Christmas is a truly magical time of the year to spend in Tuscany. The main art towns like Florence, Siena, Pisa, and Arezzo are all beautifully adorned and illuminated with a million lights and colours. It’s impossible not to be touched by the unique festive spirit all around you.
You can admire one of the many Nativity scenes or presepi all across Tuscany or the great Procession of the Magi in Florence; you may then indulge in some nice shopping in the main town centers with wonderful stores, and walk through the streets shining with Christmas lights, and last but not least, you may wander and visit the many scenic and beautiful Tuscan hillsides and hill top towns, far from the crowd, so to enjoy more relaxing moments.
There are really countless ways to pass your holidays in Tuscany during this time of the year. The wonderful Renaissance city of Florence with its countless museums, works of art, art exhibitions, and its magical and unique atmosphere, can be a perfect destination!
During Christmas and New Year’s time, a lot of festive events, concerts, exhibitions, markets and much more, will take place in the amazing city of Florence. The most charming and beautiful art town in Tuscany is truly a magical and suggestive place of rare beauty: Santa Maria Novella church and its fantastic facade, the Duomo and the wonderful Cupola del Brunelleschi, the fabulous Piazza della Signoria dominated by the Palazzo Vecchio, and the enchanting Ponte Vecchio.
If you go for Florence, in addition to the many concerts and events going on for all the period, I aIso highly recommend you visit the most important and amazing art gallery in the world; the Uffizi Gallery! Of course I suggest you book your tickets online and well in advance so to avoid the long queues. This the official website for Uffizi Gallery where to book your tickets.
An art exhibition I’ve recently visited and highly recommend is “Money and Beauty. Bankers, Botticelli and the Bonfire of the Vanitie” at Palazzo Strozzi.
You’ll also find lovely Christmas markets in Piazza Santa Croce and in Piazza della Repubblica, with a lot lovely objects.
The wonderful city of Siena can be another fantastic and ideal destination! Here you’ll breath a very magic atmosphere especially during Christams time. Strolling through the charming ancient alleys and majestic medieval palaces of its historical center is an experience!
That’s actually one of the most beautiful cities in the all world!
Siena can be the ideal Tuscan town where to pass New Year’s Eve! A unique and suggestive location where to welcome the arrival of the New Year!
The scenic volcanic Mount Amiata, to the south of Siena, is another good choice to pass your Christmas holidays! The region is beautiful! On Christmas Eve you may stop at the nice mountain village of Abbadia San Salvatore, where an atmospheric torchlight procession takes place in the town center. Here you will find a very interesting Christmas market in the ancient and suggestive mine; you may also visit the mine with the mineworkers’ train!
In Abbadia San Salvatore I suggest you visit the beautiful Abbey of San Salvatore, dating back to the 8th century; its interior has a nave decorated with frescoes and with 36 columns with carved capitals, supporting a very ancient and unique crypt, simply wonderful!
Another fantastic location for your Christmas holidays can be the amazing and beautiful Val d’Orcia region, still to the south of Siena, today a protected natural and cultural park.
Scenic avenues of cypress trees, soft rolling hillsides with differrent colours according to the changing of the seasons, isolated rural homes and country houses, characteristic farmhouses and agriturismo, outstanding and unmistakable hill top towns, amongst the most beautiful of all Tuscany and Italy.
Montalcino, San Quirico d’Orcia, Radicofani, Castiglion d’Orcia, Pienza, and Montepulciano are all magical and unforgettable places!
Some days ago I was in Montepulciano, staying in a fantastic apartment right in the historical center (I will soon tell you about this fantastic short break in Val d’Orcia), and there I found a very interesting Christmas market, in the prestigious setting of the Logge delle Mercanzia in the wonderful Piazza Grande. You’ll find a lot of handmade products of artistic manifacturing, together with local enogatronomic delicacies.
Stay in Tuscany for your festivities and feel the true spirit of Christmas! You’ll be really spoilt for choices!
