Tuscan View Apartments

Family fun in timeless Tuscany

One of the farmhouses

One of the shared pools

Typical living room

The estate organises arts and crafts

The estate has its own riding centre

Quintessential Tuscan scenery

San Gimignano

Siena's Campo

• quintessential Tuscan landscapes • shared pool • quintessential Tuscan landscapes • horse riding, walking, cycling, tennis & more • welcome hamper • car hire included

Tuscany is a region of plentiful sunshine, pretty villages, great art, glorious scenery and delicious food and wine – many people’s perfect choice for an idyllic family holiday, with so much to see and do. For a fun family holiday enjoying all that the region has to offer, the Tuscan View Estate makes a perfect base. With a sociable atmosphere and plenty to keep everyone amused, from tennis courts to trails through the olive groves, and from horse riding to mountain-bike hire, it is wonderfully self-contained.

Great days out

Here you are ideally placed to take in many famous sights using your hire car – the great Renaissance cities of Florence, Siena and Pisa are all within an hour’s drive (50-55km).

The main attraction in Pisa is, of course, its leaning tower, whose top is an astonishing 4.5 metres from where it would be were the tower perfectly vertical! Visits to the tower are restricted to certain days, but time your trip right and you could climb to the top to see if you can tell from there that the building is far from straight.

Even better known than Pisa is Florence, where you can take your pick of the numerous art galleries. Don’t miss the Boboli Gardens, with wonderful views over the city, plus labyrinths, grottoes, statues and hiding places – fun for all the family. The city was the birthplace of the gelato, so be sure to pause for an ice cream. The range of flavours available at many gelaterie will leave you spoiled for choice. If you stay long enough, you will be able to watch some of the many entertainers – including living ‘statues’ – who take to the streets in the early evening.

Siena is another Renaissance jewel, but much smaller and more compact. The main focal point is the Campo, a vast, scallop-shaped plaza overlooked by the Mangia Tower, which you can climb for fantastic views over the city and the surrounding countryside. It is in the Campo that Siena’s spectacular bare-back horse races are held in July and August. Although the main race itself is over in a matter of minutes, the trial races and related events last several days. On the day of the main race, the horses are taken to the relevant district’s church to be blessed (it’s apparently good luck if the horse makes a mess on the floor!) and are then led to the Campo in a procession led by drummers and pages dressed in medieval costume.

There are also numerous small towns and villages which are worthy of a visit, including Volterra, Certaldo and Colle Val d’Elsa. A real highlight is San Gimignano, a hill-top town once dominated by 72 towers (there are now just 15, one of which you can climb) built by feuding families in the Middle Ages. As well as walking round the old walls, you can visit the archaeological museum (which includes the Spezieria di Santa Fina, with exhibits from the town’s 16th-century spice and herb pharmacy) and even the torture museum!

For a break from cultural visits, the coast is within easy driving distance of the estate.

Walking & other activities

There are three easy way-marked walks of around 3.5-4 hours across the estate: one follows a stream to a small lake; another meanders through vineyards; and a third leads through pleasant shady woods and out onto the hills. There is also often an accompanied weekly walk followed by a wine tasting.

The estate’s other facilities include an excellent horse-riding centre offering lessons and guided hacks; fishing; golf; tennis (rackets and balls are provided); mountain-bike hire; and arts and crafts activities for all ages. Pay locally in all cases.

The apartments

The apartments are housed in a dozen or so attractively restored farmhouses that are scattered – often in pairs – across the gentle slopes of the hills. Simple and rustic in style, they have cool terracotta floor tiles, beamed ceilings, exposed stonework and wooden shutters that create stylish and relaxed interiors comprising one, two or three twin bedrooms, a shower room, and a living-cum-dining room incorporating a kitchenette equipped with a four-ring hob and a fridge-freezer. There are washing machines on site for guests’ use, and you can hire televisions if you so wish. Each group of buildings has a pool of its own or one close by (usually open from May to late September), and each apartment has its own terrace and barbecue area.

The estate’s reception area offers information on organised excursions and local events, and there is also an on-site mini-market (selling fresh bread, groceries and the estate’s honey, chianti and olive oil), bar and restaurant. Further eateries can be found in the neighbouring villages.

Prices & travel 2008

We are currently updating our website - please call for 2009 prices.

# Child price applies with 2 paying adults. If only one adult is travelling, the first child pays adult price.
Heating costs not included.
Start: Saturday
Nights: 7
Property & hire car includes: 7 days’ category C hire car (e.g. Ford Fiesta).
Recommended airport: Pisa.
Driving time from airport: 1h15
Book your flights through us and we’ll find the best route, times and price to suit you
Self-drive includes: P&O Ferries Dover-Calais return Channel crossing for your party and one car Driving time from Calais: 13h45

Click here for more family self-catering holiday ideas.

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> Notes on prices

> Personal holiday insurance

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> Booking form (2-bedroom apartment)
> Booking form (3-bedroom apartment)

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