The most popular image visitors have in their mind when thinking about Tuscany is connected to rolling hills and vineyards in the heart of the region and beautiful cities like Florence, Siena and Pisa, full of art and history. However, Tuscany is much more than this. In fact, the coastal area is also worth a visit. For this reason, we think you should learn more about it and specifically about Castagneto-Carducci and Bolgheri on the Etruscan Coast of Tuscany.
Castagneto Carducci and Bolgheri in the Etruscan Tuscany
Like most of famous touristic areas of Tuscany, the municipality of Castegneto Carducci offers a polyhedric experience to our visitors. Indeed, this destination is ideal for both people passionate about history and art, and for nature lovers and hikers. Here you find medieval borgos full of history like Bolgheri, together with a magical landscape. It combines romantic hills near the coast and even some poetry. In fact, Castagneto Carducci was hometown to the Italian poet Giosuè Carducci. One more reason to visit this area is connected to food and wine. Wine is one of the main products coming from this land and this is the perfect place where to enjoy a good glass of wine while admiring the relaxing landscape.
Discover the Wine Trails in the municipality of Castagneto Carducci
This is where the socalled Supertuscan wines take their origin from. English journalists coined this word to refer to the excellent wines produced here to distinghuish them from the more common table wines. The reason was in the lack of a DOC denomination at that time.
Moreover, the area of Castagneto Carducci and Bolgheri is part of the Etruscan Coast Wine Route (Strada del Vino Costa degli Etruschi) we mentioned in our blog article Tuscany Day Trips and Wine Trails. This Route includes several areas in the municipality of Livorno and the territory of the Elba Island in the Tuscan Archipelago. Moreover, it covers part of the municipality of Pisa (the Montescudaio Doc area).
The Bolgheri doc is one of the four wine regions belonging to the Etruscan Coast Wine Trail. It goes from the medieval borgo of Bolgheri to Castagneto Carducci (the socalled “Bolgherese country road SP16) through the Bolgheri faunal oasis, today considered of international interest. Our visitors can admire endless vineyards together with the typical maritime pines and cypress trees and enjoy one of the best red wines worldwide, the Sassicaia. Other good wines from this area are Ornellaia, Bolgheri Rosso, Bolgheri Bianco and Bolgheri Superiore. Along the Route you find several winemakers’ properties where to visit incredible wine cellars and learn more about the winemaking. Do not miss the prestigeous Tenuta dell’Ornellaia and Guado al Tasso from the Antinori family. Next to wine, also the production of extra virgin olive oil plays an important role in the region.
For more ideas about wine tours in Tuscany, visit our website and check out our Private Tours in the Chianti area.
What to see in Castagneto Carducci
Everybody originally called it Castagneto Marittimo for its proximity to the seaside. Indeed, you can get to Marina di Castagneto in about 15 minutes by car. There you can find both public and private beaches. However, the hamlet changed its name at the beginning of the XXth century to honour the great poet Giosuè Carducci. He spent here part of his life and today you have the chance to visit his house. The medieval borgo developed around the imposing castle on the top of the hill. The castle once belonged to the Della Gherardesca family. Other historical buildings are Palazzo Pretorio (the actual town hall) and the Churches of San Lorenzo and the Santissimo Crocifisso (well-known for a wooden crucifix dating back to the fifteenth century).
Visit Bolgheri and Viale dei Cipressi
The previously mentioned Wine Trail corresponds to Via Bolgherese, the road connecting Castagneto Carducci to Bolgheri, in the same municipality. An even more suggestive road is Viale dei Cipressi, between San Guido and Bolgheri.
Today it is a real symbol in the collective immagination. Indeed, the is a 4,7 km long straight boulevard with centuries-old cypress trees lines on both sides. This road became famous thanks the poem of Giosué Carducci Davanti a San Guido. More than 2000 are the cypress trees on the way, which surely makes the arrival to Bolghery very stunning. In fact, the avenue brings you directly in front of the old gate in Bolgheri.
Bolgheri is a real jewel in the bucolic Tuscan countryside, full of vines and olive groves. The town centre hides real architectural treasures like the old Castle, whose main tower is visible at the town gate. In the lower level of the castle many are the wine cellars to be visited. You can have a stroll in the nice cobble stone alleys, full of artesans’ workshops and buildings. Have a look at Piazza Teresa and Piazza Alberto. In this last square you find the house where the Italian poet Giosué Carducci lived as a child. Worth a mention is the Padule di Bolgheri Animal Reserve on an area of more than 500 hectares. It was the first private protected area in Italy.
Other attractions near Castagneto Carducci and Bolgheri
If you wish to explore Castagneto-Carducci and Bolgheri on the Etruscan Coast of Tuscany but you wish to be closer to the seaside, we recommend you to stay at the Camping Residence Albatros in San Vincenzo. It takes only 15 minutes driving from Castagneto Carducci. Moreover, from San Vincenzo you can explore another interesting area in Tuscany, from Baratti and Populonia, to the promontory of Piombino, from where you can sail to the Elba Island and the Tuscan Archipelago.
Read more about Populonia and Baratti and the Tuscan Archipelago in our blog!
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