Attractions in our area

Places to visit

Podere Fiorito is set in beautiful tuscan countryside, about 10 minutes drive from the bustling market town of Pescia with its many restaurants, bars and shops. Although we are in an unspoiled valley, we are only 2-3 minutes by car from the medieval village of Vellano with its own bakery, post office, pizzeria and restaurant, so you have the option to relax in the countryside or explore the interesting local villages at your leisure.

We are centrally located between the two ancient cities of Florence and Pisa, both being within easy driving range. This part of Tuscany is full of beautiful cities towns and villages all with fascinating histories,architecture, and art. The beautiful walled city of Lucca is only 25 minutes away, whilst the town of Vinci - Where Leonardo da Vinci was born, with its world famous museum of his work is only about 40 minutes drive.

Hopefully the short list below will give you some ideas for days out around Pescia :

Florence

Famed for its Renaissance Architecture, Art, Restaurants and amazing shops. There is just too much to see and do in one holiday .

- 1 hours drive

The river Arno

Lucca

A Beautifully preserved medieval walled town, with 4km of ramparts to walk (or cycle) around. The huge oval piazza (originally a Roman amphitheater) is well worth seeing, and narrow streets provide a cool place to browse around the varied shops.

- 25 minutes drive

Montecatini Terme

A spa town built for the elite of Europe to "take the cure". There are many parks, elegant victorian buildings and up-market shops. The 100 year old funicular railway provides an entertaining ride to the restaurants and wonderful views from Montecatini Alto village.

- 20 minutes drive

Collodi

The exquisite Garzoni gardens with their unique renaissance water cascades and the recently restored Villa, are spectacular. Also in Collodi the Pinocchio theme park will keep the under 8's occupied for hours.

- 15 minutes drive

Garzoni Gardens

Cinque Terre

The Cinque Terre is an area of 18km of coastline with 5 beautifully preserved villages clinging to the cliffs. It is almost free of cars and is best reached by boat, train or on foot. The area is now a national park, and has been named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. There are great walks and many lovely restaurants in the ports.

- 80 minutes drive

Cinque Terre

Vellano

The ancient hilltop town perched on the hill above Podere Fiorito. There are stunning views and tiny winding streets to explore.

- 3 minutes drive

Pisa

Home of the famous "Torre Pendante" amongst many other interesting buildings and works of art.

- 50 minutes drive

San Gimignano

A town of amazing medieval towers and interesting cobbled streets full of shops and restaurants. The Manhatten of Tuscany, so named because of the medieval skyscrapers.

- 90 minutes drive

Maranello

The home of Ferrari - A whole town dedicated to the world of Ferrari. The factory where they are made, a museum of Ferraris from the early days to the Formula 1 cars of today, many Ferrari shops and the test track where the F1 cars are setup. A great place for all those who love sports cars.

- 120 minutes drive

Modena

A bustling city with a beautiful centre, full of well preserved buildings and interesting porticos. It has a reputation for great food and an amazing variety of shops. It is also world famous for its production of Balsamic vinegar !.

- 120 minutes drive

Here are a few more places to visit :

Montecarlo - Beautiful medieval hilltop village, hosts an annual wine festival- 10 minutes drive

Vinci - Birthplace of Leonardo - 40 minutes drive

Siena - An ancient city famed for its Palio horse race - 95 minutes drive

The Mediterranean Sea - 60 minutes drive to the long sandy beaches of Viareggio

Abetone - Winter Ski resort and Summer walking centre - 1 hours drive

Outlet Shopping - 80 minutes to the "Mall" - the largest collection of designer shops

Aquapark - The large water park at Cecina is about 90 minutes drive away

Activities

For those who would like other activities, the following are available around our area :

Cooking Courses

For those who would like to learn some of the secrets of Italian cuisine we are happy to recommend 1, 2 and 3 day Italian Cookery Courses, based at a Cookery school in Montecatini (about 20 minutes from the Podere Fiorito). Prices start from 180 Euros for a one day course. Please contact us for further details.

Walking / Trekking

There are numbers of marked tracks for all levels of walkers in the area, ranging from half day walks between the hill villages, to half hour walks along the river.

Cycling

The hills around Vellano are justly famous for their challenging slopes, and the top professionals from around europe practice here, including the UK team. Also in 2005 this area formed a part of the tour of Italy race. However for those looking for something more relaxing, the plains outside of Pescia provide many miles of gently undulating roads. Also there is bike hire available in the town of Lucca, which is a great way to explore the kilometers of ramparts around the town.

Horse Riding

There is an equestrian centre about 20 minutes away, which provides lessons and accompanied rides through the Tuscan countryside.

Bird watching / Wildlife

There is a great variety of bird and wild life around our valley. Owls and buzzards live in the woods around our land and there is a huge variety of small finches and other birds. The rare Italian eagle has been spotted again in the Apennines after many years of absence. We have also seen deer, badger and porcupines on the land, and you can sometimes hear the Cinghiale (wild boar) deep in the woods.

Skiing

In the winter, the resort of Abertone provides a variety of slopes for all abilities, and is only about 1 hours drive from us.

We hope this taster of the delights of our area will whet your appetite to explore this part of Tuscany further.

Where we are !

Podere Fiorito is located in the hills above the market town of Pescia. It is only 15 minutes drive to the A11 autostrada, which runs between Pisa and Florence. The town of Pescia is also on the rail line between Pisa and Florence, providing a convenient option for visiting the larger cities.

Travel Options

Nearest Airports :

Pisa Airport - 50 minutes

Florence Airport - 55 minutes

Airlines flying direct to Pisa and Florence :

Ryanair - ryanair.com

Easyjet - easyjet.com

Thomsonfly - thomsonfly.com

Jet2.com - jet2.com

British Airways - british-airways.com

Meridiana (Florence only) - meridiana.it

AlItalia - alitalia.com

Delta Airlines - Delta.com

Car Hire :

The following companies can offer you car hire from either Pisa or Florence airports :

SIXT - www.sixt.com

Holiday Autos - www.holidayautos.com

Avis - www.avis.com

Hertz - www.hertz.com

** Please note **

We would not recommend "People Carrier" vehicles for larger parties ( 5 or more) because when fully loaded with passengers and luggage they often have difficulty with the steeper tuscan hills. We would recommend Estate cars for larger parties, as most of our guests have found them very capable.