Carrara Marble Quarry

Carved out of Tuscany’s Apuan Alps above the city of Carrara, more than 600 marble mines—both abandoned and active—have produced more marble than any other area in the world. Carrara marble tours include a stop at the Museo dei Bozzetti sculpture museum in Pietrasanta to see the collection of contemporary works made from Carrara marble before continuing on to the quarry. Here, you can choose between one of two tours: a 4x4 tour through a series of open-air mines to the central quarry at Fantiscritti, which offers expansive views to the sea and a small museum; or the underground tour into the vast marble cave carved deep in the mountainside known as the Marble Cathedral.

Both tours are led by an expert tour guide and can be paired with lunch at the nearby town of Colonnata, famous for its Lardo di Colonnata cured in Carrara marble basins. Carrara day trips from Florence and shore excursions from La Spezia often end with a wine tasting in Colli di Luni, where crisp Vermentino white wine is produced.