Massa
Massa travel guide - Things to do and see in Massa, Tuscany
Itinerary Massa: Sightseeing tours - bike tours - day tours - wine tours
Massa is the capital of the province Massa-Carrara, which is the most northern province of the Italian region Tuscany. The province has approx. 203.668 inhabitants (as of December 31st, 2011) living in 17 municipalities on a space of approx. 1.156 km².
In the west the province is bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea and Liguria (Province La Spezia), in the north there is Emilia-Romagna (province Parma and Province Reggio Emilia) and in the east it borders the province Lucca.
Things to see in Massa, Tuscany
Check our insider's travel guide to Massa, featuring the best Events of Massa, Night Live of Massa and sightseeing tours to discover the stunning landmarks, markets, churches, museums and monuments of Massa Tuscany.
Cathedral S. Andrea Apostolo, which was built between the 12th and 15th century with influences of Tuscan as well as Lombard style.
Palazzo di Lamba Doria, whose facade displays a change of layers from dark lime stone to Carrara marble.
Casa Pepetti is located at Santa Maria.
The Accademia di Belle Arti in Carrara is composed of the fort and the Palace of the Cybo.
Typical cuisine of Massa
Typical for the cuisine of Massa are the Taglierini with beans (taglierini con i fagioli) Tordelli with a meat filling (tordelli di carne) and the Lasagne with meat filling (lasagne intordellate). A special delicacy is the bacon of Colonnata (lardo di Colonnata), which needs to age minimum six month in marble bowls from Carrara steeped in various herbs and spices.
Are you planing a day trip to Massa or to the tuscany countryside? Please check our travel guide for the best restaurants in Massa, wine tasting courses or selected wine tours discovering the most famous tuscan wineries of the Chianti or the Brunello region guided by a certified Tuscan wine sommelier.
The lamb (agnello) from Zeri is very tender and sweet with a very intense taste. Another specialty is the rice cake (torta di riso) and the herb cake (torta d’erbe) with a filling of eggs, cheese and vegetables; famous are also the Testaroli of Lunigiana made from thin dough baked in cast-iron bowls called „Test“ and served with Pesto and Feta cheese.
Events of Massa, Tuscany
The event calendar offers various events, among them the “Bancarella” literature prize in Pontremoli in July, the national prize for paintings of the subject „sea-mountains-marble“ and the exhibition of marble crafts with the international sculpture symposium in Carrara.
In August the historical production of „Lizatura“ takes place in the setting of the marble stone pits.
„Disfida tra gli arcieri di terra e di corte” is a competition of the archers of the country and the court in Fivizzano.
Festivity of the city patron San Francesco in Massa.
Festivals of typical products, among them the „Sagra del Lardo in Colonnata“, a particularly prepared bacon, a festival dedicated to blueberries in Massa and the Sagra di San Domenichino in Marina di Massa.
Things to do in Massa, Tuscany
Discover the marvelous countryisde of Massa and Tuscany joining a grape harvest festival or olive harvest festival, taking a bicycile tour in Tuscany visiting one of the nature parks or follow up our tracking itinerary.
The hilly area offers many possibilities for excursions and walks, but also the opportunity to do sports like hiking (especially along the wild streams and the river Magra).
Mountain biking tours and fishing along the many streams.
The Lunigiana offers also the possibility to go skiing in the winter sports resort Zeri at the Due Santi-Pass, where you have a great view down to the sea.
Water sports are possible in Marina di Carrara where you can also find several tennis courts.
There are many possibilities for golfers in the surrounding area: Versilia Golf Club in Pietrasanta (18 holes), Golf Club Tirrenia (9 holes) and Cosmopolitan Golf & Country Club (18 holes).
If you want deeply to relax and re-charge all your energies a Spa journey would be perfect within your Massa or Tuscan holiday. Tuscany has many natural hot springs. In most towns there is a modern spa where hot springs water is brought into a swimming pool and you pay a daily ticket to use the pool.
