Apuan Riviera

Sandy beaches not far from the slopes of the Apuan Alps and majestic marble mountains: this is the enchanting stretch of a coast perfect for endless days of relaxing at the seaside and incredible excursions in the hills.

This beautiful, sandy riviera, 20 km long, is equipped with luxury beach resorts offering opportunities for trying your hand at classic water sports, like sailing and windsurfing.

The area’s typical cuisine is equally abundant, from tasty soups with freshly-caught fish to Colonnata lard, a legendary dish in this region, best paired with a glass of Candia or a Vermentino. This is the Apuan Coast, boasting a thousand different sides and unique characteristics that make your stay unparalleled and unforgettable.

Carrara is known all over the world for its marble, the stone that’s always attracted artists from all corners of the earth. Its Marina, thanks to the famous Sailing Club, has been a hotbed of champions that have stood out in regattas raced around the world, like Luca Santella, the Chieffi brothers and Paolo Bottari. The urban architecture in Piazza Menconi is particularly beautiful, paved completely in marble and enhanced with a splendid fountain.

Massa is an ancient town in which the medieval atmosphere is still present. For those who wish to admire it from a vantage point, the Malaspina Castle is an unmissable stop.

Marina di Massa, famous even in the early 1900s, became home to a few noble villas built in the Liberty style. Some of the most important of these include Villa Corsi, Villa Doria and Villa Franca. Piazza Bad Kissingen offers the beautiful marble monument Le Vele, based on a drawing by Pietro Castagna.

Montignoso, is today the favourite destination of choice for those who love relaxing vacations thanks to its thermal baths, but it’s always been beloved by famous figures and artists from every era, like Enrico Pea and Gabriele D’Annunzio, and painters Carlo Carrà and Mino Maccari, who lived here and were inspired by the landscape. The characteristic port, which can house more than 200 boats, gifts visitors with a stunning view of the Apuan Alps. The nearby boardwalk is where visitors can find a monument dedicated to the Gothic Line, in memory of the bloody battles of the Second World War.

Following the Versilia River, visitors will find the Porta Lake Nature Reserve, a highly-important coastal wetland managed by the WWF and Legambiente.

Ronchi and Poveromo are home to noble villas that dot the territory, surrounded by vast pine groves, as well as boarding houses that were once beloved by elite tourists.