but there was much more to the French Revolution.  You get a feel for this while at the Palace—looking at the balcony from which she made the disastrous statement.

Reims, France, better known as Champagne, France is its own story.  It’s a charming little town with a historic and not to be missed Cathedral.  The Cathedral is in the town square and the Champagne houses are not far away!  There are many to choose from including the famous ones, La Veuve Clicquot, and Taittinger to name a few.  Visits to the caves with thousands and thousands of champagne bottles only add to the thirst and usually, there’s a delicious tasting after your visit.

Paris, the City of Lights, the Palace of Versailles and Reims are not to be missed.  Live like a local in Paris with Champagne so you can enjoy it to the fullest and get the most out of your experience with your hosts, Natalie and John, at A Toast to Travel!

Share This Story

Christmas in Tuscany with A Toast to Travel

By |2018-10-18T04:10:34-05:00October 18th, 2018|Christmas, Feature, General, holidays, Travel Tips, Tuscany|

Florence Christmas market 600

Christmas in Tuscany with A Toast to Travel

The holidays are an important part of the year in which Italians gather with family to exchange gifts and enjoy a nice meal. Our Christmas in Tuscany experience includes the mainstays of our A Toast To Travel trips where travelers can see historical landmarks in Florence, Chianti, Pisa, Lucca, and Siena, taste exquisite wines and gourmet dinners, take tours of the art galleries and wineries across the region of Tuscany, as well as the once in a lifetime opportunity of joining in on traditional, Italian festivities!

The Christmas markets are a must-see for any traveler during this time of year with the powdered cobblestone streets, skies lit with cheerful lights, and brightly colored goodies every which way you turn. Browsing the Weihnachtsmarkt, which is German for Christmas market, and warming up with a cup of mulled wine is a tradition among the locals of Florence, and will surely create a memorable experience for traveling with family and friends.

We also offer the chance to travel through time while driving up through the snowy trees of the medieval towns of Chianti and to their own holiday markets. Pisa, the birthplace of Galileo, is also a sight to see with the leaning tower and other architectural landmarks like the Battistero and Piazza dei Miracoli, followed a trip to Lucca the famed walled city to wander through their own gorgeous holiday markets. On the streets of the holiday markets, musicians play holiday tunes that are old and familiar, but also new and exciting!

The last few days of your holiday trip with family and friends include visiting Siena, a United Nations Educational, Cultural, and Scientific (UNESCO) World Heritage site, Midnight Mass with the locals at the Duomo, and spectacular multi-course dinners paired with Tuscan wine. In Siena, journey to the Middle Ages with the artistic masterpieces, medieval architecture, cuisine, and of course, the great city’s brightly lit holiday markets.

Our farewell dinner of Festa dei Sette Pesci, Feast of the Seven Fishes, will quite literally give you a taste of authentic Italian Christmas! This meal is commonly served on Christmas Eve in Italian families and features several types of seafood, a pasta dish, and dessert of season’s greetings. While the origin of the feast is unknown, it continues on with the spirit of bringing family and friends together to celebrate Christmas.

Being at the center of Florence makes the Duomo, or Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore, a welcoming church to those who don’t identify as religious and allows all to view the gigantic, festive tree, a life-size nativity scene, and the experience of the art and culture along with the locals. Midnight Mass at the Duomo will allow you to get in touch with your spirituality while appreciating the grandiose high ceilings, mosaics, and paintings in peace with travelers and locals alike on La Vigilia di Natale, Italian for Christmas Eve.

With A Toast to Travel, having a warm and unforgettable holiday season is made simple by taking the stress away from the holidays and curating a trip that will be cherished by all.

Christmas in Tuscany with A Toast to Travel

August 2018

Group Travel

By |2018-09-24T20:52:18-05:00August 22nd, 2018|Benefits, Features, General, Travel Tips, Tuscany|

Group Travel

Private, hosted group travel has its perks!  What you should look for.

It’s a common dilemma; you have a group of friends, family or couples who want to travel together.  Group travel may even be a group from your social club, your country club or a business organization where you work.  It could also be a group of bachelorettes or a sorority.  Everyone is excited and ready to sign up but there’s one problem.  One person is in charge of organizing the entire experience, collecting payment and spending hours and hours researching a place that maybe she has never been.  Ultimately, after hours and hours of research, the person can only hope she’s put together an authentic experience for the group and ends up so exhausted, she doesn’t even get to relax and enjoy the trip.

