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villas

Accommodations, Destinations, Europe, Italy

7 Tuscany Luxury Villas Ideal for Families and Friends

Catherine Sweeney
February 25, 2016
3 Comments
7 Tuscany Luxury Villas Ideal for Families and Friends

7 great holiday rentals in Tuscany for bringing friends together and spending quality time with families.

estevillas, Europe, italy, tuscany, villas

About Catherine Sweeney

Catherine Sweeney is a travel enthusiast with a lifelong passion for going places. A weekend getaway, an international journey, a cross-country road trip, or a local jaunt — they’re all on her radar. And it’s all made extra special when she’s enjoying the finer things in life with Mr. TWS, her husband and co-blogger. Get inspired as they share photos and stories highlighting the best of destinations, food, wine, history, culture and the arts.

Thank you, Getting on Travel!

Traveling with Sweeney, Best Baby Boomer Travel Blogs 2022, Getting on Travel

2018 NATJA Silver Award Winner

Recent Posts

  • Destination Spotlight: Split, Croatia Walking Tour
  • Sights and Sounds of Saravejo and Other Bosnia Highlights
  • A Taste of Croatia from Dubrovnik to Zagreb
  • Top Things to Do When You Take a Viking Ocean Cruise
  • Wine, Dine, and Back in Time on Mediterranean Cruise Shore Excursions