Indulge your passion for Italian food or life style on a cookery holiday combined with language courses in Massa Tuscany and enjoy our hands-on cooking lessons and cookery courses in Tuscany Massa.
Beaches of Massa, Tuscany
Not far from the marble stone pits, sea resorts like Marina di Carrara, Marina di Massa and smaller seaside villages offer relaxation at the beach and the opportunity to do water sports. The beaches have fine and bright sand and lead smoothly into the water.
There are wave-breakers in the sea, thus the beach is protected and the water drains slowly. Optionally you can visit lidos or just go to the free beach. The private lidos rent sunbeds, changing rooms and sunshades and most of them have bars, many with restaurant service for a small lunch or snack.
Holiday in Massa or Tuscany countryside
The Coast line of Tuscany offers many splendid white beaches. An insider's guide to Tuscany's best beaches with reviews and what to do when you're there, chosen by our local experts.
Our portfolio of hand picked rental villas with pool, holiday houses, romantic country houses and cottages, apartments or rooms for rent with a view in Tuscany offers you authentic, charming and private accommodation for a unique holiday experience.
No matter if you favor family holidays, beach holidays, golf holidays, luxury holidays or a pet friendly accommodation, we have the best private rentals in Tuscany available for you!
Oddities
The biggest German style beer festivity takes place every year in the fair center of Marina di Carrara. A Bavarian team organizes the event in cooperation with Italians. It is part of an exchange program between the two partner cities Carrara and Ingolstadt which is existent since 962 AD.
In return the city Carrara organizes a wine event in Bavaria once a year. During the „Septemberfest“, this is how they call the festivity, you can taste typical Bavarian food and naturally various beer specialties. Of course a brass band with Bavarian folk music and traditional dances is present.
History
The town’s foundation dates back to the 9th century. During moving centuries Massa changed in the Middle Ages between the rule of the neighboring cities Lucca, Pisa, Milan and Florence. From the 10th century until the first half of the 13th century the ruling family Obertenga was based in Massa. The 13th and 14th centuries were hard times because both rulers and the individual powers alternated continuously.
In 1442 the epoch of the margraviate of Malaspina began. In the mid-16th century Alberico Cybo Malaspina campaigned to enlarge the small inherited state. The last heir of the Cybo Malaspina family, Maria Teresa, married in 1741 the Duke of Modena, Ercole Rinaldo d'Este. The state of Massa then later on went to her daughter Maria Beatrice and after her death in 1829 to Modena.
In 1860 the province of Massa-Carrara officially acceded to the Italian Empire. Between the two wars the Apuan Industrial Center developed. In recent years, in particular Massa’s tourism sector has grown distinctly.
Economy
Next to Carrara, Massa is the center of marble excavation in the Apuan Alps. Also many engineering and tool companies have settled in Massa for marble processing.
In addition, tourism plays a major role. In the much-visited resort towns there are numerous campsites, hotels and restaurants, as well as sports and leisure facilities and entertainment venues.
Climate
The climate in Massa-Carrara is temperate but warm. Over the course of the year, July is the warmest month with an average temperature of 22,9 ° C. The coldest month of the year is January with an average temperature of 6,6 ° C. The month listing the lowest rainfall with 28 mm is July.
Arrival
Accessible via highway Massa-Carrara
From the south: Take the highway "Autosole A1" to Florence then take the highway "Firenze Mare A11" and highway " Livorno-Genova A12 "
From the north: Take the highway "Autosole A1" to Parma, then the highway "Cisa A15" to S. Stefano and finally the "Genova-Livorno A12" highway. Exit Carrara
The nearest airport: Pisa International Airport, proceed with taxi, bus or train to Massa-Carrara
Train: various railway lines stop at the train station Carrara:
Ventimiglia-Genoa-Turin-Pisa-Florence-Rome
Livorno Milan
Genoa-Bologna-Parma
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Massa travel guide - Things to do and see in Massa, Tuscany
Massa
Massa travel guide - Things to do and see in Massa, Tuscany
Itinerary Massa: Sightseeing tours - bike tours - day tours - wine tours
Massa is the capital of the province Massa-Carrara, which is the most northern province of the Italian region Tuscany. The province has approx. 203.668 inhabitants (as of December 31st, 2011) living in 17 municipalities on a space of approx. 1.156 km².