There’s no doubt that the benefits of group travel are clear.  You have time to spend with those you love and may not be able to see very often.  You can explore a new culture or a favorite city together.  It’s a family reunion of sorts where everyone is sharing in the same experiences and creating lifelong memories.  Sharing perspectives throughout the journey is one of group travel’s major benefits.  When you have a variety of personalities and senses of humor contributing to the dinner conversation (or cooking class), it’s a lot more fun!

Experiencing other cultures and other people together is exciting.  You bring those new experiences and perspectives back with you and you’ll be able to reminisce for years.  Group travel doesn’t have to be so stressful and exhausting.  You can hire boutique companies that offer fully hosted, vetted and curated experiences so everyone can enjoy their trip.

What should you look for when your group is ready to travel?  Here are some tips you may want to consider:

First, if you don’t want one person to be saddled with being the group leader and missing out on the experience due to all the planning and executing, look for a company that hosts the entire experience.  A hosted experience is different from an escorted experience.  When you’re escorted, you only see your escort for the excursions you paid for—a few hours a day.

Second, you should make sure that the company you hire is expert in the area you are seeking to travel to.  Guesswork or simple online reviews won’t do.  It’s about living like a local so firsthand knowledge is critical.  The experience should be curated, vetted and executed by those in the know.

Third, if you don’t want to travel like a tourist, avoid companies that utilize the services of large major tour buses.  Nothing feels more like a tourist experience than boarding an enormous tour bus to visit a site.  Choose small group methods of travel so you can live like a local.

Lastly, choose a company that will work with you to customize the experience for your private group. Flexibility is key.  For example, if you want your morning off or a little more time to appreciate a site, you shouldn’t be forced to board the tour bus and miss out!

Keep in mind that group travel is a lot of fun.  The factors to consider when hiring a company for your group trip should help you make an informed decision.  Outsourcing the experience to experts who not only vet, curate and plan the entire experience but also fully host it will allow everyone in the group to relax and enjoy la dolce vita.

Please contact A Toast to Travel for any of your group travel needs and ideas.  In the meantime, safe travels and live well!

Share This Story

July 2018

Best Places for Bachelorette Party

By |2018-07-28T18:49:12-05:00July 28th, 2018|bachelor party, General, hidden gems|

Bachelor party in Tuscany with A Toast to Travel,
Bachelor party in Tuscany with A Toast to Travel,

Best Places for Bachelorette Party

When planning the perfect bachelorette party, consider a trip you’ll never forget. Italy is one of the best places for a Bachelorette party.  It’s the perfect destination to let loose and enjoy the finer things in life, and when your closest friends accompany you, the experience is greatly enhanced. You want your send-off into your new life to match the excitement you feel, and a fun-filled week (with a private group, you pick the date!) of good food, good friends, and the novelty of exploring a lovely country is a fantastic way to do achieve that.  Let A Toast to Travel show you why a trip to Tuscany is the perfect setting for an unforgettable bachelorette party!

Whether you’re a fan of food and wine, admiring art and architecture, shopping, or simply relaxing, a group trip through Tuscany has a little something for everyone. Stroll through the beautiful towns of Siena, Florence and Pisa, taking in the sights and experience the Italian lifestyle firsthand, then visit the famous walled city of Lucca and experience Renaissance-era history as it lives on in the modern age. Besides becoming familiar with the lovely towns of Tuscany, you may also sample the best of Tuscany’s varied and delicious cuisine and indulge in the best Tuscan wines. How about taking a tour of the legendary Uffizi Gallery, where some of the world’s finest works of Renaissance art are housed? You will live like a local, going on guided tours given by locals of these towns who know them inside and out, offering an intimate glimpse into the heart and soul of Italy that you won’t find anywhere else except with A Toast to Travel’s  Highlights of Florence and Tuscany Experience.

