Top 10 cities in Tuscany

Tuscany, Italy's heartland, is home to a diverse range of fascinating cities and towns, many of which have retained a strong sense of their historical past despite their modern appearance. Tuscany is located in the boot-shaped country's central-western region and covers approximately 23,000 square kilometres. Due to its extensive wine production, Tuscany offers many adventures for every type of visitor. Not to mention that the Tuscan capital is Florence, one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in Europe.

Siena is Tuscany's second-largest city, with plenty to see and do for even the most discerning of visitors. The historic city centre of Siena is a UNESCO world heritage site. The best time to visit is in the spring or fall when the weather isn't too hot or too cold, but the light is good and the weather is good enough to enjoy the medieval city. Once in the city, there are numerous activities to enjoy, and in addition to a fantastic Italian food scene, Siena has much to offer to culture and history enthusiasts. While the Piazza del Campo is the city's main square, surrounded by everything else, the Duomo di Siena (Siena's Cathedral) is one of the most beautiful in all of Italy.

We recommend staying in Camping Le Soline. It is located in Tuscany, in the province of Siena, near the village of Casciano, and is a quiet, pet-friendly campsite, ideal for both relaxing and active holidays in nature. It is a campsite in the heart of Tuscany, an Italian region rich in art, folklore, history, and gastronomy. It is the ideal base for visiting important cities such as Florence, Siena, Grosseto, and Arezzo.

Cortona, a hilltop Tuscany town with a history dating back to the Etruscans and possibly further, can be found in the province of Arezzo and is well worth visiting over the course of a day or two, provided you have the time.

Apart from wandering around the medieval town, one of the best things to do in Cortona is to visit the Etruscan Academy Museum (Accademia Etrusca), which displays collections of ceramic, bronze, and funerary artefacts from Cortona's Etruscan past. The museum also includes an archaeological park with ruins of Roman roads and former city fortifications. To get the most out of Cortona, you should book a place to stay overnight so you can fully take in the town's atmosphere.

We recommend staying in Camping Village Badiaccia. The child-friendly, lively Badiaccia camping is located on the shores of Lake Trasimeno and offers excellent facilities. There is a swimming pool, a private beach on the lake and there are many sports options on land and on the water. Camping is suitable for families and also for young people! Small luxury campsite on a 5.5-hectare site. right on the water. 

Volterra, a hidden gem located a little off the beaten tourist track but well worth a visit, will delight medieval architecture enthusiasts. Volterra is a small town located just a few hours from San Gimignano. The best of Volterra can be seen in a single afternoon. Some of the best things to do in Volterra include admiring the town walls, which include a half-dozen gates allowing entry and exit from the city. The Palazzo dei Priori is in the centre of the Tuscan town. It has a bell tower with great views of the town and the countryside, as well as frescoes from the Middle Ages that are hundreds of years old. Volterra's other highlights include visiting the Duomo (cathedral) and baptistry, as well as delving deeper into the past and learning about Roman history. After all, Volterra is home to the ruins of a magnificent Roman theatre, and the town has been continuously inhabited since at least the 8th century BCE.

We recommend staying in Campeggio Il Boschetto Di Piemma. It is located on the Via Francigena, the famous road that goes from Canterbury to Rome. It is surrounded by numerous biking and hiking trails going through the most scenic and breathtaking landscapes in the heart of Tuscany. The camping village promises an endless combination of tranquillity, entertainment and a fantastic location. It is situated just a stone’s throw away from the town of San Gimignano, also called the Manhattan of the Middle Ages.

Though smaller and less well-known than some of the other Tuscany towns listed here, San Gimignano has the kind of charm that is difficult to find in today's world, making it one of the most beautiful places to visit in the region.

The town is best known for its fourteen well-preserved medieval turrets that rise high above the town's landscape and date back to the Middle Ages. While the entire town of San Gimignano is surrounded by 13th-century walls, other activities include admiring the centrally located Piazza Della Cisterna and visiting the local market, which is open every Thursday. A trip up the Torre Grossa is a must for anyone who wants a bird's-eye view of San Gimignano. From the top, you can see the rooftops of this town in Tuscany and look out at the rolling hills beyond the city limits.

The structure, which dates back to the 12th century, is the only one open to the public. San Gimignano is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful towns in Tuscany!

Collodi is best known for being the birthplace of Carlo Lorenzini, the author of Pinocchio, who used the town's name as his pen name. The town paid tribute to the author by constructing Pinocchio Park, a theme park dedicated to the wooden puppet, but visitors will likely find it a little tired and in need of some TLC these days. Pinocchio memorabilia is sold at stalls throughout the park. On the other hand, Collodi, on the other hand, is a good example of medieval architecture, dominated by its two main buildings – the Rocca Antica castle and the Villa Garzoni residence, which has delightful landscaped gardens and a butterfly garden.

We recommend staying in Camping Barco Reale. The campsite is located in the centre of Tuscany, among the picturesque hills. The campsite is very close to famous Tuscan cities like Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Pistoia - it is an ideal place for exploring Tuscany, its diverse natural landscape - the cypress trees, valleys and hills that offer amazing views. It is the 4-star family-friendly campsite where you and your family will find both entertainment and relaxation.

