The ancient peaks of Italy’s Dolomites are dramatic silver-grey canvases for the elements, reflecting the ever-changing hues of the skies. Come winter, fresh powder dusts the UNESCO World Heritage-listed mountain range and the area becomes a sprawling playground for snow-lovers. Encompassing 12 diverse ski resorts and over 745 miles of pistes, the Dolomiti Superski area enables visitors to combine picturesque skiing with the rich cultural heritage of South Tyrol, Trentino and Veneto.
The 7 best day trips from Florence
24.10.2023 - 18:01 / lonelyplanet.com / Art
Branching out from the red cupola of the Duomo, the stone-built alleys of Florence’s historic core connect some of the world’s most precious examples of Renaissance art and architecture.
It’s easy to see why millions visit the UNESCO-inscribed capital of Tuscany every year. This walkable city of fewer than 400,000 people has been a European center of culture since the Middle Ages and much of its heritage has survived intact to this day. Florence’s global fame, however, has long overshadowed the many sights in its surroundings, keeping tourists concentrated in and around a limited number of well-known destinations.
Heavily publicized attractions such as the Uffizi museum, Michelangelo’s David inside the Galleria dell’Accademia and the 14th-century Ponte Vecchio tend to grab all the attention. But you shouldn't spend all your time in Tuscany standing in line for fear of missing out. Many surprising and often neglected towns await beyond Florence’s borders.
Here are seven of the best day trips from Florence to escape the crowds, nearly all of which is reachable on public transport.
Travel time: 85 minutes by train
Enclosed within 12m-high defensive walls, historic Lucca is one of Tuscany’s most charming medieval centers. Lucca grew out of its privileged position on the Via Francigena pilgrim route and is known as the city of 100 churches. The greatest of them all is the Romanesque Cattedrale di San Martino, where you’ll find Italy’s oldest wood carving, the Volto Santo crucifix. The cathedral is located a short distance from the Piazza dell’Anfiteatro, the elliptical square built on a former Roman amphitheater and lined with restaurant terraces and aperitivo spots.
Lucca isn’t just historic sights though. From spring and throughout the summer many festivals take place within the city’s grass-covered walls, peaking with the Lucca Summer Festival that fills the cobbled alleys with the music of international artists every July.
How to get to Lucca from Florence
Hourly trains depart from Florence’s Santa Maria Novella station, taking you right by the gate of Porta San Pietro that leads into the inner city in about 1½ hours.
Travel time: 95 minutes by train
Italy’s fourth-largest lake sits just outside Tuscany’s borders, in the province of Perugia, and is surrounded by green hills and sleepy towns. From Castiglione del Lago, the main settlement in the Trasimeno area, you can rent a bike (or e-bike) at Cicli Valentini and join the 60km bike path that loops around the lake and through quaint hamlets, olive groves and Umbrian farmhouses.
Between April and September, you can cut the trip short by taking the ferry that runs from Passignano back to Castiglione del Lago via Isola Maggiore, one of the lake’s three islands,
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