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During a walking tour of Split, Croatia with @viki During a walking tour of Split, Croatia with @vikingcruises, we visited the Diocletian Palace and walked through the historic city center within its walls. We also had a good amount of free time to enjoy the city on the own and we spent it on a lovely lunch at a restaurant recommended by our guide and a pleasant stroll on the waterfront promenade. The Diocletian Palace was built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian as his retirement residence during the 4th century AD when his health prompted him to abdicate the position voluntarily. The exceptionally well-preserved palace (one of the best preserved of ancient Roman palaces) and the entire historical center of Split were designated in 1979 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site (one of many on this particular Viking Mediterranean cruise). Inside the 15th-century walls surrounding the palace is a pedestrian only center of narrow streets with shops, squares, and markets. Read the full article on the blog. (Link in bio) #myvikingstory #vikingcruises #cruiseshoreexcursion #walkingtour #guidedtour #split #croatia #europeantravel #balkans #traveldeeper #beautifuldestinations #UNESCO #travelblogger #ifwtwa #ifwtwa1
From a new post on the blog (link in bio) — One From a new post on the blog (link in bio) — One of the most impactful experiences we had on our @gocollette “Taste of the Balkans” tour in Bosnia was an excursion that immersed us in what is a defining historical time — the Bosnian War and the Siege of Sarajevo in the early 1990s. Although we followed the war closely in the news while it was going on, this excursion brought back to mind those tragic times and really gave us a deeper understanding and appreciation of what the people of Sarajevo endured. Led by a local siege soldier and survivor, Amir, we visited the Sarajevo Tunnel Museum and the Tunnel of Hope. During the war, the 800-meter long/1.5-meter high tunnel was the sole source of food, arms, medical supplies, other humanitarian aid, and even cables providing power and communications that helped enable Sarajevo to survive the siege by Bosnian Serbs that lasted for nearly four years. Today, visitors can walk down a 20-meter portion of the tunnel to get a feel for what it would have been like. Of course, the conditions were significantly better for us than what it would have been like during the siege. During the war, there was no ventilation and many had to wear masks and there was often water on the ground. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #bosnia #tunnelofhope #sarajevo #tunnelofhopesarajevo #siegeofsarajevo #europeantravel #bosnianwar #travelblogger #guidedtour #traveldeeper #history #visitsarajevo #visitbosnia
Sarajevo, Bosnia - where East meets West. Blog pos Sarajevo, Bosnia - where East meets West. Blog post coming soon about our special experiences in this Balkans city. These photos are hints if the food, music, and culture. And there will be more. @gocollette #sarajevo #bosnia #bosniaandherzegovina #catherinexcollette #gocollette #balkans #formeryugoslavia #travelblogger #europetravel #europetrip #guidedtour #cityscenes #bosnianfood #visitsarajevo #visitbosnia
Lake Bled is a gorgeous place on earth! On our @go Lake Bled is a gorgeous place on earth! On our @gocollette “Taste of the Balkans” tour we took a Pletna boat to picturesque Bled Island and the Church of the Assumption of Mary. It’s about a lovely 20 minute ride each way. You’ll see our awesome guide Djukan in one of the pics as he talks about the lake. What a great trip! #gocollette #catherinexcollette #lakebledslovenia #lakebled #balkans #balkanstrip #slovenia #lovetotravel #guidedtour #colletteexplorations #boattrip #pletnaboat #lakes #beautifullakes #beautifuldestinations #travelgram #travelblogger
How lucky were we to be stopped on the road somewh How lucky were we to be stopped on the road somewhere in Bosnia by these sweet sheep —- lots and lots of them! We were in our @gocollette coach somewhere in Bosnia. The fun things you experience when you travel! #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #sheep #sheepfarming #sheepontheroad #europeantravel #travelblogger #travelgram #bosnia #herdingsheep #lovetotravel #balkanstrip
Must do in Dubrovnik, Croatia — ride the cable c Must do in Dubrovnik, Croatia — ride the cable car for panoramic vistas of the city and sea below. You can also grab a snack and drink for dining with a view. This is a hint of what’s coming soon on the blog. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #visitcroatia #visitdubrovnik #dubrovnik #dubrovnikcablecar #cablecar #travelblogger #traveleurope #beautifuldestinations #croatia #croatiatravel
Have a little taste of the Balkans for #foodiefrid Have a little taste of the Balkans for #foodiefriday -- From top left, we tasted baked pumpkin and cream strukli in Zagreb, Croatia; a hearty djuvec rice dish in Mostar, Bosnia; incredibly delicious Kremsnita cream cake at Lake Bled, Slovenia; Klobasa sausages with sauerkraut in Ljubljana, Slovenia; and Burek (spinach and cheese stuffed phyllo version shown -- also had the main meat version) in Sarajevo, Bosnia. This is just a sampling of the scrumptious dishes we enjoyed on our @gocollette tour. #catherinexcollette #gocollette #ifwtwa **************************************** #foodie #balkans #kremsnita #burek #strukli #djuvec #klobasa #travelforfood #traveleurope #travelblogger #travelbalkans #lovetoeat #lovetotravel #ifwtwa1
