Tuscany Time

The dinosaur walks, play area and picnic spots at Parco Preistorico di Peccioli (10 minutes’ drive) should keep kids happily occupied for an afternoon. They may also be intrigued by the thought of a ‘ghost village’, so factor in a visit to the abandoned hilltop hamlet of Toiano (15 minutes), where you can stroll empty streets past gently crumbling churches and cottages. There are striking sculptures to be seen on the hiking trails at Triangolo verde Belvedere (15 minutes) ecopark, a cleverly upcycled former landfill site, while another unusual attraction is the Tempio di Minerva Medica Montefoscoli (five minutes), a neoclassical folly built in 1822 and dedicated to the ancient Roman goddess of learning. If you’re keen to sample local wines, head for Podere La Chiesa (10 minutes), open for vineyard and cellar tours. You may instead prefer to admire vintage scooters at the Piaggio Museum (20 minutes), or visit Empoli (40 minutes) for its handsome medieval centre and the glass museum, housed in a former warehouse and showcasing the town’s long tradition of glassmaking.