Forte dei Marmi, Italy: reviews and route

Tuscany, the birthplace of the great Leonardo da Vinci, Dante, Michelangelo, is famous throughout the world for its historical and architectural ensembles, wonderful wines, the best olive oil and amazing resorts. One of the best is Forte dei Marmi. Italy has long been chosen by the Russian elite. But it is at this resort that she owns more than 30% of the mansions and villas. This resort is in all respects for those who like to relax in a royal way. Let's take a short walk along its streets, coast, look at some hotels and shops.

Description of the city

Forte dei Marmi is located on the shore of the Tyrrhenian Sea in the Versilia region of Lucca. It is very beautiful, drowning in evergreen vegetation, fragrant with flowers and the sea, ringing with wonderful fountains. But the town is so small that many call it a village. In the center is a pretty square, from which, like the rays of the sun in a child's drawing, the clean and in every respect nice streets diverge. One of them is called Roma Imperiale. It is here that you can see the mansions of many Russian nouveaux riches. On the perimeter of the square are the prestigious expensive boutiques and restaurants, and the farther from it, the cheaper and simpler. On the outskirts of the city there is a quite good and quite democratic supermarket at prices. There is in Forte dei Marmi and the railway station, to which the center is only 3.5 km away. You can get there on foot (about 40 minutes), by taxi and by bus (every hour). From the train station are sent to many Italian cities - Milan, Pisa, Genoa and others. But most tourists go by car and bicycles. They are offered for rent in offices located directly on the streets.

Location

An important question for those who chose the place of rest Forte dei Marmi: "How to get there?". There are several variants - by plane, train, motor transport and steamer. The nearest major international airport, which bears the name of Galileo Galilei, is located in Pisa. From it to the resort 20 km (counting from the city boundaries). At 5 km there is another small airport with grassy runways. Aircraft there are only sightseeing. By car in Forte dei Marmi can be reached from anywhere in Europe. This is the way many people come from Russia. It is necessary to move along the A12 highway towards Versilia, followed by a turn to the right. Having followed the third traffic light, again to turn, but to the left, and to move already up to the city. Approximate figures: from Lucca to the resort 30 km, from Milan 250, from Florence 80, from Rome 300. Each city leads its own route. From Milan, it is A1, which is followed by Fidenza, then goes to A15 to La Spezia and then to A12. From Florence to A11 to Lucca, then turn to Viareggio. From Rome to A1 to the city of Florence, and then on the above scheme. The port is located in Viareggio, in the same place as the railway station. The sea to the resort can be reached from major Italian cities. Information is desirable to clarify by the numbers: 0584 444440584, 0584 89826, 0584 320330584 32033.

Weather

A wonderful summer holiday gives its guests Forte dei Marmi. Italy, especially its south, is famous for its generous sun. But in this prestigious resort in the off-season and in the winter rains are not uncommon. But from the second half of May to the end of September, most days are sunny and warm. There is no heat, the air temperature practically never rises above +28. But if there is a cloud in the sky and the rain is dripping, the mercury column drops to + 20 + 23. Winter in these places often "pampers" rainy days, so tourists are few.

Sea

The beaches of Forte dei Marmi are all perfectly equipped. The shore of the resort is sandy, and sand is sifted every morning by workers, so there are no beers and lids usual for other beaches. Sunset in the water almost all over the gentle, very comfortable for kids. But the water is unclear (because of the local plankton). In windy weather, you can see seaweed by the shore , and from the second half of July you can see quite biting jellyfish. But the most interesting sight of local beaches is the price. Free can be found only at a distance of 2-5 km from the city. Their dignity - almost the same sand and water, as on all others. The disadvantage is a huge influx of people. Sunbathing there so much that sometimes there is nowhere not only to lie down, even to sit down. In addition to municipal, free beaches of coastal hotels, of course, for their guests may seem free. Why show? Because the rest is included in the room price. Those who are unlucky to settle in the hotel on the 1 st line, are waiting for the elite paid beaches of the resort. The place in the form of a lounger and an umbrella under the affectionate Italian sun costs up to 100 euros a day. A canopy with the same sunbeds plus a table and a changing room costs from 300 euros per day. The peculiarity of all paid and free beaches is the Negroes, constantly imposing their goods. Only on a nudist beach, which has the beautiful name of Santa Maria, with this better. This beach even in Forte dei Marmi is considered too elite. He regularly receives the Blue Flag for its cleanliness, is well equipped, but not all are allowed in there, that is, there is a scrupulous face-pass.