Take a minute to listen to the soulful sounds of “sevdah” music performed by Damir Imamović, the acclaimed singer and composer of this traditional folk music of Bosnia and Herzegovina. @gocollette arranged for us to spend a memorable evening with him in his Sarajevo home. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #balkans #bosniaandherzegovina #sevdah #travelbloggr #traveldeeper #bosnia #folkmusic #musician #culturalexperience #ifwtwa #ifwtwa1
And so our Taste of the Balkans tour ended in the And so our Taste of the Balkans tour ended in the vibrant and intriguing city of Zagreb, the largest and capital city of Croatia. It is a city of beautiful parks, Austro-Hungarian architecture, museums, markets, and deep history going back to times of the Romans. Although the trip has ended, stay tuned for more of its many highlights. #gocollette #CatherinexCollette #balkans #zagreb #croatiatravel #ifwtwa #travelblogger #beautifuldestinations #intriguingcity #guidedtourcroatia #traveleurope #europeancity #prettyparks #architecture #austrohungarianarchitecture #travelgram
Feeling the love with Mr. TWS in Slovenia, the onl Feeling the love with Mr. TWS in Slovenia, the only country in the world with “love” in its name. ❤️❤️❤️ #gocollette #catherinexcollette #loveslovenia #heartmemes #lovesculpture #lakebledslovenia🇸🇮 #romantictravel #boomertravel #visitbalkans #traveleurope #hearts #travelgram #travelbloggers #tasteofthebalkans
A real treat to see the Lipizzaner horses, the fam A real treat to see the Lipizzaner horses, the famous breed of the Habsburg Empire, at Lipica Stud farm in Slovenia. We also enjoyed a carriage ride on the vast and beautiful property. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #lipicastudfarm #slovenia #balkans #horses #horsesofinstagram #collettetours #tasteofthebalkans #traveleurope #europe #travelblogger #travelgram
A fun and delicious “Taste of the Balkans” wit A fun and delicious “Taste of the Balkans” with @gocollette — truffle hunting and brunch with @prodantartufi in Buzet in the Istria region of Croatia. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #croatia #istria #istriaexperience #trufflehunting #truffles #beautifulistria #visitcroatia #travelblogger #travelerslife #instatravel #europeantravel #ruraltravel #beautifuldestinations
A lovely surprise on our @gocollette tour - the wi A lovely surprise on our @gocollette tour - the wines of Croatia’s Istria region. At @roxanich_winery and design hotel in Motovun we celebrated #WineWednesday. Loved innovative wines like the amber toned one called “Lara” in the first pic, artistic labels, and modern winery vibe. #ifwtwa #catherinexcollette #gocollette #winetasting #winery #croatianwine #motovun #drinkwine #balkanstour #ifwtwa #travelblogger #travelforwine #lovetotravel
Mediterranean vibe in Rovinj, Croatia. A few glimp Mediterranean vibe in Rovinj, Croatia. A few glimpses of this hill town in the Istria region of #croatia on the Adriatic Sea. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #visitcroatia #travelblogger
50 shades of green — that’s how our wonderful 50 shades of green — that’s how our wonderful guide Sonja Leka described the colors of Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. What an amazing place for a hike in the crisp, fresh air and drink in nature’s beauty at this UNESCO site, the largest and oldest park in Croatia. Another great day on our @gocollette “Taste of the Balkans” tour. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #croatiatravel #plitvicelakes #nature #nationalpark #walkinthepark #travelblogger #beautifuldestinations #traveltoeurope #lovetotravel #balkans
A day in the highlands of Bosnia north of Sarajevo A day in the highlands of Bosnia north of Sarajevo on our Balkans tour with @gocollette. We visited the remote village of Lukomir (reached by a gravel road for several miles) for lunch and meeting the locals. Gorgeous scenery there and along the way. #catherinexcollette #gocollette #bosnia #bosniatravel #europetravel #meetthelocals #lovetotravel #beautifuldestinations #balkans
Sarajevo, Bosnia. A pretty scene in a city of deep Sarajevo, Bosnia. A pretty scene in a city of deep history and cultural diversity that has strongly emerged from the destruction of war in the 1990s. We visited the old town, a mosque and a church, the war’s “Tunnel of Hope”, enjoyed more hearty Bosnian dishes, and more. Stay tuned as we travel in the Balkans with @gocollette #gocollette #catherinexcollette **************************** #sarajevo #bosnia #sarajevocity #cityscene #travelgram #traveltheglobe #travelblogger #colletteexplorations #citiesoftheworld
A taste of Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina on our @go A taste of Mostar, Bosnia & Herzegovina on our @gocollette tour — history, vibrant culture, flavors, crafts, and more. #gocollette #catherinexcollette #mostar #mostarbridge #mostarrestaurant #mostarmosque #travelbosnia #traveleurope
A fantastic day in the mountains above Kotor, Mont A fantastic day in the mountains above Kotor, Montenegro with Djukan, our @gocollette tour manager. Gorgeous scenery and pastoral setting for our lunch of prosciutto, cheese, olives, and wine. Perfect! #gocollette #catherinexcollette #kotor #montenegro #visitmontenegro #bayofkotor #mountains #prosciutto #travelblogger #lovetotravel #beautifuldestinations
Perast, Montenegro —- boating out to Our Lady of Perast, Montenegro —- boating out to Our Lady of the Rock on the Bay of Kotor. History and a love story in this church on the island. Stay tuned. #gocollette #catherinexcollette ##travelblogger #beautifuldestinations #bayofkotor #montenego #europetravel #travelgram #boatride #picturesque
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