For the well-heeled, designer-clad beach-lover, the Tuscan coastal town of Forte dei Marmi - the home of Italian football manager, Marcello Lippi - has an exclusive reputation and is frequented by the Italian jet-set. About 30 minutes drive north of Pisa, this luxurious beach resort is a sun-drenched and easily-reached holiday getaway.
The ‘air of elite’ is immediately apparent when arriving in the resort, partly due to the expensive togs everyone is wearing, but also down to the design of the town.
The building regulations prohibit constructions over a certain height, so there are no towering tourist tenements eclipsing the gloriously warm Mediterranean sun. All the villas, hotels and residential homes are shrouded in scented pinewood, shrubbery and painted trellises; and though this gives a somewhat regimented character, the backdrop of the Tuscan hills and Apuan Alps provides the gasp factor.
The town is set out in a navigationally simple grid system so getting lost shouldn’t be a problem – unless you’ve had one too many nightcaps of grappa, the Italian grape-based spirit. In the square around ‘Il Fortino’, the fort which symbolises Forte dei Marmi and was commissioned in 1788 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Pietro Leopoldo I, you’ll spot people dressed in their pricey garb, drinking Campari Sodas on the café terraces. You don’t have to look far to see where they spent their cash. From Cavelli to Gucci and Armani to Prada, those who enjoy serious spending while on holiday can find many ways of effortlessly parting with a few hundred (or thousand) Euros in one till ring.
Shopping is indeed one of the most popular activities if money is no object – and you’ll soon know whether you will be buying or just window browsing. However, it’s not all shop ‘til you drop. The town has more traditional holiday entertainments such as a golf course and watersports on the beautifully clean beach, which, if visited off-season (it makes good sense to avoid July and August crowds), is extremely tranquil. Quaint beach huts, which can be hired for daily use, line the length of the sands down to the small harbour club, while the turquoise sea is just warm enough to take a refreshing dip. You will have to pay to relax on much of the beach, except for the free patch past the harbour.
There are plenty of escapes from the town itself to explore the attractions of the bordering countryside. The lush green Tuscan hills and mountains are very close by car and can be reached by local bus services. Monte Pisanio at 1947 metres is the highest point, and the Apuan Alps contain more than 1300 cave systems. One of these – the Antro del Corchia - is the most extensive in Italy and well worth a visit. Breathtaking formations of stalactites and stalagmites give a real fairy grotto appearance but only come if you are fit enough to get back out – the stair-cased descent takes you far into the depths of the cave and what goes down, must come up. Some of my party, I’m sure, were ready to collapse by the time we’d reached daylight again.
Not far from the Antro del Corchia is the marble quarry. Marble export and sculpture is a main industry for the town and Michelangelo used to come to the Apuan Alps to take slabs of the rock for his works of art. Having made the journey up and down the nail-biting mountain-side road, you can only imagine how the people of the 16th Century transported the marble – it brings tears to the eyes.
Whether you want your main holiday in Forte dei Marmi or you’re using it as a base to explore the nearby Tuscan mountain villages, it’s a great spot to escape the grey of the UK. Just remember, if you’re not packing a Cavelli bikini, make sure you bring a fabulous imitation.
Eating:
Forget pizza and pasta if you are exploring the Tuscan Riviera or Apuan Alps - the excellent local dishes are far removed from what the world thinks is Italian food. In the mountains, pork is a specialty, as is Biroldo (black pudding) and farro e fagioli - a tasty thick soup made from a local type of barley (faro) and beans (fagioli). This type of food can be found served washed down with fine, velvety Chianti (the red wine is a Tuscan) in some of the tiny hill village restaurants such as La Canonica in Pruno (Ristorante La Canonica, Plazza della Chiesa, Pruno Tel: +39 0584 777000).
As for the coast, fish and seafood is, of course, fresh and delicious, with some delicacies that are peculiar to the area to be enjoyed. Arsella appears on many of the seafood menus and is a tiny mollusc, similar to clam, harvested on the shore of Forte dei Marmi. Try it at Ristorante La Barca (Viale Italico 3, Tel :( +39 0584 89323), an excellently located seafood restaurant not far from the pier. Here, you can tuck into their delicious huge shrimp or risotto di mare (a rice dish packed with a variety of ‘fruits from the sea’).
Staying:
Plenty of deluxe accommodation can be found in the town. I stayed at the four-star Hotel President (65 Via Morin, 55042. Tel: +39 0584 787421) - a chic and conveniently located hotel about 10 minutes walk from the main shopping centre, and close to the beach. While the accommodation and pleasant gardens (a lovely Jacuzzi bath in the 3 bedroom apartment) fit the bill, the food is disappointing. Breakfast is average and dinner is dismal, especially when there are so many other great places to eat.
Contact the tourist information for other accommodations.
Find out more:
Tourist Information: Viale Franceschi, 8/b, Forte dei Marmi. Tel: +39 0584 80091
Fax: +39 0584 83214. Email: forteinfo@comunefdm.it
Andrea Wren
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