With Italy comes wine and there are plenty of vineyards to visit outside of Forte dei Marmi. Salvatore suggests Tenuta del Buonamico in particular; located right outside of Lucca, this is a place where guests can learn about regional wines and enjoy a tasting with lunch. For a more off-the-beaten-track experience, Salvatore is also able to arrange a visit to a very under the radar vineyard. This is an opportunity only available to guests of Hotel Byron, as it is a personal friend of Salvatore’s who provides access.
 
And of course, with wine comes food. The Byron can organize a food tour where guests will visit shops that specialize in delicacies typical of the area including “Lardo di Colonnata” – a specialty meat aged in marble, olive oil, chocolate and prosciutto. A variety of cooking classes can be held for both children and adults, and guests who want a real “behind the scenes,” authentic experience can accompany Hotel Byron’s chef to the fish market in the morning.

Staying at Hotel Byron means being surrounded by the Apuan Alps where Carrara marble is mined. The hotel offers guests the opportunity to visit artists who are creating incredible sculptures out of this marble the very same way artists like Michelangelo did centuries ago (fun fact – Michelangelo used Carrara marble to create perhaps his most well-known masterpiece, the David). A visit to the charming sculptors’ town of Pietrasanta where many of the artists’ works are displayed is a perfect complement to a morning in Carrara.
 
Just 40 minutes from Hotel Byron is the walled city of Lucca which is certainly worth a visit. Never incredibly overrun by tourists, there are also beautiful villas, museums and gardens right outside of the city. 40 minutes in a different direction will take guests to Pisa with its Leaning Tower and Piazza dei Miracoli. Of course, the Byron can suggest the best culture activities in both of these cities.
 
Lucca’s biggest event each year is the Lucca Summer Festival held in July and this year the highlight is sure to be Sir Elton John’s performance as part of his farewell tour. For opera lovers, there is the Pucci Opera Festival in Torre del Lago (just 20 minutes from the Byron) where all operas written by the late Maestro Puccini will be performed in a beautiful open-air theater (the former home and museum dedicated to Puccini, located in Lucca, can also be visited). The hotel can of course get tickets to both of these festivals. The most exclusive of these opportunities, however, is the chance to dine with Andrea Bocelli. After viewing his concert at Teatro del Silenzio in the Tuscan countryside, Salvatore can arrange for your clients to join Bocelli in his home for a late dinner and after-party.

An especially enjoyable experience available to guests is to take a private boat tour of the Cinque Terre. A full day excursion, the boat comfortably fits 12 people and tours the 5 different areas without ever having to leave the boat (except for a delicious seafood lunch, of course). Guided treks can be done in the Apuan Alps and the Cinque Terre, water sports and cycling in Forte dei Marmi, and canyoning a bit further out in the mountains.
 
Walking around Forte dei Marmi you cannot help but notice the impressive offering of luxury boutiques that line the streets. Shops include Prada, Versace, Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Louis Vuitton, and the Byron has personal shopper available to assist your clients.

Contact

Salvatore Madonna, CEO & Owner 
s.madonna@hotelbyron.net

Links
Hotel Byron Hiking & Cycling Guide
Hotel Byron Top Experiences
New Penthouse Suite

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