What to see in Viareggio

Viareggio is a beautiful Italian city located in the province of Lucca, in Tuscany. A corner of sand of the Versilia known above all for the carnival, the sea and the timeless melodies of Giacomo Puccini.
It has become a tourist destination par excellence of the summer tourism since the early years of the '900, thanks to its beaches and numerous accommodation facilities that every year attract Italian tourists and from all over the world.
Viareggio offers many attractions and activities to do for its visitors, residents are very focused on the image of the city that, in addition to Beach resorts, has a territory full of beautiful landscapes, cultural and natural that deserve to be discovered.
The city of Viareggio is also home to numerous cultural awards, which reward the most authoritative personalities of the sector, such as the Gaber Festival and the Viareggio Repaci Literary Prize.

The Carnival of Viareggio

Visit the city of Viareggio during the carnival period It is a unique experience that attracts visitors from all over the world, an ideal event to experience and immerse yourself in the local folklore and attend a show that has a unique artisan tradition behind the world.
In the Italian panorama the carnival of Viareggio it is comparable in beauty to that of Venice, with its own majestic wagons and traditional masks. The history of this carnival has its roots in 1800, when a group of young nobles decided to parade in masks during the Shrove Tuesday and create allegorical floats to be exhibited during the famous "Walk to the Sea". To deepen the subject it is worth a visit to the Citadel of Carnival where there are sixteen laboratories of tanks and the Museum of Carnival, which traces its history and popular traditions.

On the occasion of Shrove Tuesday in the famous "Passeggiata a Mare" the masks and the allegorical floats parade, made of papier-mâché by expert craftsmen: this technique makes them particularly light and malleable, allowing to create real works of art. In the 1920s the movement technique was introduced that allows the wagons to come to life and be particularly realistic, leaving the spectators young and old open-mouthed.
The typical mask of the viareggino carnival is Burlamacco, born in the 30s from an idea of Uberto Bonetti.

The gastronomic tradition of viareggina

One of the things to do during the visit to Viareggio is to experience the dishes of local gastronomic tradition. Naturally many typical dishes are based on fish, often coming from poor recipes and therefore characterized by the genuineness and goodness of raw materials.
Absolutely to try is the fried fish, or small fried fish that are eaten whole. Another typical dish are the cèe in the pan, prepared with garlic and sage, are often also proposed in modern combinations with the addition of other local ingredients.
A dish that combines flavors of the sea with those of the products of the countryside, they are the spernocchi with beans, eaten together with local bread and full-bodied oils.
For lovers of cooking and food and wine there are dishes based on mushrooms, game and sausages.

Viareggio between sea and Art Nouveau style

Viareggio is not only Carnival, who goes to the so-called "pearl of versilia" will find many beautiful landscapes, relaxation and enchanting examples of Liberty architecture.
The city was conquered by the Liberty style at the beginning of 1900, which became a real distinctive feature of local architecture, often combined with elements of taste Arabic. Many buildings were built in this style like Villa Bramanti and the so-called Mosque, or Villa Nistri.
A fire of 1917 destroyed many examples of Liberty buildings, this event gave way to new taste Art Deco which finds its maximum expression in Villa Argentina and Grand Caffè Margherita, where he loved to sit Giacomo Puccini.

A pleasant walk through the streets of the historic center of Viareggio allows you to appreciate small unique architectural jewels of their kind, all decorated with spiers, towers, glazes and flowers typical of the taste of the early '900. At that time Viareggio established itself as a favorite destination for summer holidays and here is the first bathing facilities in perfect Liberty style they began to populate the coast, inaugurating the tourist tradition of the summer holidays viareggine.

Unmissable stop for a weekend out of town in Viareggio is the Pineta di Ponente which is a real oasis of greenery, ideal to enjoy a break in peace after a long walk or a morning at the beach. The large green areas offer shelter from the heat and are ideal for a picnic. All around there are cycle paths, minigolf, bowling centers, bars, restaurants and areas equipped for children.
The viareggino coast It is a must for all those who wish to enjoy a summer holiday under the banner of sea and sun. Divided into two parts by the Dock, the coastline looks like a real strip of sand along four kilometers. Background to equipped beaches, camping and bathing facilities there is a pristine natural landscape that will surely satisfy nature lovers.

For those who like to enjoy a holiday without giving up shopping, the ideal destination in Viareggio is viale Giosué Carducci: boutiques of the most prestigious brands on the international scene flank the entire area, known as "La Passeggiata".
In Viareggio there are small museums, fascinating caskets dedicated to writers and musicians who have made the history of Italy. THE Civic Museums of Villa Paolina and Villa Borbone they attract viareggini and tourists with their collections, moreover in the fraction of Torre del Lago there is the villa where the composer Giacomo Puccini lived.
Art lovers will be satisfied even by a simple walk through the streets characterized by Liberty and Decò buildings, not by chance Viareggio has been a favorite destination for artists of national and international renown as Lorenzo Viani, Galileo Chini and Uberto Bonetti.