In the west the province is bordered by the Tyrrhenian Sea and Liguria (Province La Spezia), in the north there is Emilia-Romagna (province Parma and Province Reggio Emilia) and in the east it borders the province Lucca.
Things to see in Massa, Tuscany
Check our insider's travel guide to Massa, featuring the best Events of Massa, Night Live of Massa and sightseeing tours to discover the stunning landmarks, markets, churches, museums and monuments of Massa Tuscany.
Cathedral S. Andrea Apostolo, which was built between the 12th and 15th century with influences of Tuscan as well as Lombard style.
Palazzo di Lamba Doria, whose facade displays a change of layers from dark lime stone to Carrara marble.
Casa Pepetti is located at Santa Maria.
The Accademia di Belle Arti in Carrara is composed of the fort and the Palace of the Cybo.
Typical cuisine of Massa
Typical for the cuisine of Massa are the Taglierini with beans (taglierini con i fagioli) Tordelli with a meat filling (tordelli di carne) and the Lasagne with meat filling (lasagne intordellate). A special delicacy is the bacon of Colonnata (lardo di Colonnata), which needs to age minimum six month in marble bowls from Carrara steeped in various herbs and spices.
Are you planing a day trip to Massa or to the tuscany countryside? Please check our travel guide for the best restaurants in Massa, wine tasting courses or selected wine tours discovering the most famous tuscan wineries of the Chianti or the Brunello region guided by a certified Tuscan wine sommelier.
The lamb (agnello) from Zeri is very tender and sweet with a very intense taste. Another specialty is the rice cake (torta di riso) and the herb cake (torta d’erbe) with a filling of eggs, cheese and vegetables; famous are also the Testaroli of Lunigiana made from thin dough baked in cast-iron bowls called „Test“ and served with Pesto and Feta cheese.
Events of Massa, Tuscany
The event calendar offers various events, among them the “Bancarella” literature prize in Pontremoli in July, the national prize for paintings of the subject „sea-mountains-marble“ and the exhibition of marble crafts with the international sculpture symposium in Carrara.
In August the historical production of „Lizatura“ takes place in the setting of the marble stone pits.
„Disfida tra gli arcieri di terra e di corte” is a competition of the archers of the country and the court in Fivizzano.
Festivity of the city patron San Francesco in Massa.
Festivals of typical products, among them the „Sagra del Lardo in Colonnata“, a particularly prepared bacon, a festival dedicated to blueberries in Massa and the Sagra di San Domenichino in Marina di Massa.
Things to do in Massa, Tuscany
Discover the marvelous countryisde of Massa and Tuscany joining a grape harvest festival or olive harvest festival, taking a bicycile tour in Tuscany visiting one of the nature parks or follow up our tracking itinerary.
The hilly area offers many possibilities for excursions and walks, but also the opportunity to do sports like hiking (especially along the wild streams and the river Magra).
Mountain biking tours and fishing along the many streams.
The Lunigiana offers also the possibility to go skiing in the winter sports resort Zeri at the Due Santi-Pass, where you have a great view down to the sea.
Water sports are possible in Marina di Carrara where you can also find several tennis courts.
There are many possibilities for golfers in the surrounding area: Versilia Golf Club in Pietrasanta (18 holes), Golf Club Tirrenia (9 holes) and Cosmopolitan Golf & Country Club (18 holes).
If you want deeply to relax and re-charge all your energies a Spa journey would be perfect within your Massa or Tuscan holiday. Tuscany has many natural hot springs. In most towns there is a modern spa where hot springs water is brought into a swimming pool and you pay a daily ticket to use the pool.
