Carrara

Tours

Look inside the vast white wounds that open up on the wild slopes of Carrara. Learn how the quarries have provided marble to towns and cities across Italy for more than 2,000 years.Hear about the history of the marble used to build the Pantheon and Trajan's Column in Ancient Rome, along with many sculptures of the Renaissance. Drive to different active quarries of up to 1,000 meters above sea level. Get in touch with the people, places, and machinery of an ancient tradition. Follow the winding roads of the Colonnata Valley and get detailed explanations about the old and modern excavation process. Before visiting a unique underground quarry, take panoramic pictures of a terraced quarry in the Miseglia Valley. Stop to taste some Lardo di Colonnata IGP on the way back to the starting point. Enjoy this traditional charcuterie product obtained from pork fat and cured in marble bowls.

Our tour lasts approximately two and a half hours and includes visits to the three quarries of Colonnata, Miseglia, and Torano, all aboard off-road vehicles, which allow access to sites that are impossible to reach by any other means of transport. You will enter several working quarries, both open-air and underground, and finally, the entry into the impressive "Cattedrale del Marmo" (marble cathedral, an underground quarry) will leave you speechless. The tour includes a tasting of the famous Lardo di Colonnata. Two departures daily, morning and afternoon. On request, sunset day trip and visit to a sculpture studio. Our four-legged friends are always welcome (please notify us in advance to allow for adequate space in the vehicle). Meeting point: Piazza Vittorio Veneto (in front of the Carrara dei Marmi obelisk) Carrara. Maximum delay allowed: 15 minutes after departure time.

Tour of Michelangelo's Quarries and Carrara Art Studios Discover the beating heart of marble sculpture with a fascinating tour of Michelangelo's iconic quarries and Carrara's art studios. A unique experience that will take you to the place where the famous Renaissance master personally chose the marble for immortal works such as the Pietà and David. What to expect from the tour: Visit to Michelangelo's Quarries – Immerse yourself in the history of the famous quarries of the Polvaccio basin, where the finest marble blocks were extracted and then shaped into timeless masterpieces. Discover the ancient extraction techniques and admire the breathtaking landscape of the Apuan Alps. Exploration of Carrara's art studios – After visiting the quarries, the tour continues to the art workshops where marble comes to life under the hands of internationally renowned sculptors. You will have the opportunity to observe the working process up close, from the initial idea to the creation of extraordinary works, using both traditional and innovative techniques. Historical and cultural insights – An expert tour guide will take you through centuries of history, telling you about the unbreakable bond between Carrara, its master stonecutters, and the artists of all ages who have found inspiration in this material. Experience – Enjoy an unforgettable journey through past and present, discovering an artistic tradition that continues to make Carrara a world reference point for marble sculpture. Book now and let yourself be captivated by the magic of Carrara marble!

Pick up service from Carrara or from nearby areas. We will approach the quarry n° 177 in Colonnata by four wheel drive and from there on, take a walking tour to visit one the oldest quarries still in progress. Between acient roman columns and antique manufacturings we will talk about excavation and processing techniques over the past centuries; while walking inside the extractive heart of the quarry you will able to observe the daily used machineries and analyze the different marble themes, its extraction and transportation, its origin, its trade and other curiosities. The tour will continue by four wheel drive through the old marble railroad that will lead us to the famous bridges of Vara for a stop and a taste of the lardo of Colonnata and it will go on until we reach one of the highest quarries of the area through a partly paved, partly dirt road, to enjoy the breathtaking view from the quarries to the sea. RECOMMENDED hiking shoes or sport shoes/sneakers Sun glasses

Explore the white gold of the Apuan Alps. The great expedition in the footsteps of Michelangelo. Directly from the La Spezia Cruise Terminal (or from a previously agreed location/individual pickup) we drive to Carrara, 20 minutes away. Here we begin our small-group-journey up the white marble-dust covered serpentine roads of the mountains of the Iigurian-tuscan coast. Experience an unforgettable excursion into the marble heart of the Apuan Alps. Let yourself be carried away into a fascinating world for 6,5-7 hours. Explore an Italy as you have never seen it before: In a practical car (often an off-road Fiat Panda), we follow old transport roads high up into the mountains, past a sculptor's workshop and through archaic, mysterious transport tunnels. We reach the mighty "Cathedral of white Marble", a majestic quarry in the middle of the mountain, which we visit with a guided tour. After a 5-minute drive, we then reach the mountain village of Colonnata. It is famous for its lardo, the spicy bacon matured in marble troughs, invented by the slaves in ancient Rome. The now world-famous delicacy helped the "cavatori" to get enough energy during their hard work on the stone. In the next stop, we visit one of the oldest quarries high up on the mountain. On this archaeological site, you will learn how the Romans once brought marble to Rome and enjoy a fantastic view all the way to the sea. On the tour is the possibility to taste regional specialities or have lunch. (The type of meal depends on the seasonal opening hours of the local providers). The tour ends in the lively Marina di Carrara, where you can enjoy the best ice cream in the area. Here you can admire the large square in front of the church, whose floor is entirely made of marble. From Marina di Carrara, we will take you back to the starting point. (Route changes are possible) Your host, Clemens, speaks German, English, Italian and an intermediate level of French. He is a musician, composer and the son of a sculptor. In his childhood, he spent a lot of time in Carrara, because he accompanied his father in the selection and purchase of the famous and snow-white "Marmo Statuario". Clemens accompanies the tour with his music and knows a lot about the precious stones. About CARRARA: Just beyond the Tuscan-Ligurian coast, the fantastic backdrop of mountains rising to over 1900 m opens up. The tour leads into the interior of the marble quarries with their over 2000-year history. It is a journey into another, traditional and fabulous world of a precious and world-famous rock: Carrara marble. The material from which monumental columns and the noblest works of art are made. Here, history and the present, nature and technology, ancient craftsmanship and ingenious art are mixed. The tour shows not only quarries, but the beauty of a region, its people and its cuisine. A region that has always achieved its prosperity from the export of white gold and its cordiality from the hard work on the stone.

