2009 - 2010 Lucca and Tuscany's Northwest Coast

Lucca, with its monumental tree-lined walls and serene ambience has long been STRADA PRIVATA'S favorite Tuscan "home." Located in central northwest Toscany, Lucca is an hour or less from Firenze, and twenty minutes from the glamorous Versilian sea coast. All the major autostradas are easily accessible from town.

Come and enjoy the quiet sophistication of the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini. Browse and shop in the high fashion boutiques. Relax with an aperitivo in the cool of Antico Caffe di Simo, since 1846 a favorite Lucca haven for writers and musicians. As evening falls it's time to dine out in one of Lucca's elegant restaurants or in a cozy family trattoria.

Life is graceful and easy as you stroll or bicycle in town or along the pathways atop Luccas wide walls. Cars are not allowed inside the city walls. There is a serene quiet in her streets which lead you to Lucca's famed churches, rich in Renaissance art and sculpture.

Every day, leaving your restful countryside inn or your villa, you go out on your chosen excursions to the mountains, or perhaps Firenze for the day.

A few of our suggested day trips:

~ Carrara marble quarries and Punta Bianca Take an exhilarating trip up to the highest quarries: Monte Altiissimo, where the fine white statuary marble is found. Your expert guide is a noted Italian sculptor who will show you the fascinating story of marble. You will come down the mountain to the resort marina of Boca di Magra for a seafood lunch. After lunch a little boat takes you out to Punta Bianca where you can sun and swim in the cool blue grottos.

~ Pietrasanta. Visit an international sculpture center since the time of Michelangelo. You will go into the working studios of international sculptors working in marble and bronze. The artisan shops send their hand-carved work all over the world. The bronze founderies will give you a close-up view of the 5,000 year old lost wax process used to cast in bronze and precious metals. You can have a stylish seafood lunch in an open air restaurant on the Versilian shore.

~ Montecatini. Indulgent yourself in the modern spa treatments in this ancient Roman spa town. Enjoy the wellness and beauty center. As you make your way up Montecatini's grand alle, you will pass the great hotels of the previous century. Lunch is in Montecatini Alto, high above the town.

~ Arezzo and San Sepulcro. Come to Italy's best antiques market, in Arezzo's Piazza Grande. Follow the trail of the fourteenth-century painter, Piero Della Francesca around Arezzo and into the little known San Sepulcro. On the way back the most romantic and stylish restaurant, Locanda dell'Amorosa, can be your hilltop dining stop.

Come travel the private way with Strada Privata.
See the Tuscany you want to see.