An ideal day in Montecatini Terme

The public park of La Pineta, the town’s green lung, is the place to start when spending a day in Montecatini Terme. Visitors are surrounded by the tranquility of nature, with walking trails winding through small hills, pine trees, and the Pineta stream, weaving through the parks of the thermal spas connected to it, such as Tamerici and Tettuccio.

It is possible to take a sip of thermal water under the structure’s portico decorated with Basilio Cascella‘s polychromatic ceramics, where one can find the marble basins containing the four springs for hydropinic treatment: Fonte Tettuccio, Fonte Regina, Fonte Leopoldina, and Fonte Rinfresco.

A few minutes’ walk along the pine forest is the world’s most historic funicular, dating back to 1898, which takes you to the medieval village of Montecatini Alto.
Its two red carriages – Gigio and Gigia – meet halfway along the route and connect the upper and lower parts of the town – parallel to the footpath through the greenery – known as “la corta” (short route).
Once arrived at the last stop, the panorama over the valley below allows visitors to see the symmetry between the greenery and architecture of the spa town, as well as the other nearby hillside villages of the Valdinievole.

The narrow stone streets then converge on the central Piazza Giusti – dedicated to the poet who lived there – where various refreshment places can be found. This is where visitors can stop for lunch, dinner or enjoy ice cream with the typical Montecatini wafer – a two-layer biscuit containing crumbled almonds and sugar.

In the afternoon, a walk through the streets of the spa centre and a stop at the Mo.C.A. (Montecatini Contemporary Art) museum – located within the historic town hall on Viale Verdi – and then continue the evening with a pleasant dinner in one of the venues in the centre, followed by a musical opera or show at the Verdi Theatre, which hosts internationally renowned performers on its programme.