Life-changing experiences you must try in Tuscany

The birthplace of the Renaissance, home to the celebrated Chianti vineyards and sights of luscious, rolling hills, where truffle hunting is a yearly rite, and simple, rustic food will fill more than your belly, Tuscany is a place where life has become an art form in itself. Whether you are into food, art, nature or history, going to Tuscany is a cultural trip that will touch all your senses. You don’t need to pack everything up and buy a villa à la ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ to get your life-changing experience. It’s definitely a lot easier than that. So, awaken your wanderlust, dust off your bucket list: here are three incredible experiences you must try in Tuscany. 
 
1. Eat Your Way Through the Local Trattorias and Learn the Tuscan ‘Cucina Povera’
Fact: the most loved cuisine all over the world is Italian. Lesser known fact: in Italy, regional cuisine is where it’s at. And when speaking of Tuscan cuisine, we are talking about salumi, cheeses, hearty soups, creamy pâtés, succulent Florentine steak, wild boar ragu pasta, and much, much more, all to be washed down with the region’s celebrated wines such as a Chianti or Montepulciano red. Brace yourself, this ‘poor man’s cooking’ (cucina povera) will blow your mind and rewire your taste buds.

2. Immerse Yourself in the Artworks of History’s Greatest Masters
Tuscany is the cradle of the Renaissance, and famous for its artistic heritage. Go and visit Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, see Botticelli and Da Vinci’s masterpieces, and admire Michelangelo’s David at the Accademia Gallery. Florence on its own is enough to give you cultural vertigo, but if you can take any more, head over to the historic cities such as Pisa, Siena or take your pick from one of the 12 cities famous for their wonderfully preserved ruins of the ancient Etruscan civilization. 

3. Wander Through the Towns of Your Favorite Films
The multi-award winning film of Roberto Benigni, Life is Beautiful (1997) was shot all around the fairy tale town of Arezzo, where a stroll along the Piazza Duomo, Piazza Grande and the town’s quaint medieval streets will make you feel like you might just bump into Guido on his bicycle at any moment. Of course, don’t stop there – films such as The English Patient (1996), Gladiator (2000), Quantum of Solace (2008), all the way up to the teen hit The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2010) feature Tuscany’s magnificent towns, so make sure you come with plenty of time.