Carrara

Travel Guide

Carrara
Carrara
Photo by Robert Dragomir
Photo by Ellemieke
Photo by Tom Workman
Revel in the beauty of this commune’s marble mountains and learn about its quarrying and carving traditions that have endured since the Roman Age.

Carrara is a city and wider commune best known for its crowning peaks of gleaming white marble. Established in the early 2nd century B.C. as a residence for Ancient Roman quarrymen, Carrara’s reputation for its superior stone has reached across the world. Discover exquisitely preserved architecture and time-honored sculpture academies in this enchanting city, as well as the marble quarries from which some of Italy’s great masterpieces were hewn.

Explore the streets of the old town and find a gorgeous collection of heritage buildings and medieval treasures. With its backdrop of marble-crusted mountaintops and streets dotted with sculptures and statues, the city is breathtaking at every turn. Admire the Carrara Cathedral, a magnificent 12th-century building with an ornate façade carved from local marble. Visit the Fine Arts Academy within the old Ducal Palace (Palazzo Cybo Malaspina), which incorporates elements of its original 13th-century construction with a 16th-century Renaissance palace. Learn about the local anarchist movement started by radical-thinking quarry workers and international revolutionists at the end of the 19th century.

The city contains a collection of superb churches. Check out the Baroque 17th-century San Francesco Convent and Church of the Suffragio. Other highlights include the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie alla Lugnola and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Torano.

Be sure to visit the fine art academies and galleries exhibiting the city’s antiquities. Go on a thrilling four-wheel-drive tour around the city’s marble quarries, which provided the smooth stone used in Rome’s Pantheon, Trajan’s Column and Michelangelo’s David. The Cava Museo Carrara a Fantiscritti provides a fascinating insight into the city’s ancient tradition. From the Cave di Marmo, you can see all the way to the Ligurian-Tuscan coastline. A short drive to the waterfront will bring you to a collection of gorgeous resorts and beaches in Marina di Carrara.

Carrara is located at the foot of the Apuan Alps in the Massa Carrara province. It is less than an hour’s drive or train ride from La Spezia. Enjoy the mild Tuscan climate in Carrara at any time of the year. Don’t miss a visit to the marble capital of the world and add Carrara to your Tuscan trip.

The Poet Hotel
The Poet Hotel
4 out of 5
Via Roma, 139, La Spezia, SP
The price is P4,722 per night from 16 Feb to 17 Feb
P4,722
P5,498 total
includes taxes & fees
Feb 16 - Feb 17
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly hotel in La Spezia. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast (surcharge), and room service. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the ...
9/10 Wonderful! (699 reviews)
"The staff is great!!!!"

Reviewed on Jan 9, 2025

The Poet Hotel
Affittacamere Casa Danè
Affittacamere Casa Danè
2 out of 5
Via Paleocapa, 4, La Spezia, SP
The price is P2,706 per night from 26 Feb to 27 Feb
P2,706
P3,281 total
includes taxes & fees
Feb 26 - Feb 27
Stay at this affittacamere in La Spezia. Enjoy free WiFi, parking (surcharge), and daily housekeeping. Our guests praise the helpful staff and the clean rooms ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (593 reviews)
"Lovely hotel, extremely nice and clean, didn't know they had daily house keeping so was pleasantly surprsied when coming back from a long day that the room and been cleaned. Would book again if I had to. Only drawback was lack of parking though the station nearby had €1/€1.50 hourly rate but adds ..."

Reviewed on Feb 6, 2025

Affittacamere Casa Danè
CDH Hotel La Spezia
CDH Hotel La Spezia
4 out of 5
Via XX Settembre, 81, La Spezia, SP
The price is P4,669 per night from 16 Feb to 17 Feb
P4,669
P5,440 total
includes taxes & fees
Feb 16 - Feb 17
Stay at this 4-star hotel in La Spezia. Enjoy free breakfast, room service, and parking (surcharge). Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
8/10 Very Good! (988 reviews)
"Good and cozy place to stay in!"

Reviewed on Dec 9, 2024

CDH Hotel La Spezia
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Elegant Apartments 5 Terre La Spezia
Elegant Apartments 5 Terre La Spezia
Via Del Prione 144, La Spezia, SP
Stay at this aparthotel in La Spezia. Enjoy parking (surcharge), premium bedding, and hydromassage showerheads. Popular attractions Museo Civico Etnografico ...
9/10 Wonderful! (28 reviews)
"Very responsive and efficient staff managing the property which is ideally located on a pedestrian only street. We arrived by car and parked at Europa Park which was affordable,12 minutes from the property and had in and out access.Our check in was a breeze with Yuliya personally showing up and detailing ..."

Reviewed on Oct 23, 2024

Elegant Apartments 5 Terre La Spezia
Ventu de Ma
Ventu de Ma
Via Mazzini 1, Vernazza, SP
Stay at this apartment in Vernazza. Enjoy free WiFi, an airport shuttle (surcharge), and daily housekeeping. Popular attractions Vernazza Beach and Cinque Terre ...
8.6/10 Excellent! (19 reviews)
"Amazing will return!!!"

Reviewed on Oct 22, 2024

Ventu de Ma
Hotel Villa Undulna - Terme della Versilia
Hotel Villa Undulna - Terme della Versilia
4 out of 5
viale Marina 191, Cinquale, Montignoso, MS
Stay at this 4-star beach residence in Montignoso. Enjoy free WiFi, free parking, and an outdoor pool. Our guests praise the helpful staff in our reviews. Popular ...
8.8/10 Excellent! (102 reviews)
"Property itself was ultra clean and the staff were amazing. The building is a little dated but perfectly functional. Unfortunately, the drawback of the area is that the beaches are mostly fully reserved for the entire season by Italians from the city and so it is almost impossible to get a place ..."

Reviewed on Nov 24, 2024

Hotel Villa Undulna - Terme della Versilia
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

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