Hotel Ercolini e Savi is conveniently located right in the centre of Montecatini Terme. The train station is just beside us and from there it’s a short journey to some of Tuscany’s most beautiful places, including Florence, Pisa, Lucca and the sea at Versilia and Forte dei Marmi. A little further away, and best visited by car, is Chianti, with its world-renowned vineyards and farmhouses, and charming towns of Siena, San Gimignano and Monteriggioni.
The beautiful hills of the Chianti region (or Chiantishire) are famous for their precious vineyards which each year produce some of the finest wines in the world, with cuisine to match. This part of Tuscany is also full of scenic and artistic treasures. Greve in Chianti has a charming town centre with galleries and proudly displays a statue of the Gallo Nero (black rooster), symbol of Chianti Classico.
The suggestive route of Via Chiantigiana leads you to the towns of Panzano, the romantic Pieve di San Leonino, ancient fortifications like Lamole Castle and Volpaia, and further on to the small hilltop town of Radda in Chianti, immersed in vines and olives. You can continue on to the ancient fortress of Castellina in Chianti and the medieval Monteriggioni with its 14 towers.
Home of the Palio, the unique, world-famous horse race, Siena has, like its historic rival Florence, seen its fair share of Renaissance splendour. But it’s the city’s Gothic masterpieces that stand out, like the Palazzo Pubblico with its Torre del Mangia in the Piazza del Campo – one of the most extraordinary public spaces in Italy.
Siena’s beautiful Duomo is a Renaissance masterwork endowed with priceless art and architectural works, like Donatello’s Saint John the Baptist or, in the Baptistry, Ghiberti’s Arrest of John the Baptist and Dontaello's Banquet of Herod. Also worth a visit are the State Archives and the Pinacoteca Nazionale.
The area around Siena is of course a magnet for lovers of food and wine. As well as sipping on Brunello, Chianti and Vernaccia di San Gimignano, you should taste some local specialities like ribollita and panzanella and the wonderful Sienese fruit cake, panforte.
The chicest spot along the Tuscan coast, Forte dei Marmi is just 60 km from Montecatini and is named after the fort itself, which is from the 17th century, era of the Grand Dukes, and the marble blocks which for centuries have been exported from here. Stroll along the car-free streets of this elegant town at the feet of the Apuan Alps and enjoy some fine boutiques with top names, and the Wednesday market, the landmark mercato del Forte.
The town’s glamorous nightlife is nicely balanced by romantic walks to the pier, offering fabulous views along the coast. The beaches at Forte dei Marmi go on for miles and just metres from the shallow, crystalline water you’ll find no shortage of top-quality fish restaurants and A-list bars.
Just 30 minutes from the Hotel Ercolini e Savi, this “city of 100 churches” is enclosed by a 4km-long, intact 16th century wall which also affords panoramic bike and walking paths. Highlights in the city include the magnificent Piazza dell’Anfiteatro and the Cathedral of San Martino, or Duomo, and the Basilica of San Frediano. The main shopping street, Fillungo, is a lively mix of boutique and craft shops; don’t forget to taste local specialty, the fruit bread buccellato.
The most famous walls in Tuscany enclose a number of excellent festivals each year, including international musical names at the Lucca Summer Festival, and the world-famous comic and graphic festival Lucca Comics and Games.
It takes just over an hour by train from Montecatini to get to the world’s most famous leaning tower, in Pisa. This is where Galileo Galilei did some of his most important experiments. The whole area around the tower is appropriately called the Field of Miracles and the other parts are well worth visiting: the Duomo, Baptistry and Composanto Monumentale cemetery. Traditionally claimed to have been founded by Trojans, Pisa is also home to one of the oldest, and most prestitigious universities in the world.
This ancient maritime republic was once a rival to Vencie and Genoa and this past is reflected in the grand Grand Duke-era palaces along the Arno. Yet Pisa is also a vibrant, modern city: don’t miss the sculpture outside the station by Arnaldo Pomodoro or one of Keith Haring’s final works, the mural Tuttomondo on the wall of the monastery of Sant’Antonio.
Tuscany is of course the home of masterpieces of architecture and Renaissance art and more. Your tour of our region can only start in Florence, only 50 km from Hotel Ercolini and Savi. Easily reached by train, you’ll come first to Santa Maria Novella, right in the centre, and across from the church of the same name whose majestic façade was built by Leon Battista Alberti. Visit the Duomo and Baptistery and it’s worth the effort to walk to the top of Brunelleschi’s monumental dome and any photos you take from the top are gauranteed to impress your friends. Sit and enjoy an aperitivo at a table at one of the many elegant bars on the lively Piazza della Repubblica.
From the fantastic main square of Piazza della Signoria you can spot the entrance to the Uffizi Gallery, home to many great masterpieces of world art. From the top floors you can capture some wonderful views of the river and of the historic goldsmiths shops along the iconic Ponte Vecchio - the only bridge in Florence spared Nazi bombing by Hitler's himself. The Pitti Palace with its elegant Boboli Gardens and the area around Borgo San Frediano are one easy way to leave Florence's centre and walk up to Piazzale Michelangelo, or else head up to Fiesole, a hill worth visiting just to enjoy the amazing views back down over the city.
What our guests say…
Excellent location, close to the main street of Montecatini Terme.
Barbara – Booking.com
