In search of ‘the other side’ of Tuscany
Harriet Matthews
Tuscany often conjures images of rolling vineyards, cypress-studded hills and Renaissance masterpieces that adorn the chapels and galleries of Florence, Siena and Pisa. But mountains? Marshland? Vast sandy beaches? On the westernmost edge of Tuscany, a different side to Italy’s most well-loved region spreads out from the Tyrrhenian Sea, where mountains meet the coast, and miles of cycle paths connect ancient ruins with biodiverse wetlands.
So if you’re partial to the road less travelled, second cities, an underdog (etc.), consider tracing the tracks of my latest route in search of ‘the other side’ of Tuscany.
Day 1: Breakfast in London, Lunch in Paris, Dinner in Italy
Harriet Matthews
Highlight: Breakfast on the Eurostar. Opting for Eurostar Plus cost an additional £40 but gave me a separate solo seat in a quieter carriage, a light meal (with refills of coffee) and extra legroom.
Harriet Matthews
Transfers: Due to a landslide, journeys from Paris into Italy currently require a short coach transfer between St Jean de Maurienne and Oulx, entirely organised by the rail operator SNCF. I found the transfer a) clear and easy to circumnavigate and b) surprisingly enjoyable to weave through the Alps by bus.
Harriet Matthews
Day 2: Turin, and getting my bearings in Grosseto
After arriving in darkness, I had a morning to see Turin in the light. It’s one of my favourite unsung places to break an onward journey through Italy. It’s generally unfussy (and easy on the wallet), with a smattering of grand arcades and wide boulevards for a touch of grandiose. It’s the kind of place you can wander without a plan and stumble across something interesting (not least flashes of the Alps at the end of several streets).
Highlight: My first Italian espresso and peruse of the magazines in Pressato (a coffee and bookshop in the heart of town), before boarding the direct train along the coastline of Cinque Terre and southward to Grosseto.
Harriet Matthews
After arriving into Grosseto’s station, it was a 20-minute walk, or a short taxi journey into the centre. I dumped my bags and headed out for a stroll around the leafy city walls and through the honey-hued old town as the Tuscan sun set.
Harriet Matthews
To eat: Tucked away inside the bricks of the city walls is Ristorante Le Mura, a relaxed restaurant specialising in seafood and local Tuscan fare. The waiter asked me if I could be tempted by the house tiramisu. “Or if you want ice cream, head to Arlekkino around the corner - it’s the best in Grosseto.”. He was not wrong! Sweet tooth, satisfied.
Day 3: Etruscan and Roman history
The town of Grosseto has enough for a few days of gentle exploration. The small but impressive Clarisse Cultural Center is well worth a visit (housing a permanent collection of seventeenth-century Florentine art and rotating contemporary exhibits), as is the Cathedral in the central square. Museum of Archaeology and Art of the Maremma is one of Grosseto’s most fascinating museums, that really comes to life once you visit the nearby ancient city of Roselle, from where all the museum’s exhibits were discovered.
Harriet Matthews
Unlike many of the Etruscan and Roman ruins in much of Italy, the sites surrounding Grosseto have a low footfall of tourists, and are incredibly well-preserved. When you reach Roselle, you can walk right through the ancient tracks of the old high street, and stand on the original Roman mosaics.
Harriet Matthews
Highlight: Watching the purple haze and sun set from the top of the ruins across the Maremma.
Day 4: Finding my inner twitcher in the Diaccia Botrona marshes
On day four, the same trusty cycling lanes took me out into wilder territory: the Diaccia Botrona marshes, considered the most important wetland in Italy. We met our guide inside the ‘Cassa Rosa', a red-brick house, now filled with information about the reserve, but originally built as a shelter from malarial mosquitoes. She told us about the history of the Maremma, with the Diaccia Botrona the last remains of the 50 square kilometre Lake Prile, which was dried out in the 19th century to revive the region to health.
“Today, it’s one of the most important landscapes in the area,” she explained, “and home to some of the richest and most varied biodiversity in Italy”. From recently reintroduced ospreys to flamingoes that stood on one leg, orange butterflies to thickets of long grass, the entire marsh buzzed with wildlife. I donned a pair of binoculars and headed down to the birdhouse at the bottom of the marsh.
Highlight: Spotting flamingoes in the distance standing on one leg. Or watching an osprey fly overhead. I’m no pro-twitched but I now I GET it!
