If you want to try something different on your next holiday to Tuscany then why not book a few tours to explore the depths of the elaborate cave systems that exist here? Visit some in Sovana in Grosetto province or a collection of huge caves in the Apuan Alps in Lucca province. Why not choose from a great selection of holiday rentals with great reviews in Castelnuovo di Garfagnana where there are plenty of excellent eateries and tourist attractions nearby.
Begin the day with a trip to the exciting ‘Citta del Tufo’ park in Sovana where tourists will see pathways cut deep into the soft volcanic rock called tufo that dates back to Etruscan times.
It is believed that they were used as both a drainage system and a site where religious rites took place. There are many Etruscan tombs here, religious symbols carved into the rock and there’s even a temple housing a tomb of what would have been a rich and powerful Etruscan person. Visit the nearby Tomba del Sileno which is the only circular tomb here. It was discovered in 1963 fully intact along with funerary items and urns that were left there too.
Begin the day with a trip to the exciting ‘Citta del Tufo’ park in Sovana where tourists will see pathways cut deep into the soft volcanic rock called tufo that dates back to Etruscan times.
It is believed that they were used as both a drainage system and a site where religious rites took place. There are many Etruscan tombs here, religious symbols carved into the rock and there’s even a temple housing a tomb of what would have been a rich and powerful Etruscan person. Visit the nearby Tomba del Sileno which is the only circular tomb here. It was discovered in 1963 fully intact along with funerary items and urns that were left there too.
There’s a museum nearby in Sovana that documents all evidence and information gathered from the caves and, for only €7, visitors can walk around it and enjoy a tour of caves and other places of interest in the area. Enjoy a trip to an ancient Etruscan village that was carved into the rock and inhabited below ground level, except for the church and fortress, or enjoy a visit to the Medieval and Renaissance museum in Sorano.
Tourists are guaranteed to thoroughly enjoy a visit to the Apuan Alps where there are two specific caves of interest; Grotta Giusti and La Grotta del Vento.
Grotta Giusti is a naturally formed cave which lies about a hot underground lake which is heated by magma flowing under the earth. This creates a pleasant sauna effect for visitors who visit here for spa treatments also!
Tourists are guaranteed to thoroughly enjoy a visit to the Apuan Alps where there are two specific caves of interest; Grotta Giusti and La Grotta del Vento.
Grotta Giusti is a naturally formed cave which lies about a hot underground lake which is heated by magma flowing under the earth. This creates a pleasant sauna effect for visitors who visit here for spa treatments also!
La Grotta del Vento is close by and means ‘The windy cave’. It provides a welcome breeze when Grotta Giusti gets too hot. Further down into this cave network are small pools that fill cavities of crystallised rock, trickling streams and stunning rock formations.
Two tours are available to book down here; one last an hour and simply involves walking around and admiring the view. The second lasts over three hours and involves wading through an underground stream to see where it goes and engaging in an exciting cave exploration sport called potholing. This involves abseiling, climbing and even swimming to explore cave systems.
Finally, it’s very worthwhile to explore the fascinating Grotta all‘Onda which is located on top of Monte Matenna in the province of Lucca. It is forty metres wide and sixty metres deep and used to be the dwelling of ancient humans called Neanderthals. Homo sapiens lived here at a later date and evidence is here of a hearth that they had built to cook food over and make tools.
Read through the next related article on other interesting caves and mines to visit on your next adventurous holiday to Tuscany!
Two tours are available to book down here; one last an hour and simply involves walking around and admiring the view. The second lasts over three hours and involves wading through an underground stream to see where it goes and engaging in an exciting cave exploration sport called potholing. This involves abseiling, climbing and even swimming to explore cave systems.
Finally, it’s very worthwhile to explore the fascinating Grotta all‘Onda which is located on top of Monte Matenna in the province of Lucca. It is forty metres wide and sixty metres deep and used to be the dwelling of ancient humans called Neanderthals. Homo sapiens lived here at a later date and evidence is here of a hearth that they had built to cook food over and make tools.
Read through the next related article on other interesting caves and mines to visit on your next adventurous holiday to Tuscany!
Photo credits
picture 1: Rinina25 / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Kessiye / CC BY-2.0;
picture 1: Rinina25 / CC BY-SA 3.0;
picture 2: Kessiye / CC BY-2.0;
