The Grand Hotel Royal is located in the centre of a historical, artistic and natural landscape of inestimable beauty. From emblematic towns of Versilia such as Pietrasanta and Carrara, to world-renowned art cities like Lucca, Pisa, and Florence, all the way to the natural beauties of Lake Massaciuccoli, and the golden beaches of the coast, Tuscany will amaze you with the inexhaustible richness of its territory.
A 15-minute drive from the Hotel Royal is Pietrasanta, the historic-artistic capital of Versilia, famous for its marble and in particular for its splendid Piazza del Duomo. An additional twenty minutes takes you to Carrara, a town at the foot of the Apuan Alps, with its Piazza Alberica, covered with marble inlays from nearby quarries and surrounded by 17th-century palaces, such as the Palazzo delle Logge and the Palazzo dei Conti del Medico.
Among the art cities, Lucca and Pisa stand out, both less than 30 minutes away. Lucca, nicknamed the "city of a hundred churches" for its many medieval churches scattered throughout its center, is a gem of Tuscan architecture, where medieval and Renaissance palaces blend together, all enclosed by a vast city wall. This wall can be walked or cycled along in large sections, offering charming views.
In 15 minutes by train or 30 minutes by car from the Grand Hotel Royal, you can reach Pisa, world-famous for its "Tower," tilted four degrees from the ground and a symbol of the city. Next to it, in the splendid Piazza Dei Miracoli, are also the Romanesque-style Duomo and the Baptistery. Also not to be missed are the romantic walks along the banks of the Arno River with the wonderful palaces that decorate them.
A nature tour inland can touch places of silent beauty. Within a 20-minute drive, you can reach early Christian churches, such as the Church of San Pantaleone in Pieve ad Elici and the Church of Saints John and Felicita in Val di Castello. Continuing the itinerary, you can reach the Massaciuccoli Lake Nature Reserve, where a long wooden walkway winds through the marsh to spot the animals that inhabit this lake, such as grebes, cormorants, and herons. Wild boars are instead present in large numbers in the San Rossore Park, a protected area of 23,000 hectares that extends to the sea with almost untouched stretches of beach. For an adventurous trip, you can visit the Carrara marble quarries and take a jeep tour through the Apuan Alps.
With a bit more time, you can visit other great classics, places of inestimable beauty: Florence (1.30 hr), a city of incomparable charm and home to one of Italy's most famous museums, the Uffizi Gallery; Siena and San Gimignano (2 hr), two jewels of medieval art, close to the Chianti hills; Bolgheri (1.15 hr) with its famous Viale dei Cipressi and its fine wines; Porto Venere and the Cinque Terre (1.15 hr), Ligurian villages, set in the rock and overlooking the sea.
