In camper in Tuscany: sea and culture

Traveling by camper means enjoying the most beautiful things a place has to offer, respecting the will and rhythms of the whole family. One of the destinations that makes it possible to please both adults and children is Tuscany .

Here is a proposal for three days dedicated both to the sea and to culture, a nature and a land that gives the best of itself with the beginning or end of summer, when one remains willingly by the sea or strolls among villages and hills, enjoying the breeze or the rays of a warm sun or sipping a coffee and eating an ice cream in one of the wonderful squares, far from the mass of tourists in August.

First day: free beach and the Chianti Sculpture Park

For those coming from the city, Milan, for example, even just putting your feet in the water on the shores of the first Tuscan beaches is a panacea that is worth three hours on the highway.

You can stop at one of the parking lots at the entrance to the beach of Lecciona or, further south, the beach of the Parco del Migliarino, mount bicycles and return for lunch.

Then, just the time of the nap for the younger children if necessary, and then again to discover the Chianti Sculpture Park, half an hour away from the beaches, perhaps unusual but definitely interesting, which will make you spend a late afternoon entertaining with all the family.

Between hills and villages to be discovered, the road to reach it at some point becomes a dirt road, but do not worry, in the end there is a convenient parking lot. The private park combines the love of nature and the passion for contemporary art, allowing your little ones to take a nice ride in the woods to the adventure and to you to discover sculptures and very special installations.

Read also Natural Parks in Italy, what they are and where they are >>

Second day: Volterra

Full day to dedicate to the "city of stone and shells"; yes because here every house here reveals that once there was the sea. The camper can be left the night before under the walls, in the comfortable rest area, where, however, parking is not always easy.

In Volterra you get lost in the alleys, you visit the Ecomuseo of the alabaster, the Palazzo dei Priori and Piazza San Giovanni, then you take back your time browsing inside the churches, the markets and the medieval alleys.

Special for the little ones is to attend a demonstration of alabaster processing, which can be booked at the workshops and craft sculpture workshops, such as Alab'Arte . Porchetta with porchetta - or with cecina! - in hand, and off to the Archaeological Park “E. Rivers ” for a picnic overlooking the Medici Fortress.

For those who want it there is also the Museum of Torture - not really suitable for children! - or the Etruscan Museum . Attention: load the children who do not walk on the backpack, because with the stroller it is a real torture, the steps to climb are endless!

Third day: Siena

From Volterra we move towards the nearby Siena . Here, adjacent to the city or between the hills, there are many campsites and agri-campsites to welcome you. As for Volterra, here too get ready for the climbs, even if decidedly milder!

An incredible square, Piazza del Campo, will invite you to sit and admire the life that revolves around for a nice hour at least, with the Fonte Gaia, the Palazzo Comunale and the Torre del Mangia.

The visit continues towards the imposing Piazza del Duomo with the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta . After a good pizza or a jump in an old trattoria, let yourself be tempted by shopping, among hats of every style, biscuits deli and Tuscan perfumes, you really are spoiled for choice.

Do not leave the city without first enjoying the green spaces with the children: a beautiful park five minutes from the center is called Orti Dei Tolomei, with the Natural History Museum and the Botanical Garden nearby.