By Car

Out & About

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana is our local town, and 20 minutes by car. It is the main town in the locality and has everything required for daily living. Supermarkets, numerous restaurants and cafes, police station hospital and other services, swimming pool and sports area.

Barga

Further Information

A local town, at around 40 minutes from us, although we can just about see it from our property. It is one of the most well-known towns in the area and renowned for its connection with Scotland, due to many Barga residents emigrating to Scotland in the past. In the ensuing years many of them or their descendants have returned. In summer, a ‘Fish & Chip Festival’ is held. The Cathedral is set on top of a hill, with apparently all streets leading upwards.

Visited numerous times since 2005

Bagni di Lucca

More information here from Wikipedia

This town has been popular with the British since the days of the ‘Grand Tours’, and there is an Anglican cemetery. It is a pretty town flanked on both sides by mountains, the Lima river runs through. Famous for its thermal baths. We began our Tuscan house hunting from here, before moving up to Castelnuovo di Garfagnana.

Visited numerous times since 2003

Lucca

More information from Wikipedia

Walled Roman City and our Provincial city. A cultural centre about 50 minutes by car, train or bus.

Visited numerous times since 2004

Palazzi Reale

Royal Palaces in the vicinity of Lucca. (Approximately 1 hour distant)

Pinochio Park – Collodi

Approximately 1hr 30 mins distance

An Italian theme park, based on the story of ‘Pinocchio’. The author, Carlo Collodi, was born in Collodi, but the original story, was much darker, than that portrayed by the Disney film.

I am not a fan of ‘in your face’ British theme parks, so I was a little dubious about this day out, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is a gentle small scale park, with background information display, restaurant and shop, themed story line trail featuring some rather dated exhibits amongst the modern imaginative sculptures, and interactive activities.