Tuscany is known for its rolling hills. Locanda al Colle, a charming boutique hotel with art, heart and personality, is located on one of them. The activities that host Riccardo has organised for guests in cooperation with local providers are just as varied and creative as the furnishings. The white marble, Tuscan wine, medieval villages or how to become a sculpture yourself – there is plenty to experience. Andiamo!
Carrara marble
The Locanda al Colle is just a stone’s throw away from the famous marble quarries of Carrara. If you would like to take a closer look at how the white gold is extracted, you can go on a tour with Swiss sculptor Maja Thommen. Those looking for an even more Michelango feeling can also carve a piece of marble.
Body sculpting
What sounds like a fitness programme is actually an art project. Numerous stonemasons, sculptors and artists work in Pietrasanta, a small town near the Locanda al Colle. Paola Michela Mineo‘s studio is also located here. In her workshop, participants become works of art themselves in an almost ritualistic performance with plaster casts.
Trekking in the Apuan Alps
But now it’s really about physical fitness. The tours through the Apuan Alps are a favourite to-do among guests. “Marble, Sea and Mule Trails” is the title of a book that summarises the varied landscape. A guide organised by the hotel takes beginners and advanced hikers to unspoilt places and mountain peaks with breathtaking views.
Drawing workshop
Selfies or portraits are taken quickly. But instead of a mobile phone you could also reach for a pen! In her studio in the centre of Camaiore artist Alessandra Pagliuca offers drawing workshops where she teaches participants how to create portraits with light and dark shading.
Wine tasting
The neatly arranged rows of vines cover the picturesque Tuscan hills surrounding the Locanda al Colle. Just as famous as the vines is the product made from the grapes: the wine! To experience both, the landscape and the fine wines, tours are organised along the famous wine route of the hills of Lucca and Montecarlo. Walks through charming villages, visits to wineries and tastings of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon are almost a must here.
Boat trips
You can already see the sea from the Locanda al Colle. It is therefore a good idea to explore the surrounding area by boat. Whether by catamaran or private yacht, depending on the destination, you can head to the Gulf of Poets in Portovenere or go in search of dolphins on the Versilia coast.
Locanda al Colle is a member of Lifestylehotels
photocredits: Locanda al Colle, Andrea Vierucci