Day 5: Hiking across the Maremma (and refuelling on fresh pasta and porcini)
Harriet Matthews
My most adventurous day started in the visitor centre of the Maremma National Park, in the nearby village of Alberese - a short bike or bus ride from Grosseto. I had strict instructions from my host of the house at which I was staying: “If you do anything during your time here, hike up to San Rabano [an abandoned monastery at the top of the mountain]. It’s a special place.”
Walking boots on (although standard trainers would also have been fine), with a bottle of water, my camera and snacks in tow, I started along the A1 trail that would lead me to the top, before diverting to head down the mountain towards the coast. It was mostly easy to navigate with the map I collected from the visitor centre, with plenty of points I could cut short where needed (see the routes here). After the steep climb up to the monastery, the route took me past spectacular viewpoints of the Ombrone plain, through the 400-year-old Ollelungo olive grove, down to Collelungo beach and through the pines back to Alberese, passing only 8 people on the entire day’s hike (aside from the group of farmers working on the olive grove).
To eat: After a day on the trails, my soul was fed but my tummy was grumbling. I wound up at Ristorante Canapone, specialising in locally sourced ingredients and traditional culinary techniques. After a mouth-watering tortelli demonstration, out came plates of pasta with porcini mushrooms: a Tuscan speciality and the first of this season’s harvest. It was a match made in heaven paired with glasses of local red, Morellino di Scansano Riserva - named after the native Maremma horse that I’d spotted out in the national park earlier that day.
Day 6: The scenic line from Grosseto to Florence
Leaving Grosseto, I had two options: the fast train straight to Florence, or the slower local service requiring a change in Siena. I opted for the latter, and I am glad I did. The carriages were quiet (I had a whole carriage to myself) meaning I could wander around, switching from seats on the left and right side of the train for the best views. The single gauge railway line meant a slower speed, but allowed the train to weave through ancient woodland, trundle through vineyards and traverse past stop-off stations in tiny Tuscan villages.
Harriet Matthews
Harriet Matthews
Highlight: Arriving in Florence in the evening, still with a feeling of time left. Florence was still buzzing with energy until the early hours, and it felt warm and safe enough to venture out and soak up the evening in the Piazza del Duomo with an Aperol to the sound of late-night buskers.
Day 7: Waking up to Florence and border-crossing to France
I woke up to blue skies in Florence, and decided to join the city runners along the Arno River through the green fringes of the Parco delle Cascine. It felt nice to stretch my legs before the long day of travel ahead. Breakfast at my hotel (Hotel Magenta - highly recommend for the ideal location) was unhurried, and I savoured my last morning espresso before I headed onto the first train to Turin for a quick change before crossing the border into France.
Harriet Matthews
Highlight: Boarding the Paris metro from Gare de Lyon to Gare du Nord on Halloween. I’ve never seen costumes so chic.
Day 8: A Parisian farewell
It was a grey morning in Paris (and perhaps a pathetic fallacy for the end of an incredible trip). Before my midday Eurostar departure, I headed out for a morning stroll along the Canal Saint-Martin - one of my favourite pockets of Paris that’s within reach of Gare du Nord. After returning for a slow breakfast at the hotel (10/10 rating for the 25hours Hotel), I tapped away at some work before breezing through Eurostar check-in, just across the road for my journey home.
Where to stay: The quirky 25hours Hotel Paris Terminus Nord. It’s a chain, but they run it pretty well, with great sustainability creds and a real sensitivity to the unique local area. The Gare du Nord hotel is adorned with art and memorabilia that tells stories of the many subcultures of the neighbourhood, which made for excellent bedtime reading.
Highlight: being able to literally see the Gare du Nord platforms from the bedroom window. It really helped me relax and enjoy my final evening.
I recalled all the moments I’d experienced along the journey. I was searching for Tuscany — another side to what I knew (and loved). I had found it. But just as much as the marshland, mountains and flamingoes, I had also found a part of myself that was open to the unknown, the unexpected, and the surprising: revealing the wonder that can be found along the road less travelled.
Harriet Matthews
As I headed through French farmland towards St Pancras, my apt paperback companion reminded me of the words of Frances Mayes in her novel, Under the Tuscan Sun: "Where you are is who you are. The further inside you the place moves, the more your identity is intertwined with it. Never casual, the choice of place is the choice of something you crave."