For a more hands-on experience, perhaps you would enjoy Cooking Under the Tuscan Sun, where your group will become acquainted with the techniques, ingredients, and traditions that give Italian food its well-deserved reputation as some of the best in the world. As a result, you will gain a newfound appreciation and understanding of the importance of food within Italian culture, thus dramatically altering and improving your own approach to food. Wouldn’t it be amazing to see how truffles, some of the world’s most prized delicacies, are collected?  How about learning how to make pasta by hand, as well as authentic pizza? Why not tour a winery in Chianti, where you’ll sample some of Tuscany’s most delicious wines right at the source? Well, your group could have the privilege of doing all this and more, resulting in a truly memorable, once-in-a-lifetime vacation bachelorette party that will be reminisced upon for years to come.

Above all else, Italy is a wonderful place to simply relax, reflect, and appreciate life. Don’t stress about planning an itinerary; with A Toast to Travel, that’s all taken care of. Don’t worry about feeding yourself and your group, either, or where you’ll stay. Leave that all to A Toast to Travel! You’re about to embark on one of the most rewarding journeys of your life, and an equally grand celebration, free of worries and stress, should be in order. Let the natural beauty and rich history of Italy complement the joy of your friendships and the exciting new journey you’re about to embark on with your dearest love.  Life is short, so why not live it to the fullest?

Share This Story

June 2018

What’s the Fashion Capital of Italy?

By |2018-06-03T11:50:40-05:00June 3rd, 2018|General, hidden gems, Italy Shopping|

Italy Fashion-Milano-600
Italy Fashion D&G Firenze
Italy Fashion Armani Milano

What’s the Fashion Capital of Italy?

Prada, Gucci, Versace, Dolce & Gabbana–when you think of the high-end fashion industry, it’s likely many of those famous Italian brands immediately come to mind. It’s no secret that Italy is a powerhouse within the world of fashion, but how did this come to be? What does fashion really mean to Italians? For starters, Italians are known for their attention to dressing well–they adhere to the term “la bella figura,” which translates to “the beautiful figure.” The story goes back to the 11th century and the Renaissance period, when Italy was considered the leading trendsetter of fashion in Europe. This designation was lost throughout the 17th to 20th centuries.

Following WWII, however, Italian fashion experienced a resurgence and is now considered one of the most influential fashion centers in the world. There are a number of reasons for this. On a technical level, there’s the Italian way of craftsmanship and attention to detail, as well as an emphasis on high-quality textiles. So while the clothes themselves have plenty to do with it, there’s some interesting historical context to consider as well. The Marshall Plan, a post-WWII U.S. program designed to aid the economies of war-torn European countries, helped to boost the Italian textile industry. Then, in 1951, Italian businessman Giovanni Battista Giorgini held a fashion show in Florence with the goal of elevating Italy to its original standing in the fashion world, and it worked. By the 1960s, a variety of American celebrities and public figures, inlcuding First Lady Jackie Onassis Kennedy, could be seen sporting the latest Italian designs. Italian fashion had become synonymous with Hollywood Chic.

Florence remained the fashion capital of Italy throughout the 1950s and 1960s, but by the 1970s, this distinction began to sway toward Milan and Rome. The 1970s also marked a turning point for Italian fashion, with clothing and accessories becoming less geared towards only the rich and famous. An emphasis on ready-to-wear clothing was made as well, with a focus on jeans and miniskirts, for example. Today, Italy remains at the top, and the industry remains centered on Rome and Milan.

Despite having lost its distinction as the fashion hotspot of Italy, Florence still remains a relevant outpost for Italian fashion, and nothing can take away the fact that Florence spurred the resurgence of Italian fashion in the 20th century. If you were to visit Florence today, you would find a number of high-end boutiques and shopping districts. Florence’s main shopping street, called Via de’ Tornabuoni, is known for its array of luxury fashion boutiques. Some of these include Gucci (whose headquarters are located in Florence), Armani, Enrico Coveri, Roberto Cavalli, and Emilio Pucci. In addition to the high-end, world-class fashion outlets, major fashion labels such as Prada and Chanel maintain large offices within Florence. The pervasiveness of the fashion industry within Florence speaks to the importance of fashion to Italians!

If you find yourself curious in the world of fashion, or you happen to be a huge fan of it, you’ll be happy to know that an all-inclusive tour of Italy on our Highlights of Florence and Tuscany Experience will take you right through the heart of it all in Florence! Part of living like a local is experiencing every cultural beacon that makes a place unique—in the case of Florence, fashion is a part of this. Fashion, food, art, and architecture are all integral to experiencing Italy, and we stand behind this at A Toast to Travel!

