L'Alba Hotel
Marina di Pietrasanta - Via Cristoforo Colombo N° 23
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Always a favourite destination for actors, footballers and show business personalities, Forte dei Marmi is one of the most exclusive resorts in Tuscany. It is located in Versilia, in the province of Lucca, not far from the border with the province of Massa-Carrara. It is on its kilometre-long, golden beach that it is possible to meet VIPs of all kinds and backgrounds, just as it is here that photographers gather in search of the perfect gossip for the front pages of the tabloids.
But beyond its glamorous appearance, which some may even find irritating, Forte dei Marmi remains a splendid holiday resort, a town that is very pleasant to visit for its centre full of shops, boutiques and open-air bars, and for its wonderful beach, fully equipped and perfectly maintained by the owners of the bathing establishments.
If you have decided that Forte dei Marmi will be the destination of your next summer holiday, you should know that you will have to raise your budget a little: everything is very expensive here, from the rental of beach umbrellas and sunbeds, which goes up to 100 euro per day, to the drinks at the bar. Not to mention hotels and parking. But if you can afford it, leave now: you will find one of the most intriguing destinations in Italy waiting for you. If, on the other hand, you cannot, keep in mind that Forte dei Marmi is an hour’s drive from Florence, half an hour from Pisa and only 20 minutes from Viareggio: don’t miss it, you might regret it.
Since the end of the 19th century, Forte dei Marmi has been a renowned seaside resort, so much so that its first establishment, the Onda Marina, dates back to 1904. Today, more than a hundred years later, many others have sprung up alongside it, almost all dedicated to elite tourism. They all overlook the beautiful Forte dei Marmi beach, a tongue of fine, golden sand that stretches the length of the entire municipal area.
The entire beach is equipped, with bathing establishments following one another. Choose your favourite on the basis of the services it offers, or simply on the basis of the price of renting sunbeds and umbrellas. Some have very few umbrellas, which, by the way, leave almost immediately, positioned far apart to ensure maximum privacy and as much space as possible. Many have a swimming pool, others are specially designed for families with children.
Practically all Forte dei Marmi bathing establishments have an in-house bar or restaurant, where you can have lunch or dinner, and basic services such as reception, hot showers, changing rooms, toilets and a lifeguard.
At the northern end of the municipal territory, practically on the border with Cinquale, formerly in the province of Massa-Carrara, is the free beach Le Dune, part of the WWF oasis of the Forte dei Marmi Dunes. It is a free beach, equipped with a lifeguard service and some basic services such as a toilet, shower and changing rooms. The beach is well-maintained, wide and clean, and is the perfect solution for spending a day at the sea without having to spend money to rent sunbeds and umbrellas.
The free Le Dune beach also has a free car park, and a bar that provides everything you need for lunch as well. In spite of everything, the beach is generally not too crowded, but it becomes so during the weekends in high season. It should also be noted that the beach is open to dogs.
Don’t expect a historic centre with medieval monuments or baroque churches: you don’t go to Forte dei Marmi to visit, but to live. Strolling through the streets of the elegant centre, perfectly groomed, you will find several boutiques, high-end shops and fashionable bars waiting for you. There is something for everyone, but if you want to visit, here are the best attractions in town.
The ‘fortino’, officially Forte Lorenese or Forte Leopoldo I, is located in the centre of Forte dei Marmi, and is a military construction that soon became the symbol of the town. In the past serving as a defence and marble warehouse, Forte Lorenese is a single building with a quadrangular plan, composed of two structures built one on top of the other.
In the 20th century, after being used first as a casa del fascio and then as a post office, it became the seat of the Museum of Satire and Caricature, created from the works that were submitted to the political satire award held in 1973. The museum houses numerous works by illustrators, painters, humourists and cartoonists, who have made satire their strong point. The museum library also contains numerous collections of historical Italian and foreign newspapers and magazines published between the end of the 19th century and the 20th century.
