| Overview | Things to do | Suitability | Country Info (Italy) |
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Forte De Marmi is a quiet, genteel but chic resort with a compact commercial centre surrounded by leafy tree-lined suburbs of large private mansions and modest hotels stretching 3¼ mls along the coast. Few buildings breach the tree canopy maintaining a pleasant shady atmosphere in all but the very heart of the town which is pedestrianised during weekends and evenings. The lack of parking space makes cycling popular.
In the last half century tourism has become the mainstay of the local economy thanks to an appealing beach and picturesque mountains behind the town. Originally used for loading ships with local marble, the quay is now the promenade pier. Though commercial shipping has moved elsewhere there are still plenty of marble quarries just inland. Artists and sculptors have long favoured the town and the local galleries, along with designer boutiques, provide a suitable backdrop to the stylish and well-heeled souls who populate the streets during summer; out of season, things become very quiet. Forte De Marmi is situated on Italy's NW coast, 220 mls NW of Rome, 75 mls SE of Genoa, 63 mls W of Florence, 112 mls NW of Siena. The area is served by Pisa's Galileo Galilei international airport 22 mls SE. Forte De Marmi is the northernmost of the four resorts comprising Tuscany's Versilian Riviera. On a flat coastal plain some 2 miles wide backed by the Apuan Alps rising sharply to over 6,000 feet. Bounded to the N by the small Cinquale River, to the S by the adjacent town of Marina di Pietrasanta. Viareggio lies 7½ miles SE. |
