The fashionable resort town of Forte dei Marmi is located in the Tuscany region on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The history of the city began in the 16th century with the construction of the port, which was used to ship marble quarried in the nearby Apuan Mountains. Later, at the end of the 18th century, on the orders of the Grand Duke Leopold I, a fortress was erected on the shore to protect the settlement from raids from the sea. It was then that the current name of the city of Forte dei Marmi appeared, meaning "fortress made of marble."
A popular resort of Forte dei Marmi in Italy became in the middle of the last century - at first Italian aristocrats and celebrities drew attention to it, later - wealthy tourists from around the world, including from Russia. By the year 2000, the resort gained fame as a favorite vacation spot for Russian businessmen who bought about 30% of the city’s residential real estate.
This seaside resort is attractive due to its excellent beaches, picturesque gardens and meadows, pleasant climate, well-developed infrastructure - the villas and hotels of Forte dei Marmi are considered the most comfortable on the coast.
In summer, the air temperature in Fort dei Marmi rarely rises above + 30C
Climate and weather
Weather in Forte dei Marmi typical of Italian seaside resorts - summers are dry and warm, winters are mild and wet. The beach season lasts from June to September, rains during this period are extremely rare, the air temperature rises to + 28C, the sea warms up to + 23C. But the most impatient tourists come to Forte dei Marmi in May - at this time it is warm and sunny enough for sunbathing on beaches, walking in picturesque surroundings, sightseeing.
How to get to Forte dei Marmi
Getting to Forte dei Marmi is a snap - the city has the Forte dei Marmi-Seravezza-Querceta train station, where trains from Pisa, 30 kilometers away, as well as Genoa, La Spezia, Pietrasanta, Florence, arrive. The train station is 700 meters from the resort center. You can find tickets for the right dates here.
Trains from Pisa, Genoa, Florence arrive at the railway station Forte dei Marmi
With other resorts of the Tyrrhenian coast, the resort is connected by bus. Also get to Forte dei Marmi from any of the airports in the vicinity, be it Genoa, Pisa or Florence, you can also order a taxi to your arrival. It is easiest to do this online using this service.
You can get to the city on your own - on a rented car. Hiring a car is easy on arrival in Italy right at the airport. However, in this case there is a high probability of a significant overpayment: Italian car rentals are known for their low prices, and at the same time for the ability to hide additional payments in related services.
You can drive to Forte dei Marmi on your own - with a rental car
So, already after registering a car for rent, you can find out that most of the insurance is not included in the price or that the selected package provides for a daily mileage limit.
To avoid such nuances, it makes sense to use the popular European Rentalcars car rental price comparison service. The system, which is based on hundreds of thousands of offers from various car rentals, in a few seconds finds the best one at the chosen location and rental dates, providing complete information about what is included and not included in the price. If desired, the option you like can be booked instantly.
This is especially true in the seasonal months, when the load on car rental increases and most of the economy options are bought by European tourists in advance. Thus, planning a rental on the spot, you can not only significantly overpay, but also generally be left without a car.
Hotels in Forte dei Marmi
We have already noted that Forte dei Marmi hotels - one of the most comfortable on the Tyrrhenian coast. Most of them are surrounded by magnificent tropical gardens, in the territory of which there are swimming pools, recreation areas, sports grounds, golf courses, tennis courts.
Hotels Forte dei Marmi - one of the most comfortable on the Tyrrhenian coast
Here there are luxurious four- and five-star apartments of world hotel chains, and several budget three-star hotels. Secured villas, built in the traditional Tuscan style, are very popular among wealthy tourists - they, unlike hotels in which rooms are rented for any period, are rented for at least a month, and more often - for the whole summer.
The best selection of hotels in Forte dei Marmi with their description, photos of rooms and the surrounding area, as well as numerous traveler reviews can be found on the link below. If you wish, you can book your favorite room in a few minutes.
What to see in Forte dei Marmi and the surrounding area
Despite the rather modest size of the town, you will not be bored here. The main attraction of the resort is an ancient fortress, which gave the name to the city. A tour of the fort is recommended to all tourists who first arrived at the resort. The marble warehouse is also noteworthy - one of the first urban buildings dating from 1618.
Marconi SquareSituated at the foot of the fort, every Wednesday and Sunday during the tourist season turns into a grandiose market where you can buy homemade cheeses, excellent Italian wines, fashionable clothes and shoes, and various souvenirs. In addition, boutiques and shops of famous designer brands, open until late in the evening, are scattered throughout the city.
Another city square of Forte dei Marmi is Piazza Dante on the second weekend of each month it becomes a center for the sale of antique goods. In this antique market you can find many interesting items for the home, paintings, figurines, antique dishes, books, postcards, jewelry.
The main attraction of Forte dei Marmi is an ancient fortress
On Garibaldi Square, located in the city center, is the Museum of Satire and Caricature. His collections contain originals of paintings and sketches of both medieval and contemporary artists, a large library, as well as audio and video materials. Every year, in late September - early October, the museum hosts satirical competitions in which writers, journalists, and artists take part. The museum has a bookstore where you can purchase your favorite literature.
Forte dei Marmi has many historic villas, some of which are open to visitors. Among them, one can distinguish Villa Bertelli, which is the center of numerous cultural events - theater performances, concerts, exhibitions. In the quarter of Roma Imperial, there are villas designed by architects such as Gio Ponti, Mikelucci, Pagano, which are of historical and cultural value.
At the end of August, fans of folk traditions gather at the resort at the Sant'Ermete festival, dedicated to the patron saint of the city. Within the framework of this festival, a craft fair, wine tasting, fun and noisy festivities are held, a festive lottery is organized, and the culmination of the event becomes a traditional firework.
A very interesting open-air theater located in Torre dol Lago in the villa Giacomo Puccini, where the famous composer wrote his best works. Every summer, a festival is organized here, bearing the name of the legendary composer, which attracts musicians and music lovers from all over the world.
From Forte dei Marmi you can go on a road trip to cities located nearby - visit Livorno, Pisa, Siena, Grosseto, Arezzo, Prato, Fiesollo, Florence. Boat trips to Portofino, as well as to the islands of Elba and Capri, are organized from the port. Those wishing to conquer the mountain peaks should take a trip to the Alps, so as you climb the mountains, admire the emerald meadows, pastures and pine forests.
The beaches of Forte dei Marmi
The superb sandy beaches of Forte dei Marmi are some of the best in the country: clean, well-groomed, well-equipped, they stretch along the entire coast. The beaches are perfect for families, water sports, all kinds of water activities. Most of them are paid - renting a pair of sun loungers and an umbrella in high season costs about 20 euros.
The beaches of Forte dei Marmi are some of the best in Italy.
Part the beaches of Forte dei Marmi owned by hotels - guests can relax on them for free. Public free beach areas are located on the outskirts of the resort, but the number of vacationers on them is so great that you will have to forget about comfort.
In the northern part of the city is the beach of Marina Dei Ronchi, in the southern part - the most prestigious beach of Twiga resort. Like many modern seaside resorts, there is also a small nudist beach called Santa Maria.
Not far from Forte dei Marmi is the resort town of Marina di Massa, famous for a small, but no less well-groomed and picturesque beach.
Photos by: Cyril Attias, Ivan Struk, wikimapia, Cyril Attias, BONSAhI Collection, kristidiller, Roman Königshofer.