Prato

Besides the city and the province of Lucca as such, northern Tuscany also features some other cities and provinces which can be deemed tourist destinations in their own right. Prato, for instance, is the second largest city in the entire Tuscany, next to Florence, and reasons for visiting it refer to, for instance, the plethora of religious establishments the province is replete with, to the several historic buildings – of which the city walls dating back to the 14th century, the so called Castello dell’Imperatore, the Pretorian Palace and Palazzo Datini are the most notable – and for the fact that Prato is one of the hubs of the slow food movement.

Pistoia

Pistoia, on the other hand, is the least visited area in the entire Tuscany, though the province and the city alike are worth searching out. Its flower markets renowned in Italy, as well as a consistent architectural heritage – mainly substantiated by the highlights in Piazza del Duomo (Palazzo del Comune, Palazzo del Podesta, the Baptistery) and the Palazzo dei Vescovi, as well as the more than 20 religious establishments in the entire province – are enough reasons for making a short trip to Pistoia, at least by title of getting to know Tuscany in its entirety.

Carrara

Massa-Carrara, world famous for the invaluable marble extracted, more precisely, from the city of Carrara, is also a tourist destination one can always take seriously in consideration. This province and the cities pertaining to it have rich historic trajectories, certain landmarks dating back as far as the 12th century. The Cathedral of Carrara, the Church of Santa Maria Assunta, as well as the Church and Convent of San Francesco and the Church of the Suffragio, complemented by the Ducal Palace (all in Carrara) must be ticked off, should tourists want to make a noise about visiting Tuscany and knowing it in detail. But once in northern Tuscany, visitors should also keep in mind that the Malaspina Castle, the Cathedral (in Massa) and the Pietro Pellegrini botanical garden (all in Massa) make their way through as major objectives, which is why such landmarks should never be overlooked.