"The sun puts on a beautiful show when in the West, illuminating all the tall city can castle buildings, and the tall trees in the fields, turning them its hue,..." thus the great Leonardo da Vinci described Valdinievole, the heart of Northern Tuscany, a half an hour from Florence and fifteen minutes from Pistoia, where Montecatini Terme, the regional and Italian capital of rejuvenation and well-being, is home to the Residence Val Marina, delightful small vacation apartments.

Hotels, spas and early twentieth century villas make Montecatini not only the European capital of spa tourism, but also of Art Nouveau which found the right charm and atmosphere here to express its creativity and practicality. The ancient heart of Montecatini Terme is in Montecatini Alto, reached with the characteristic red cable car, where you can stroll through the squares and lanes visited by Giuseppe Verdi who loved to spend his summers here.

Montecatini Terme also represents conferences and chocolate, with the elegant and more than functional Palazzo dei Congressi on Viale Amendola, just over 5 minutes on foot from the Residence Val Marina apartments, and with Cioccolosità, the yearly event in Monsumanno Terme that celebrates the chocolate masters of the so-called Chocolate Valley, the Valdinievole.

A vacation or business trip to the Residence Val Marina is also a chance to try the 18-hole Montecatini Golf course on the ancient estates of a noble family, 6 km from the apartments, surrounded by enchanting countryside and historical charm, discovering the splendid outskirts of Montecatini Terme. Valdinievole offers alluring landscapes with luxuriant hills speckled by ancient villages like Baggiano, Lamporecchio, Pescia, Massa and Cozzile. Montalbano with the hills of excellent wines (Chianti Montalbano DOCG) and esteemed olive oils (extravergine Montalbano IGP); the mountains that graze the 2000 meter mark between the Cimone and Abetone districts, snow-capped in winter and crossed by paths for magnificent summer trekking discovering the flora and fauna of the Tosco-Emiliano Apennines; the fairy-tale and poetic sights in Collodi, Pinocchio's birthplace with it's own Pinocchio Amusement Park, artistic charm in ancient villages and outdoor modern artworks surrounded by the exuberant and protected nature in the Padule di Fucecchio Natural Reserve.

Charming Pistoia, with its Piazza del Duomo framed by the two-toned Cathedral and Baptistery and magnificent Bishopric, Town Hall and Magistrate's palazzos is a must; don't miss the Planetarium in San Marcello Pistoiese to observe the sky, undisturbed by sound, light or pollution or the Suspended bridge over the Lima in Mammiano Basso: 200 meters long and 40 at its highest point, it is one of the longest foot bridges in the world.