Image via WikipediaThere’s plenty in Tuscany both for the connoisseur and for those who want to spend their holidays walking in Italy. Imagine a day of seeing the sites, sampling some wine and then taking an after-dinner walk. Italy is the perfect place to do it. Tuscany in particular is full of good food, wine, city culture, and countryside scenery perfect for walking holidays.
Wine and Walking in Italy
There’s more to the wine region of Tuscany than the much-coveted Brunello. The wine buffs would tell you that from the 1980’s Tuscany has been producing new wines called Super Tuscans that have found international popularity. It’s not uncommon to combine wine and walking in Italy into wine-tasting and walking holidays. The vineyards in Tuscany range from a small winery to a large producer in the grounds of a stately Castello, (a castle-like house) and walking here offers the chance to take in the views as you walk among grapes growing on the vines. Most vineyards are open to visitors and many arrange events or tours for groups.
Walk in Italy to Work Up an Appetite
Of course, nothing goes better with wine than food, and the Tuscan cuisine knows how to please. Some walking holiday packages offer the chance to try your hand at cooking delicacies as well as eating them. Such packages let you experience the Tuscan lifestyle in the kitchen as well as in the hills; the trouble is you’ll want to eat so much that afterwards you’ll find it hard to walk! Italy is proud and protective of its pasta, and Tuscany is no different. Each shape of pasta is said to be as individual as the region it comes from. One of Tuscany’s pastas is Pici, a hand-rolled pasta made from long solid fat tubes. After a day Walking in Italy’s hills, sit down to sample a local speciality meal such as rabbit stewed with olives, pasta with a local sauce, or perhaps artichoke pie.
The Tuscan Scenery
What will make that meal special though is the scenery. The towns of Tuscany are linked and surrounded by the gentle green slopes and pretty valleys of the countryside. Walkers can enjoy the mountain paths, some of which are strenuous enough for more serious hiking. Italy is big on cycling too, so you’ll hear the spokes spinning along the rolling hillside roads. The Tuscan landscape has something for its summer vacationers, too, with the sea coast and islands.
Walking in Italy’s Artistic Cities
This scenery has inspired generations of Italian artists to produce an enviable collection of art. Tuscany contains the magnificent cities of Florence, Siena and Pisa, which are filled with eye-catching architecture, famous galleries and sculpture. The best way to take it all in is to walk. Italy is a nation so rich with renaissance art that six of Tuscany’s cities have been made UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Why not take a sightseeing walk at Italy’s famous icons such as the leaning Tower of Pisa and the black and white Santa Maria Assunta Cathedral at Siena?
In true Renaissance style, there’s no reason why you can’t combine all the specialities of Tuscany into one, with the popular package walking Holidays in Italy. A hiking, drinking, eating, and inspiring walk in Italy is waiting for you.
Tags: Holidays, Italy, Taste, Tuscany, Walking
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