Tuscany

Tuscany (Toscana) is a region of central Italy, bordering Latium (Lazio) to the south, Umbria to the east, Emilia-Romagna and Liguria to the north and the Tyrrhenian Sea to the west.

Tuscany is by far the most popular region for Dutch and Belgians to go on holiday. Tuscany is ideal for a round trip because of the many sights. It is also a well-known holiday region among Italians themselves.

The total length of the coastline is 329 km. The north and east sides of Tuscany are bordered by the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, whose mountains reach higher than 2.000 m.

Off the coast of Tuscany lies the Tuscan archipelago, of which Elba (223 km2) is the largest and most famous island. Elba has a length of 27 km, a maximum width of 18 km, a circumference of 147 km, and is located about 10 km off the Tuscan coast.

The other islands are Capraia, Giglio, Montecristo, Gorgona, Giannutri, and Pianosa. The Tuscan archipelago has been declared a protected natural area and now the islands form a national park, the Parco Nazionale dell'Arcipelago Toscano. It is the largest European marine protected area.

Tuscany, the most wooded area in Italy, lies between the Apennines and the Tyrrhenian Sea and has a very varied hilly and mountainous landscape. Only 10% of Tuscany can be called flat, often as a result of reclamation in the 18th and 19th centuries. Plains are mainly located in the coastal area of ​​Versilia. Furthermore, a quarter of Tuscany is mountainous and 65% is covered by hills. The landscape of the Val d'Orcia was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004.

It is striking that, in contrast to neighboring Umbria, Tuscany is much more worked and shaped by human hands. Towns and villages are usually located on a hill, within their medieval walls. Florence, on the other hand, is located in the valley of the river Arno.