Tuscany Holidays 2012, 2013

The rolling landscapes of Tuscany shelter some of Italy's most beautiful cities, finest works of art and wonderful fortified villages as well as some of the country's most exceptional wines and culinary traditions. Its natural beauties are outstanding, with mountains of marble dropping down to a rolling countryside, topped by elegant cypress trees, quilted with vineyards and olive groves and fringed by beaches of golden sand. Overlaying this natural beauty is more than 2,000 years of history.

Lucca with its 16th Century ramparts protecting an historic centre filled with churches, shops and a vast amphitheatre, has some of Italy's finest beaches within half an hour's drive. Set around the Arno River, Florence epitomises Tuscany's greatest artistic achievements. Chianti is perhaps the most beautiful rural region, nature tamed by centuries of farming, picture-perfect images of sun-drenched landscapes where every ear of corn seems to have been combed into place. The ancient walled city-state of Montalcino is especially famous for its Brunello grapes, key to the region's fine and valuable wines.Beautifully positioned close to all of Tuscany's richest Renaissance cities, Cortona is a charming town, with a medieval centre threading labyrinthine around more recent Renaissance palaces.The coastal area around Grosetto is worth a visit and a day trip to the Isola d'Elba where Napoleon was exiled is within easy reach.