MINIMUM NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS: 4 If there are fewer than 4 participants, the tour will not take place. You will depart in an elegant Mercedes minivan for the Carrara Quarries and, crossing the road that winds like a snake to the top of the mountain, you will pass the famous Vara Bridges which, together with the evocative tunnels carved into the rock, formed the "former Marble Railway." Departure is scheduled from Marina di Massa at the following meeting points: Villa Cuturi and Partaccia Info Point. We will head directly to the heart of the marble basins to visit the interior of a closed quarry that is still in operation. This is a shared guided visit lasting just under an hour in what is known as the "Cathedral of Marble," where the extraction techniques, machinery, and history of this precious material will be illustrated. Here you can admire a reproduction of Michelangelo's "CREATION OF ADAM," created by international artist Ozmo, which stands imposingly at 160 square meters in the center of our gallery. You will have the opportunity to discover this magical place where Michelangelo found the block that gave life to the famous Pietà. Afterwards, we will take a walk through the streets of the village of Colonnata, where you will be able to taste Lardo di Colonnata and other local products. Colonnata is the oldest village in the Carrara marble quarries and is home to a unique local product, Lardo di Colonnata, which was the typical lunch of the quarry workers. We will immerse you in this gastronomic experience, tasting Lardo di Colonnata as well as other local cold cuts and cheeses, usually accompanied by Sgabei (small pieces of fried bread). Included in the price: 1 bottle of water, other drinks and wine not included. IMPORTANT: The languages available during the tour inside the quarry are: Italian - English - French - German. The driver is not a tour guide.

The only Carrara marble tour that allows you to get in a real cave. Nice to meet you! We are drivers and tour leaders... we would like to show you an hidden gem of Tuscany! I will pick you up with my professional van from the area of Lucca or Pisa and I will bring you up on the mountain of Carrara. We will reach the cave and we will jump in a 4x4 Jeep that can drive us inside. A professional tour guide will explain you everything about the story of this legendary place: not only how they work and they extract the marble, but also how they are producing a special wine or how to recognize a real Carrara marble from a fake one. At the end of tour, we will get out from the cave and I will drive you up in the little village of Colonnata: a very small and authentic place famous for a very tasty kind of salami... "lardo di colonnata" ! I can bring you in the best food shop to buy a piece of lard or try to book a local restaurant for a tasting! A tour off the beaten path :)

An opportunity to visit places that are normally not accessible, as well as a unique experience for those who have never seen a marble quarry up close. A tour which, climbing along the vineyards of the Candia Hills, will present us with an unexpected panorama overlooking the sea, and then descending along a short descent which will make us find ourselves in the square which leads to the famous Caves. Followed by a characteristic zigzag climb on the so-called "ravaneti", narrow, dirt roads made white by marble dust, the same ones that are traveled on working days by acrobatic drivers of trucks loaded with blocks of the precious material. We will climb up towards the town of Colonnata, where a stop will be a must to enjoy a delicious taste of its famous Lardo. After the well-deserved refreshment, we will descend towards the city of Carrara, so as to be able to cross it in its entirety and have a brief taste of its architectural beauty, and then return to the starting point. An experience that we would truly recommend to everyone!

Travel in a 4x4 vehicle in the basin of the Apuan Alps on a full-day tour of discovery and adventure. See the marble of Carrara, where Michelangelo found raw material for some of his most famous works (such the DAVID). Your day begins with pick-up at your hotel or cruise ship. Private driver with van. Then you will be transferred to Pisa or Lucca and then to Carrara, where you will drive up the Carrara Marble Mountains. Stop to admire the incredible marble mountains of Miseglia and Fantiscritti, then continue to the latter where you will meet your guide. Pile into a 4x4 vehicle with your group, traveling to an altitude of 3,280 feet (1,000 meters) above sea level. Here you will be taken on a tour of 30 active quarries, which draws 25,000 tons of marble per month. Then learn about the operations and the machinery used to extract marble. From here, admire your surroundings, including a cave, the sea, the town of Porto Venere, the mountain ranges of Cinque Terre, and the Gulf of La Spezia. Continue driving, stopping off to visit Pisa or Lucca, before returning to your ship at 17:30.

Explore the white marble of Carrara and its main product, a delicious cured meat known as "Lardo". Join a great adventure in Colonnata, a little town nestled in the Alpi Apuane where the famous white marble used for the David by Michelangelo is quarried. Visit the little town and learn about the production of this incredible delicious cured meat. Visit the aging process, a charming room full of white marble boxes where the "Lardo" sleeps for more than 1 year. Learn and understand the process from one of the last local producers born and raised producing this incredible famous product of Tuscany. Pair learning with fun, and enjoy a tasting of different cured meats prepared with "Lardo" and their cheeses, their handmade marmalade, and of course, wine. Be driven along scenic drives with tunnels and bridges, exploring the incredible mountains where the most famous marble is extracted. Sightsee this incredible undiscovered part of Tuscany, driving along roads that are breathtaking. Decide on the day of the tour with your guide if you want to stop for lunch (with an extra cost) WHEN YOU BOOK: Let us know if you want to add the entrance to a quarry (with an extra cost) or a 4x4 drive (with an extra cost)