Barga is a beautiful hilltop stopping point near Lucca and another of Tuscany's 'borghi piu belli d'Italia' villages. Giovanni Pascoli, a famous Italian poet, was the most famous resident of Barga. Visitors can learn more about him by visiting Casa Pascoli in Castelvecchio Garfagnana, which is located near the town. This is where Pascoli lived for 17 years, but it is now home to a museum dedicated to him. Some of his work, as well as his furniture, can be found here. Several buildings in Barga are also linked to Pascoli. The Teatro dei Differenti (Theatre of the Deviant) was where Pascoli delivered his famous speech in support of the war in Libya in 1911.

Barga is also home to the Collegiata di San Cristoforo, one of Tuscany's finest Romanesque cathedrals, as well as a number of ancient frescoes and sculptures. There are also several beautiful palaces here, including the Palazzo Balduini, Palazzo Angeli, Palazzo Pancrazi, and Palazzo Podesta.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is a major tourist attraction in Tuscany. Despite having seen hundreds of postcards featuring the famous "bent" monument, nothing can prepare you for the actual sight. The tower is a magnificent architectural work that defies gravity. Furthermore, it is located in a square so magnificent that it could not have a more fitting name: the Square of Miracles ("Piazza dei Miracoli"). The magnificent cathedral complex in the square is Pisa's absolute highlight, with a big wow factor. However, while you're in town, take a stroll through the centre and along the Arno River to discover other surprises that this welcoming city has in store for you.

We recommend staying in Camping St. Michael. In a protected oasis of the Migliarino, San Rossore, Massaciuccoli Regional Park in complete peace and quiet, surrounded by nature, under the shade of hundreds of trees of various species just a few steps from the sea. The Camping Village has a lovely swimming pool and is located in the middle of Tuscany about 14 km from the Leaning Tower of Pisa and about 10 km from the Port of Livorno near the town of Marina di Pisa and Tirrenia (2.5 km).

Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance and a tourist magnet, is one of a kind. It's a town with more history than you can shake a stick at, with narrow winding roads, fabulous frescoed churches, and bustling squares. For art lovers, there's Michelangelo's David and the world-famous Uffizi Gallery. There's also plenty for shoppers to enjoy, from vibrant markets to the ultra-chic Via Tornabuoni.

Florence's historic centre attracts millions of tourists each year and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1982. Florence is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and it's artistic, historical, and cultural heritage, as well as its global impact, endure. The city has made significant contributions to music, architecture, education, cuisine, fashion, philosophy, science, and religion. Elegant squares (piazzas), Renaissance palaces (palazzi), academies, parks, gardens, churches, monasteries, museums, art galleries, and ateliers can be found in Florence's historic centre. According to a 2007 study, the city has also been named the most desirable tourist destination in the world. The city is home to numerous art collections, particularly those housed in the Pitti Palace and the Uffizi (which receives about 1.6 million tourists a year). Florence is widely regarded as the art capital of Italy and is arguably the world's last intact Renaissance city. Many historical figures, including Dante, Boccaccio, Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Niccol Machiavelli, Brunelleschi, Michelangelo, Donatello, Galileo Galilei, Catherine de' Medici, Luigi Cherubini, Antonio Meucci, Guccio Gucci, Franco Zeffirelli, Salvatore Ferragamo, Roberto Cavalli, and Emilio Pucci, were born or chose to live there.

We recommend staying in hu Firenze Camping in Town. The campsite is located along the Arno River, a stone's throw from the centre of one of the most beautiful art cities in the world: Florence. After a long day in museum galleries and medieval alleys, you can relax in the restaurant or bar or take a dip in the pool. The animation team provides various activities for all ages.

Carrara is a city built entirely of marble. It offers visitors a marble-paved square, a marble-clad cathedral, and plenty of sculptures to remind them that marble has been sustaining and shaping this territory since Roman times. It's off the beaten path and, while not particularly attractive, is ideal if you're looking for a quiet, almost forgotten town in Tuscany. So, what attracts people here? The solution: a trip to the marble quarries.

This is one of the most intriguing activities in Tuscany. An adventure that takes you deep into the Apuan Alps, to the locations where Michelangelo would have gotten his marble. The town at the heart of the marble trade has one significant highlight worth visiting.

We recommend staying in Parco Vacanze Iron Gate Marina which is situated just three kilometres from the small yet very beautiful medieval city of Sarzana, precisely on the border between Tuscany and Liguria. The resort facilities are two kilometres from the sea and from the beaches at Marina di Massa, Marina di Carrara, Marinella, Fiumaretta and Bocca di Magra. 

Pistoia is off the main tourist trail in Tuscany, which is a blessing in disguise. It's a relaxed atmosphere with more locals than tourists, making sightseeing a much more peaceful experience. A day is enough to see the main attractions, but you may want to stay longer to visit the lively market or explore the churches. Visit the Romanesque Church of Sant'Andrea for more religious beauty. It has an interesting 12th-century facade and a masterful marble pulpit by Giovanni Pisano on the inside. (If you've been to Pisa, you've probably seen another of his pulpits in the cathedral.) The Church of San Giovanni Fuoricivitas has a densely striped facade and a Romanesque pulpit by Fra' Guglielmo, Nicola Pisano's oldest employee. Another church that draws a lot of attention is the Church of San Francesco, which has some Giotto-inspired frescoes from the 14th century.

We recommend staying in Camping Barco Reale. The campsite is located in the centre of Tuscany, among the picturesque hills. It is very close to famous Tuscan cities like Florence, Pisa, Lucca and Pistoia - it is an ideal place for exploring Tuscany, its diverse natural landscape - the cypress trees, valleys and hills that offer amazing views.