A natural border between Forte dei Marmi and Marina di Pietrasanta, the Versiliana Park is physically located within the municipal territory of Marina di Pietrasanta, but is nevertheless to be counted among the things to see in Forte dei Marmi.
The park has a surface area of about 80 thousand square metres, and stretches along the coast for over a kilometre. Inside, it offers a large forest heritage, very rich from a naturalistic and environmental point of view: there are in fact areas with holm oaks and pines with dense undergrowth, alternating with areas of clearing; the Versiliana park is traversed by a canal, the banks of which are rich in reeds and fertile territory for turtles and moorhens.
It is possible to enter the Versiliana park on foot and walk the length and breadth of the park via the dense network of paths, which are also an excellent opportunity to escape the summer heat.
Finally, every year the park is the setting for the La Versiliana festival, held throughout the summer from July to September: every day there are cultural events, concerts, plays, film screenings and much more.
Forte dei Marmi is also known for its nightlife: many of Versilia’s nightlife venues are in fact located here. Let us begin with the first common misunderstanding: the most famous club in Forte dei Marmi is not here, but in Marina di Pietrasanta. We are obviously talking about Twiga, Flavio Briatore and Daniela Santanchè’s exclusive beach club, by the sea with a swimming pool and lounge area, which comes alive from the afternoon onwards, and brings its patrons to enjoy themselves until late at night.
Then there is the Capannina di Franceschi, for everyone simply ‘la Capannina’, one of the historic clubs of the Versilia nightlife, and still very fashionable even among the youngest. Then there are other up-and-coming venues, such as the Almarosa Art Music Bar, excellent for the night movida, the Riviera Lounge Club Bistrot, which comes alive to the rhythm of cocktails and live music, and a series of small bars, such as Caffè Morin, where there is excellent nightlife.
Also very popular are the beach clubs, ‘simple’ bathing establishments where people dance, socialise and stay on the beach for aperitifs and beyond.
There are more than 50 hotels in the small Forte dei Marmi, some of which are 5-star, suitable for a super-demanding clientele. But it is also possible to adapt to more spartan structures, as there are 7 one- or two-star hotels. Also very much in vogue are flats for rent, which are often real villas, with extra-luxury facilities such as a swimming pool or private sauna.
As for the best place to stay, it obviously depends on the type of holiday you intend to take. If what you are looking for is relaxation on the beach, look for accommodation a stone’s throw from the sea, perhaps with private parking, so that you can get to your beach umbrella in a few minutes’ walk. Otherwise, head close to the centre, you will certainly hear more noise but you will be in the heart of Forte dei Marmi life.
Forte dei Marmi is located in Versilia, an area of Tuscany very well served by the major communication arteries. In fact, the A11 Firenze-Mare motorway runs parallel to the coast, so distances, although long in kilometres, are considerably shorter in time.
To go from the centre of Florence to Forte dei Marmi takes just over an hour, while from Pisa it takes less than 40 minutes. The provincial capital Lucca is about half an hour away, but Massa is the closest Tuscan province: only 20 minutes by car. Whatever your origin, take the A11 motorway and exit at the Versilia tollgate: from here to the centre of Forte dei Marmi there are only 4 kilometres.
If you plan to arrive in Forte dei Marmi by public transport, the railway station of interest is Forte dei Marmi Seravezza-Querceta, on the Genoa-Pisa line. Regional trains to and from Pisa and Florence stop here, so connectivity with the Tuscan railway network is guaranteed. Once you get off the train, you will find local public transport buses waiting for you, operated by CTT Nord Lucca: the E35 line takes you directly to Forte dei Marmi in about 20 minutes.
What's the weather at Forte dei Marmi? Below are the temperatures and the weather forecast at Forte dei Marmi for the next few days.
Forte dei Marmi is located in Versilia, in the province of Lucca. It is more or less halfway along the coast, bordered by Marina di Pietrasanta to the south and Marina di Massa to the north.
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