Things to do in

Colonnata

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.

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.

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 :)