No poem was ever written by a drinker of water– Horace, the great Roman poet. On this blog, we’d like to showcase places that personally are quite special to us, including the fantastic winery in Tuscany Castello d’Albola, located just north of Radda in Chianti. Not only is their wine a personal favorite (we like the Acciaiolo), it is located in one of the best wine regions in Tuscany, a place with a long history…
Secret Gardens in Florence Imagine being immersed in the center of Florence, in the largest privately owned garden in Europe, situated within city boundaries. One of the secret gardens in Florence that you can find it between Via del Campuccio, Via de ‘Serragli and the stretch of wall that runs along the Viale Francesco Petrarca. Rife with masonic symbology with an esoteric feel, the neo-gothic tower with a stone-spiral staircase is the most visible symbol of this hidden…
2021 Retreat – Sailing in Tuscany Venus is the Goddess of love and beauty and has been the favorite subject of artwork and legend since ancient times. Legend tells of her loss of a necklace as she emerges from the waters of the Tyrrhenian Sea. The pearls of the necklace scatter and form the seven islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. Today, we know these islands as Capraia, Elba, Giannutri, Giglio, Gorgona, Montecristo, and Pianosa. For…
Wellness & Yoga Retreats in Tuscany, Italy. In 2017 TuscanDream launched Wellness & Yoga Retreats in its Tuscan villas! The first one took place in a beautiful 5 bedroom villa with heated pool located in the Val d’Ambra region, called Molino del Chianti. The property sits at the foot of the Chianti hills, nearby a small medieval village, in an enchanting Tuscan landscape surrounded by vineyards, olive groves and oak woods. The retreats was focused on…
If you close your eyes and picture Italy like it is often depicted in the movies, you might see a peaceful place with rolling hills, quaint farmhouses and charming villages dotting the landscape. All this and even more describes of our favorite areas of the country, the scenic and fertile Val di Chiana (Valdichiana) valley, located in the southern Tuscany. It is also quite well-known for its excellent food, wine and extremely charming towns that…
You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food. – Paul Prudhomme In Tuscany, there is a maxim that in order to eat well, you must head straight to the (natural) source. Our cuisine is part of our heritage and when it comes to food, Italians are acutely attuned to what is fresh and in season. If you use the freshest ingredients you don’t have to make things complex – you can enjoy them…
There is exciting news for art lovers planning on visiting Florence this winter! We highly recommend that you visit the fascinating Palazzo Vecchio museum located in Florence’s magnificent Town Hall and see an exhibit before it closes in mid-February. For the first time in over one hundred years, the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, a spectacular set of twenty tapestries depicting the stories of the Biblical patriarch Joseph have been reunited and put on display. These…
Let’s face it, even for those of us who live in Tuscany, one of the most beautiful places in the world there is stress – and sometimes we all need to relax and reset our mind and body. One of the best ways to let out all the tension and clean the mind is yoga – and no matter which discipline of yoga you want to practice you will find it here. We are passionate…
The best part of life in Tuscany is discovering just how dynamic this central Italian region really is – it continues to amaze me, even after years of living here. Tuscany encompasses a beautiful and diverse natural landscape with numerous UNESCO World Heritage sights. Many travelers are only aware of the Renaissance cities of Siena and Florence, but my personal favorites are the smaller towns where time seems trapped in a bygone era. Imagine tiny cobble-stoned…
December is one of the best months to be in Italy, not only is it less saturated with people crowding the town centers in the height of the summer season – it also means the welcome arrival of the Christmas markets. In every major town around the country, streets exuberantly light up, adorned with lights and folly while markets dedicated to the holiday season open up to sell locally-made goods and plenty of hot, mulled…
