Tour toscana, Carnival in Viareggio/Tuscany - February

The coast from near Pisa north to the Ligurian border is a strip of attractive beach resorts, the Riviera della Versilia and Viareggio is the large resort, with a well-heeled clientele.

The Carnival of Viareggio was established in 1873 by inventing a procession of decorated floats which travelled up and down the main street of the city. Also at current time it consist in masked parades characterized by allegorical floats in papermache. These floats are true works of art to which the local float makers dedicate an entire year of workmanship. There is no one politician, entertainer, or intellectual that has not been a target (protagonist) of one of these floats which almost comes to life during the parade by the moving arms, opening and closing mouths and rolling eyes. On every float young people and children find a place from which to throw shooting stars to the crowd. Masqueraders and majorettes follo a suggestive choreography. All partecipants, from musicians to sound-effects men, dress in gaudy, brightly colored and altogether unforgettable costumes. During the entire period masked balls and parties in the various districts are organized as well as numerous sports and cultural events

ITINERARY

1 Day:
Arrival on the Versilia coast. Accommodation in hotel. Dinner and overnight

2 Day:
Breakfast. Full day excursion to Florence, where you can admire the numerous monuments of the medieval and renaissance periods. Guided city tour in the morning then time at your disposal. Return to the hotel. Dinner and overnight.

3 Day:
Breakfast. In the morning visit of Pisa.The major tourist attraction in Pisa is of course the leaning Tower along with the Baptistery and the Camposanto, all of them built between the XI and the XII century.
In the afternoon, you can enjoy the parade of beautiful carnival floats in Viareggio. Dinner and overnight.

4 Day:
Breakfast. Home journey. .

OPTIONAL VISITS / EXCURSIONS

Vinci & Torre del Lago
Occupying the picturesque vine-and olive-planted southern slopes of Montalbano, Vinci is inextricably associated with Leonardo da Vinci, who was born here on 1452. The main sight is the thirteenth-century castle, now home of the Museum, packed with models reconstructed from Leonardo'n notebook drawings - his celebrated bicycle, helicopter and multi-barrelled machine-gun are all on display.

Elba Island
The sea, the beaches, the green of the countryside, the small fortress towns, archaeological treasures, chestnut woods and more, continue to exist for what seems like an eternity. Elba gives the sensation of so much in so little as in the small spaces of the island we travel over tourist attractions and natural landscapes of such contrast; areas dried out by sun and wind, others green with life, sandy or pebble stone beaches, rocky coastlines and cliffs. Napoleone would have had to consider him fortunate to have been exiled in such an attractive place!

Lucca
It is a delightful place simply to wander at random, with much of the centre free from traffic.It set inside a ring of Renaissance walls fronted by gardens and huge bastions.

Cinque Terre
The stupendous folder coastline of the Cinque Terre (Five Lands) streches berween the pleasant beach resort of Levanto and the major port of La Spezia. The area is named for fine tiny villages - Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore - wedged into a series of coves between sheer cliffs, their comparative remoteness and the dramatic nature of their position on a stunning coastline, make them the principal scenic highlight of this part of the Riviera. A must is the twenty-minute walk on the Via dell'Amore (Lovers' Path) above the waves past lemon trees in every backyards.

Siena
In Siena the Piazza del Campo is a beautiful square in the heart of the city, where each year rival neighborhoods complete in the "Palio", the horserace around its perimeter. The province of Siena is famous for its great wines, such as Chianti and Brunello that yoy can taste also in the villages of Montepulciano, and San Gimignano, with its famous towers and turreted houses.