What to do & see in Tuscany, Italy in 2026

Tuscany Travel Blog 2026

Tuscany Experiences, News, Events & Things to Do

Anastasia Bakker Tuscany, Italy October 31, 2026

What Italians Eat for Christmas: A Delicious Tour of Italy

If you’re wondering what do Italians eat for Christmas, you might be surprised to discover that there isn’t one typical Italian Christmas dinner. What ends up on the table depends very much on where you live. From handmade pasta in rich meat broth in the north to seafood feasts along the southern coast, every region has its own traditional dishes, festive sweets and recipes passed down through generations.

So, what does a typical Italian Christmas dinner actually look like? Let’s travel from the Alps to the Mediterranean islands to discover 20 regional Christmas menus, traditional Italian Christmas food and a few delicious surprises along the way.

Read More

Anastasia Bakker Tuscany, Italy October 30, 2026

How to Make Your House Look Like an Italian Villa (Without Moving to Italy)

How to Make Your House Look Like an Italian Villa (Without Moving to Italy) Almost everyone who visits Tuscany comes home with the same quiet wish: to bring a little of that feeling back with them. The warm light on old plaster walls, the shade of a pergola, the cool terracotta underfoot. The good news is that an Italian villa style home is not about square footage or a Mediterranean climate. It is about a handful of simple choices that you can make in a house in London, Toronto, Sydney or Texas.

In this guide you will find six practical steps to make your house look like an Italian villa, from the wall color and the floors to the front door, the furniture and a small courtyard garden. You can do all of them, or start with just one. Each idea works for a full renovation or for a weekend project.

Read More

Anastasia Bakker Tuscany, Italy October 29, 2026

5 Tuscan Kitchen Design Elements That Will Surprise You

5 Tuscan Kitchen Design Elements That Will Surprise You Close your eyes and picture a Tuscan kitchen. For many people the image is a bright yellow wall, a border of painted grapes and a shelf of matching ceramic roosters. It is a charming picture, but it is mostly a catalog invention, and it has very little to do with how real kitchens look in the hills around Siena, Florence and Arezzo.

Authentic Tuscan kitchen design grew out of farm life. These were working rooms where bread was baked, meat was roasted over an open fire and the whole family gathered at one table. Every element had a job to do, and the beauty came as a side effect of function and age.

Read More

Anastasia Bakker Tuscany, Italy October 22, 2026

Tuscany Christmas Markets 2026

Dates, locations and highlights of the 2026 Christmas markets in Tuscany: Arezzo, Montepulciano, Florence, Siena, Lucca, Pisa, Pistoia and more Christmas is one of the most magical times to visit Tuscany. From traditional German-style Christmas markets and Alpine-inspired wooden chalets to medieval piazzas filled with festive lights, artisan gifts and seasonal food, this region of Italy offers plenty of wonderful towns to experience the Christmas spirit.

Here is our guide to the best Christmas markets in Tuscany for 2026, town by town, with dates, locations and highlights.

Read More

Anastasia Bakker Tuscany, Italy October 14, 2026

Natural Homemade Dog Food with Mediterranean Ingredients

How to Make Healthy & Natural Homemade Dog Food with Mediterranean Ingredients - My home cooked dog food recipe Have you ever wondered what goes into your dog's food and whether you could prepare something at home using simple, familiar ingredients? I enjoy making homemade food for my dog, and today I'm sharing my usual cooking routine, complete with step-by-step photos.

As I live in Italy I like the idea of using Mediterranean-inspired ingredients and keeping food preparation simple. And because my dog is already 10 years old, I also pay attention to his individual needs and add his joint-health supplement when serving his meal, following the product instructions.

If you're interested in natural dog food, homemade dog food recipes, or simply seeing how I prepare food for my own dog, here's how I do it!

Read More