Restaurants

Forte dei Marmi is a very expensive resort. Accordingly, the restaurants here are not cheap. The menu in all its own, but the general background of the dishes - pasta, pasta (the same pasta, only small ones), fish, seafood, vegetables and pizza. Wines are always offered excellent, the cost is very different, from an inexpensive average of 30-50 euros per bottle to the elite, for which they ask for 500 euros. The most prestigious and most iconic is the Gilda restaurant, where the choice of dishes is somewhat limited, but the taste is excellent. The second most popular restaurant is Bistrot. Kind words mark a small family restaurant Enoteca Brilliant, which is located on the outskirts of the resort. Prices there are lower, but service and food are first-rate. All points of catering in Forte dei Marmi are open in the morning from 12-30 to 14-30, and in the evening - from 19-00 to the last customer, although there are also those that close at 23:00. In some restaurants, you have to pay up to 6 euros just for sitting at a table.

Hotels in Forte dei Marmi

Here the majority of hotels with 5 and 4 stars. Three-star is very small. When choosing, you must necessarily be interested in beach conditions, as they will have to pay for them. Pools are a good alternative, but they are not in every hotel. Prices for the room are very different, from 250 to 2000 euros for 7 nights in a standard room for two people without children. Among the three-star hotels, the Hotel Franceschi, Hotel Bijou, La Pace enjoy a good reputation. Among the four-star warm reviews are the hotels Villa Roma Imperiale, St Mauritius Hotel, Hotel Goya and many others. Five-star resort hotels offer exceptional service, chic rooms, excellent service. Very popular is the Principe Forte dei Marmi, located on the very shore of the blue sea, the Grand Hotel Imperiale, opened in 2007, Augustus Hotel & Resort - one of the oldest and most respectable. In addition to the hotel, the resort can rent a villa for a period of 1 month.

Historical reference

Many corners of Italy can boast of interesting historical values. Tourists invariably attracted Rome, Milan, Pisa, Florence. Forte dei Marmi also has something to show. It dates back to 1516, when a pier was built to send the marble mined in the area. Frequent attacks of pirates complicated the conduct of the "marble business", until in 1788 Prince Leopold was not built defensive fortress, called Forte dei Marmi, which means "marble". This material was extremely in demand, so the case developed, and around the fort gradually grew town. These places, impressive with their extraordinary beauty, were looked after by the Italian nobility. Here they began to build luxury villas for a country holiday. This continued until the Soviet restructuring, after which there were very wealthy Russians who began to develop this resort and actively buy real estate here. Gradually this place became elite.

sights

The patron of Forte dei Marmi is Saint Hermes (Sant'Ermete), whose church is located on one of the central streets. In honor of this great martyr every August 28 is a great holiday. It is worth taking a look at the pedestrian bridge, which was formerly a quay. Interest is caused by the remains of a defensive fortress, a museum of humor and satire, ancient warehouses of marble, Villa Puccini. In the vicinity of the resort there are also interesting architectural structures. But the most popular are the walks through the Apuan Alps, which offer fantastic views of the coast and the surroundings of Forte dei Marmi. The photos of these places show remarkable things that can not be expressed in words.

Entertainment

For those who do not like active recreation, in Forte dei Marmi you can offer shopping trips and visiting restaurants. For all the rest there is a lot of opportunities to have a great time. The resort has the opportunity to play golf, tennis, windsurfing, diving, sailing, mountaineering, horse riding, visiting the racetrack. Nightlife of the city is also bright and diverse. There are a lot of night clubs offering a wide variety of programs. Among the cultural events the most popular are the St. Hermes Day, the Puccini Festival, the Cinema Festival, and in the summer often the famous music groups perform.

Reviews and impressions of tourists

Most vacationers in recent years in Forte dei Marmi, reviews leave about the same. Tourists admire the beauty of the local places, a variety of attractions, but coolly respond about prohibitive prices. There are statements about insufficiently clean water on the beaches, as well as about the niggers who are hindering to rest. Some who have rested here in past years, note some shortcomings, which, of course, is quite normal, but in general the resort is wonderful and positive reviews much more. The restaurants are very tasty, the hotels try their best to please, the streets have beauty and perfect cleanliness, and around such landscapes, from which breathtaking.