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Hiking/drinking/eating honeymoon in Florence/Tuscany & Dolomites pls help?

Hiking/drinking/eating honeymoon in Florence/Tuscany & Dolomites pls help?

Old Jun 19th, 2010, 02:49 PM
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Hiking/drinking/eating honeymoon in Florence/Tuscany & Dolomites pls help?

Hi dear Fodorites --

My new husband and I (just married last Sunday) are looking for some advice about going on a honeymoon/First Anniversary-moon next year in Italy. We are waiting for an entire year to go on our honeymoon so we can save up some money and have a fabulous celebration of the first year of marriage.

We are avid hikers in our early 40s and very good world travelers. We love art and architecture and history and hiking and the physical outdoors. We enjoy being in the mountains for 6 hours a day with packs and hiking poles and gorp and being sweaty and dirty and climbing and out in Nature's best. Some months ago while thinking about choices for the First Anniversary-moon I saw some trip reports here about the Dolomites and it sounded so lovely. I think it might just fit the bill for a perfect trip and a first trip to Italy for both of us.

My thought was, for a 2-week First Anniversary-moon, to combine Florence and art and architecture and pasta and wine and maybe a cooking class and Umbria and then hit the Dolomites for about 5 or 6 days in different areas. While I've done a little research on the Florence/Um/Tus part (and have my Fodors guidebook already) I have not yet started on the Dolomites part. I am curious if the Italy experts think hooking these two regions together would work in a 2-week trip. When would be a good time to go, to still have good hiking weather but to miss the big crowds? I don't mind September at all but is that already snowy and rainy up there? Are there certain towns or lodges in the Dolomites which are more centrally located to good hiking? And, is it possible to do this by public transportation?

Also, we would love to take a cooking class in Florence, or a wine appreciation class. Can anyone suggest something? The difficulty is, I am kosher so I do not eat meat or chicken outside my home and never pork nor shellfish, but I happily eat fish. I know that in Italy I will be more than satisfied eating pastas and vegetables and salmon etc. so I'm not worried about going hungry or missing some special restaurants.

As for hotels, we are very casual and do not require luxury in any form, just safety and cleanliness. In fact I still can deal with bathrooms down the hall. Though maybe not on the First Anniversary-moon. We might want to spend one night at a fancy place but mostly in the $150 range per night if that. Perhaps someone has some ideas for some hotels that are good options? Maybe a convent? A small family-run hotel?

As the trip is still 12 or 14 months away, this is my first noodlings on the subject. Any and all thoughts would be most appreciated.

thanks so much.
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 03:18 PM
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You just struck gold with this trip report by my son and family in the Dolomites. You trip sounds great !
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...o-daughter.cfm
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 06:04 PM
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Since yoru posting says "hinking/Drinking" in that order - I would suggest Southern Tuscany - small towns not the big city. You may want to check out http://www.parcodellavaldorcia.com/en/itinerari.asp
You will notice on your research that Italian websites don't always navigate as easily as we are used to - but I recently came back from a day trip in this 'Val D'orcia" area and let me tell you, the scenery is to die for. And I did see some of the developed hiking trails this website referred to. As to "Drinking" you'll want ot spend a bit of time in Montalcino sampling Brunello and in Montepulciano doing the Vino Nobile. You'll never look at Red wine the same way again! If you surf around the following: http://www.stradavinonobile.it/new/a...cettive.en.php you will come across sites for small villas, B&Bs, and farm houses, some of which can set up for you cooking classes. This may not be exactly what you are looking for and you'll probably get better advise from others, but these sites sure get my mouth a-waterin'!!
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 09:18 PM
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Your accommodations budget is very generous for hiking areas, and you won't need to share a bathroom (not a good idea for a honeymoon!) In fact, you can save so much money in rural areas, that you can uptick your Florence budget -- but still $150 will cover it.

As for food, Tuscany and Umbria have VERY meaty and porky cuisines, and you are not easily going to get fish away from the coastlines of Italy, although lake and river fish can be available in the mountains, Given your dietary restrictions, I highly recommend that you consider hiking in Liguria on a route known as L'Alta Via dei Monti Liguri

http://www.parks.it/grandi.itinerari...ia/Eindex.html

or in the alternative, consider hiking trails above the sea in the Riviera Levante. Although le Cinque Terre has become crowded, there are actually much more beautiful hikes in the neighboring areas, from Monegila to the Tuscan border, withi high view of the sea.

http://www.50hikesintuscany.com/Cinq...an%20Coast.htm

http://www.hikingcamping.com/blog/tag/levanto/

If Florence stays in your itinerary, consider walking in the hills above Florence as part of your trip. These aren't true hikes, but many offer beautiful views

http://www.florencevillas.com/florence_hiking.html

Regarding public transportation for hikes, I am not familiar with the options in the Dolomiti (but I know people argue about car vs. no car in that area), For Liguria, it is very easy to do it with public transportation in the Riviera Levante. For the high mountains of the Alta via, you have to fine tune your itinerary to coincide with bus schedules, or pick one very good base that offers day hikes in all directions.

I don't know when is the best time to hike in the Dolomiti, but I would pick between Sept 10 and the end of September for Liguria.
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 09:47 PM
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More on Liguria

http://www.50hikesintuscany.com/liguriancoastintro.htm

You might also be interested in hiking in the Alpi Apuane, near the Cararra marble quarries, although public transportation options may be very limited, But with a car, you could alternate hikes and a lot of Renaissance arts sightseeing.

http://www.50hikesintuscany.com/Alpi%20Apuane.htm
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Old Jun 19th, 2010, 09:52 PM
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Which reminds me that another appealing area of hiking for fish eaters is the Sorrentine Peninsula, including all along the Amalfi

http://www.giovis.com/
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Old Jun 21st, 2010, 01:05 PM
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wow zeppole, thank you so much for this huge amount of information! I will definitely be looking at the hiking web sites. I've never heard of Liguria, but see, that's what research is all about. Now I have something to check out.

It is my dream to see the art and architecture of Florence, ever since my art history 101 class way back in college 20+ years ago.

Bobthenav, that trip report and those photos are outstanding!

thanks!
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Old Jul 25th, 2019, 06:51 AM
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..

Last edited by sawadee; Jul 25th, 2019 at 06:53 AM.
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