Christmas and New Year vacations in Tuscany

Each year, Florence turns on the magic with Florence Lights Up. From December 7, Ponte Vecchio is the protagonist of spectacular projection mapping that transforms its facades into an explosion of shapes, colors and volumes. Likewise, the facades of Palazzo Vecchio are illuminated, along with those of Piazza Santa Maria Novella and the Giardino Mediceo in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi.

Also scheduled is the return of the Florence Ice Village in the Cascine Park. In Piazza Vittorio Veneto, you can have fun in the ice-skating rink and take in the views of the city from the spectacular ferris wheel rising up 180 feet (55 meters).

Classical music lovers can delight in the performances of the Orchestra della Toscana, with concerts and operas in various locations, along with the traditional Christmas Concert held from December 18–24 in a different city each night, starting with Cortona and ending with Florence on Christmas Eve.

In Arezzo, projection mapping and illuminations unite every street in the historic center, bringing the lights of Christmas throughout the city and offering a novel reading of the architecture, alleyways and piazzas.

In Lucca, plays of light redesign the historic buildings and churches of the historical town center. Projections, moving images and art installations light up Piazza Anfiteatro, Piazza San Michele, Palazzo Ducale and many other corners of downtown.

The facades of the main buildings in Pistoia’s Piazza Duomo are also well adorned. The Christmas projection mapping is scheduled until January 6 (the official end of the Christmas period in Italy), switching on at 5:00 pm each day.

Sports and mountain lovers will find plenty of ideas for fun in Tuscany!
Ski slopes at high-altitude in Abetone, Zum Zeri, Garfagnana and Amiata are bolstered by a bevy of other engaging activities for the whole family, such as snowshoeing in the whitened woods.
In Lunigiana, from the Apennine passes easily reached by car, are many routes for both experienced winter walkers and first-time snow trekkers. Amiata likewise offers routes of all types and difficulty to discover the snowy face of Europe’s largest beech forest.

With prestigious locations and natural pools, Tuscany is a true spa paradise. 

From the historic territory of Lunigiana, with its caves and springs rich in minerals, to the waterfalls of the Cascate del Mulino in Maremma, Tuscany’s healing waters also flow amidst the iconic hills, gullies and forests in Valdichiana, Val d’Orcia and Terre di Siena, all the way to Versilia and the Etruscan Coast.

These springs have been frequented since antiquity, including by some illustrious characters. Poets such as Byron and Shelley and musicians like Paganini and Puccini have bathed in the Bagni di Lucca, while Pope Pius II Piccolomini, Saint Catherine of Siena and Lorenzo the Magnificent are known to have visited Bagno Vignoni.

Today, Tuscany boasts some 30 establishments dedicated to wellness—not only for health but also beauty treatments and sensory pathways in dreamy landscapes.

Don’t skip the charming Christmas markets in Tuscany’s piazzas where you can buy gifts, sip mulled wine and even meet Santa Claus!

In Montepulciano, also until January 6, there is the Villaggio di Natale, with a Christmas market held in the magical setting of Piazza Grande and along the adjacent streets.

Piazza Santa Croce in Florence hosts the traditional Weihnachtsmarkt, the Christmas market with over 50 stalls in quaint wooden cottages peddling arts, crafts and foods from all over Europe.

But to end the year on a sweet note and sprinkle your holidays with a dusting of powdered sugar, nothing beats a traditional Christmas dessert!