5 things you should do in Tuscany for your next holiday

There is so much more to this stunning, picturesque region of Italy, and here are five things you should definitely do during your next getaway.

Visit Volterra

Volterra is a hilltop town dating back to before the 8th century BC.

It has stunning views over other areas of Tuscany and features a Roman amphitheatre which was discovered in 2015.

The view from Volterra over the hills and the Roman amphitheatre below (Image: Tom Cann)

The town hall in the centre of Volterra (Image: Tom Cann)

The main square, Piazza del Priori, featuring both political and social buildings, as well as Italy's oldest town hall, dating back to 1257.

The town itself used to be underwater, which means that along the path, you can see seashells that have been embedded into the floor.

While in Volterra, definitely visit one of the Alabaster workshops and shops in the town.

Alab'Arte was a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anybody (Image: Tom Cann)

Volterra is a beautiful town in Tuscany (Image: Tom Cann)

Alabaster is an integral part of the area and has been around for 3,000 years.

We visited Alab'Arte and watched a fantastic demonstration of how they turned a block of Alabaster into a bowl within minutes.

Also visit Locatelli Salt Factory, where you can discover the production of the purest salt in Italy, where you can also pick up a beer made with salt if you wish.

The Locatelli Salt Factory was a fantastic experience to see how it is made (Image: Tom Cann)

The salt factory was a great experience, and featured a salt fall (Image: Tom Cann)

Visit Lajatico

Lajatico is a very small commune in the province of Pisa and it is also the birthplace of Italian tenor, internationally renowned, Andrea Bocelli.

As such, this small but beautiful area has become an international tourist destination.

In July, every year, a concert is held in the setting of Teatro del Silenzio (Theatre of Silence), in which Bocelli performs with world-class artists for just one night a year.

The Theatre of Silence in Lajatico, where Andrea Bocelli performs once a year with the sculpture (Image: Tom Cann)

Lajatico is a beautiful village (Image: Tom Cann)

The rest of the year, this area which can hold up to 10,000 spectators is silent, which is where it gets its name.

The theatre also has a sculpture there for a year, which is replaced every year with something new, due to the area's passion for contemporary art.

Pictures on the walls of Lajatico from previous concertsPictures on the walls of Lajatico from previous concerts (Image: Tom Cann)

Go Wine Tasting

This one doesn't take much convincing.

Tuscany is famous for its vineyards, it is one of the most prolific regions for wine anywhere in Europe in fact.

The barrels in the cellar of the vineyard (Image: Tom Cann)

The gardens of the vineyard were beautiful (Image: Tom Cann)

There are so many places where you can choose to do this, but I would highly recommend Tenuta di Ghizzano, one of the oldest farms along the Pisan Hills Wine Route.

We were treated to a guided tour of the gardens, where you can see tortoises enjoying the gardens, and then we were taken to the cellar and told more about the history of the winery.

We then tried some of their incredible wines, which was paired with a lunch, with each food complementing the wines we were served.

The view from the top of the house (Image: Tom Cann)

The wine tasting was a fantastic experience (Image: Tom Cann)

Go Truffle Hunting with Dogs

This is something I would recommend to anyone to do, even if you aren't a fan of dogs like me, it was an incredible experience.

We met with Matteo from I Tartufi di Teo who spoke to us about how he, his family and his dogs collect truffles all year round, and how their dogs are trained from birth to sniff out truffles under the ground.

Matteo with Bianca finding truffles (Image: Tom Cann)

Some of the truffles found (Image: Tom Cann)

We went out with Matteo and Bianca the dog to search for truffles, and within minutes, we had our first find, with Bianca and Matteo finding many truffles during the time we were out.

Variations of truffle grow all year round, with white truffle growing between October and December.

Visit Peccioli

Awarded with the Orange Flag by the Italian Touring Club, Peccioli is an absolutely stunning village.

Some of the art in Peccioli (Image: Tom Cann)

The view (Image: Tom Cann)

A blend of past and present, we were guided around the village and museums to look at the contemporary art which is around the village in various locations.

Our guide was incredible too, very knowledgeable and, even though it was pouring when we went, I would love to do it again, even in the same conditions.

Places to stay:

We were lucky enough to stay in three beautiful hotels/apartments, which again, I would recommend to anybody.

These include Hotel La Locanda, in the heart of Volterra, La Mandriola, a converted historic farmhouse dating back to 1400s, and Borgo di Colleoli Resort, a holiday estate with move than 50 apartments in the heart of Tuscany.

The spa in Pisa is worth a visit (Image: Tom Cann)

Pisa (Image: Tom Cann)