Indulge your passion for Italian food or life style on a cookery holiday combined with language courses in Massa Tuscany and enjoy our hands-on cooking lessons and cookery courses in Tuscany Massa.
Beaches of Massa, Tuscany
Not far from the marble stone pits, sea resorts like Marina di Carrara, Marina di Massa and smaller seaside villages offer relaxation at the beach and the opportunity to do water sports. The beaches have fine and bright sand and lead smoothly into the water.
There are wave-breakers in the sea, thus the beach is protected and the water drains slowly. Optionally you can visit lidos or just go to the free beach. The private lidos rent sunbeds, changing rooms and sunshades and most of them have bars, many with restaurant service for a small lunch or snack.
Holiday in Massa or Tuscany countryside
The Coast line of Tuscany offers many splendid white beaches. An insider's guide to Tuscany's best beaches with reviews and what to do when you're there, chosen by our local experts.
Our portfolio of hand picked rental villas with pool, holiday houses, romantic country houses and cottages, apartments or rooms for rent with a view in Tuscany offers you authentic, charming and private accommodation for a unique holiday experience.
No matter if you favor family holidays, beach holidays, golf holidays, luxury holidays or a pet friendly accommodation, we have the best private rentals in Tuscany available for you!
Oddities
The biggest German style beer festivity takes place every year in the fair center of Marina di Carrara. A Bavarian team organizes the event in cooperation with Italians. It is part of an exchange program between the two partner cities Carrara and Ingolstadt which is existent since 962 AD.
In return the city Carrara organizes a wine event in Bavaria once a year. During the „Septemberfest“, this is how they call the festivity, you can taste typical Bavarian food and naturally various beer specialties. Of course a brass band with Bavarian folk music and traditional dances is present.
History
The town’s foundation dates back to the 9th century. During moving centuries Massa changed in the Middle Ages between the rule of the neighboring cities Lucca, Pisa, Milan and Florence. From the 10th century until the first half of the 13th century the ruling family Obertenga was based in Massa. The 13th and 14th centuries were hard times because both rulers and the individual powers alternated continuously.
In 1442 the epoch of the margraviate of Malaspina began. In the mid-16th century Alberico Cybo Malaspina campaigned to enlarge the small inherited state. The last heir of the Cybo Malaspina family, Maria Teresa, married in 1741 the Duke of Modena, Ercole Rinaldo d'Este. The state of Massa then later on went to her daughter Maria Beatrice and after her death in 1829 to Modena.
In 1860 the province of Massa-Carrara officially acceded to the Italian Empire. Between the two wars the Apuan Industrial Center developed. In recent years, in particular Massa’s tourism sector has grown distinctly.
Economy
Next to Carrara, Massa is the center of marble excavation in the Apuan Alps. Also many engineering and tool companies have settled in Massa for marble processing.
In addition, tourism plays a major role. In the much-visited resort towns there are numerous campsites, hotels and restaurants, as well as sports and leisure facilities and entertainment venues.
Climate
The climate in Massa-Carrara is temperate but warm. Over the course of the year, July is the warmest month with an average temperature of 22,9 ° C. The coldest month of the year is January with an average temperature of 6,6 ° C. The month listing the lowest rainfall with 28 mm is July.
Arrival
Accessible via highway Massa-Carrara
From the south: Take the highway "Autosole A1" to Florence then take the highway "Firenze Mare A11" and highway " Livorno-Genova A12 "
From the north: Take the highway "Autosole A1" to Parma, then the highway "Cisa A15" to S. Stefano and finally the "Genova-Livorno A12" highway. Exit Carrara
The nearest airport: Pisa International Airport, proceed with taxi, bus or train to Massa-Carrara
Train: various railway lines stop at the train station Carrara:
Ventimiglia-Genoa-Turin-Pisa-Florence-Rome
Livorno Milan
Genoa-Bologna-Parma