Share This Story

May 2018

What is an Italian Piazza?

By |2018-06-01T17:17:06-05:00May 31st, 2018|Feature, Features, General, Informational, Travel Tips, Tuscany|

Piazza in Roma
Typical Piazza

What is an Italian Piazza?

A Central Aspect of Italian Life

If you were to embark on a tour of Italy, one of the first things you’d probably be struck by is the ubiquity of the Town Square, or “piazza” as they’re referred to in Italy. Italian piazzas are very open and welcoming spaces, surrounded by beautiful buildings. They are the hearts and life centers and of Italian towns and cities, swarming with residents going about their daily business or simply taking time to reflect, gather, and enjoy life. What is it about these piazzas, though, that makes them so special and alluring? Maybe it’s the idea of a central gathering space in which the citizens of a town can gather, or perhaps it’s the charm that they add to any city. They are a blend of history, architecture and life, all of which blend together seamlessly to create an important cultural phenomenon unlike any other.

Piazzas date back to the Ancient Romans, whose towns typically consisted of a grid pattern built around two main roads. The space where these roads intersected was considered sacred, so large, open spaces flanked by markets, civic buildings, and other various shops were constructed in these areas. This was the template for the piazzas to follow, and in fact, some of these original Roman piazzas are still in existence today! By the time of the Renaissance period, Italian piazzas had fully evolved. An example of this is Piazza Pio II, widely regarded as one of the finest iterations of the Renaissance urban ideal. Located in the Tuscan town of Pienza and built in the 15th century, Piazza Pio II is notable for its trapezoidal shape—a new idea at the time.

Despite the piazza’s distant origins, they remain an important part of Italian culture and identity. Their usefulness and efficiency cannot be ignored, and they manage to provide this while evoking a sense of community rooted in history. Unlike a fine painting or architecturally brilliant church, the piazza’s value doesn’t lie solely in its physical traits. Rather, the human activity within a piazza is an integral feature of the piazza itself. People are the finishing touch that ties every element of the piazza together, like cars on a roadway or candles on a birthday cake. Simply put, the piazza becomes whole when its form is fully utilized. Italians will enjoy their leisure time in the piazza while sitting at a cafe, browsing the markets that can be found within, and simply going about their lives while surrounded by the rich history of their people. It is truly a testament to the architects of these piazzas that they continue to be used as they were originally intended to this day, and this also speaks to the great pride Italians have in their history and heritage.

Part of living like a local in Italy means enjoying a town square, and on our Highlights of Florence and Tuscany Experience, you’ll have the opportunity to do just that—while being guided by locals—in Florence, as well as the beautiful Tuscan towns of Pisa, Lucca, Siena, and several others. In order to get the most out of an Italian vacation, one must delve into the cultural pillars of the country, and piazzas are an excellent starting point!

Share This Story

April 2018

A Tour of Pisa – More Than Just a Leaning Tower

By |2018-04-28T12:35:37-05:00April 28th, 2018|Events, Feature, Features, General, hidden gems|

A Tour of Pisa – More Than Just a Leaning Tower

Pisa is yet another beautiful city located within central Italy’s Tuscany region, and no tour of Italy would be complete without a visit there. Situated on the river Arno just before it enters the Ligurian Sea, Pisa is perhaps best known for the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, one of the most recognizable landmarks throughout the world. Built over the course of 200 years through the 12th to 14th centuries and standing tall at 183 feet from top to bottom, the tower is a wonderful attraction. Be ready to climb up a 300 step spiraling staircase in order to take in spectacular views at the top; if you’d prefer to admire the tower from the ground, though, there’s endless opportunities to take photos giving the illusion that you’re holding the tower up with one hand, which is almost a requirement for an Italian vacation. But beyond having a bit of silly fun, there’s much more that cements Pisa as a must-see Italian holiday destination.

Pisa is home to countless churches, many of which date from the Renaissance Period or earlier. Some of them include Santo Stefano dei Cavalieri, which houses a bust made by Donatello; San Fredriano, which was built in 1061 and features a basilica interior along with a crucifix dating from the 12th century, among other things; and St. Sixtus, which was built in 1133 and is regarded as one of the most well-preserved Romanesque structures in town. If you harbor a deep appreciation of architecture and history, Pisa surely will not disappoint. And even if your interests generally track elsewhere, it’s difficult to not be blown away by the living history of the place.

Pisa’s rich collection of historic buildings and artifacts extends to its museums as well. For instance, there’s Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, where you’ll find original sculptures crafted by the influential sculptors Nicola Pisano and Giovanni Pisano. Another terrific museum to visit is Museo Nazionale degli Strumenti per il Calcolo, which exhibits numerous historical pieces of science equipment, including a compass that likely belonged to Galileo Galilei.

Once you’ve taken in the rich history of Pisa and the plethora of incredible historical artifacts you’ll find there, you may take advantage of Pisa’s food and shopping offerings. Dwell among the locals and take a stroll through Piazza delle Vettovaglie, a 16th century town square where you’ll find numerous cafes, butchers, wine shops, and bakeries.  When the hunger you’ll inevitably develop from all your walking and sightseeing becomes your number one priority, stop by Il Crudo Panineria for a delicious panini, then finish it off with a cup of gelato at La Botegga del Gelato, located right in the center of the city. Or, if a slightly more upscale meal is in order, stop by Da Bruno for traditional Pisan cuisine in a trattoria setting.

Not to be overlooked and worth every moment spent there, Pisa is a fantastic conglomeration of Italian culture, heritage, and history. Come for the allure of its most famous landmarks, but stay for the wonderful treasures you’ll discover within its borders. With A Toast to Travel’s Highlights of Florence and Tuscany Experience, a visit to Pisa is included for all the aforementioned reasons. You’ll be taken on a guided tour with  the locals, so no must-see attractions will be overlooked. Join us for a visit to Pisa, one of the many stops on our unforgettable, all-inclusive Italian vacation package!

Share This Story

March 2018

Lucca – The Famed Walled City

By |2018-03-07T22:40:46-06:00March 7th, 2018|Feature, General, hidden gems|

Lucca

The Famed Walled City

Lucca is one of the most beautiful cities in Tuscany and is famous for many things including the retention of its Renaissance era walls.  The walls around the old city were kept intact even as the city became modern and expanded.  The walls are historic as they served to preserve and protect the city and its inhabitants.  Even though the walls have lost their strategic military importance, today they serve as a beautiful promenade–it’s a beautiful walk or bike ride for you to enjoy with all the greenery and trees.

Lucca has delicious foods and many unique artisan shops.  For food, you can enjoy a delicious meal in Lucca and some of the must try foods include:  Farro Soup, made with borlotti beans and seasonal vegetables, Tordelli Lucchese which is pasta stuffed with beef, or Necci, a delicious crepe stuffed with ricotta.  All are typical Lucchese dishes for you to enjoy.  For dessert, try the Buccellato, a ring shaped cake stuffed with raisins and aniseed which is traditionally eaten on Sundays.  It’s delicious with your morning coffee or a glass of red wine.  Remember, you’re still in Tuscany and Tuscany is famous for its red wines.

Lucca also has many artisan shops.  Purchases of interest can include jewelry, art and ceramics.  For fashion, head to via Fillungo, which is the main shopping street in Lucca and enjoy window shopping.

In addition to the delicious food, artisan shops and beautiful, famed walls, there are many other must see sights in Lucca.  Lucca’s San Martino Cathedral is surrounded by medieval buildings in the Piazza San Martino.  With an intricately decorated marble façade, its style is more Roman on the exterior and Gothic on the interior.  There’s also the San Michele church in the large square.  The square is a great place to sit and enjoy an afternoon.  There are many cafes to choose from.  If sitting is not how you want to pass the afternoon, you can climb to the top of the Guinigi Tower, a 14th century tower with spectacular views of Lucca.  There are 130 steps to climb and you will be greatly rewarded with the spectacular views!

Lucca is not only famous for its walls.  It was also the birthplace of the famous opera composer, Giacomo Puccini.  His home is now a museum filled with memorabilia, including his piano and musical scores.

These are just a few reasons A Toast to Travel’s Highlights of Florence and Tuscany Experience includes a visit to Lucca–one of the most beautiful and unique cities in Tuscany!  Join us for an unforgettable experience where you will live like a local.

Share This Story

Go to Top