How to Visit Carrara: The Marble Town of Tuscany

When one thinks of Tuscany, they likely think of the rolling hills of Montepulciano or Chianti, or maybe the bustling cities of Lucca and Florence. But did you know there’s a town in Tuscany that is possibly the most unique town in all of Italy because it’s made entirely of marble? The town of Carrara is full of marble quarries, all of which have been deemed a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site as of 2015. The marble here is harvested and turned into expensive furniture to be shipped out all over the world. And you, dear reader, can come visit for yourself with an easy day trip from nearby Lucca or Florence.

Where is Carrara?

Carrara is located in Tuscany, but it’s right on the cusp of Liguria. Because of this, when you’re in town, you get the best of both worlds; the sprawling mountains of Tuscany, along with the Ligurian Sea right out in the distance since Carrara is close to the coast.

How to get to Carrara

You can reach Carrara on your own easily either through a rental car or by taking a train to Carrara-Avenza. However, the best way to visit Carrara safely is through a trusted local guide. Assuming you’re in Carrara to visit the marble mountains, you really should not try going up in the mountains themselves on your own since the roads are extremely twisty and turny (see the photo above and notice the roads).

Here are some ideal day tours:

• Colonnata and Carrara marble quarries tour
• Marble Quarries and lardo tasting (highly recommend adding the lardo tasting!)
• Carrara tour from Lucca or La Spezia

What to expect on a day trip

Now, for the good stuff. When you book a tour like I did, you’ll have seemingly unlimited access to all things marble in Carrara. For me, the day started with arranged pickup in Lucca. The drive was approximately 40 minutes.

Witnessing the Workshops

Once in Carrara, we were brought to a marble workshop. Here, we were able to see completed sculpted pieces; anything from tables to statutes to marble “curtains.” We also were able to witness some artists and sculptors work on pieces, and they didn’t have a problem with us watching them master their craft. It’s one of the most unique experiences I’ve had in Italy, and felt fitting to be in Tuscany and watch people make art.

We also saw several boxes that were ready to be shipped out. The boxes are full of completed sculpted marble work, and I noticed a lot of them going to London Heathrow Airport.

Driving up the mountains

After checking out the workshops, it was time to head into the mountains. I was with four other people, and we got in a jeep since we were told a 4×4 is pretty much necessary to drive up the steep roads. Our incredible guide, Luca, taught us about the quarries along the drive. We learned there are over 650 quarries in Carrara, but only about 187 of them are active.

At first it just seems like a normal drive, and next thing you know, you’re on a seriously steep twisted road, driving through pure mud and smut. Our car noticeably got quiet as we went further and further up the mountain; it’s definitely a bit of an adrenaline rush!

Once you’re up to the top, you have the opportunity to get out, take photos, and take in the scenery of the seriously majestic marble mountains. From the distance, the mountains look like they’re snow-capped, so when you’re up close and personal to see that it’s instead all white Carrara marble, it’s quite a sight to behold.

Going inside the mountains

On our way down, we were able to go physically inside one of the mountains. We would not have had this privilege if it were not for booking a guided tour, which is another reason I recommend it. A very limited number of people are permitted to work inside the Carrara mountains, so watching workers on large excavators work in some seriously rough conditions gave me a whole new set of respect for every time I see a marble table or piece of furniture!

Stopping for lardo

While the marble mountains themselves were inarguably majestic, my personal favorite stop of the day was at a local larderia, Larderia Giannarelli. Larderia Giannarelli is a family-run shop located smack in the middle of the mountains. Here, they serve different cured meats, specializing in lardo (a typical meat of Tuscany), that is actually cured with the local marble of Carrara. We actually stopped at the larderia BEFORE going up to the marble mountains, but regardless of when you stop, just make sure to swing by this spot because it’s a really unique way to taste the local delicacies of Tuscany. It doesn’t hurt that the family running it is extremely kind (and that they serve wine).

What to bring to Carrara

There are a few things you’ll want to bring to Carrara to best enjoy your day trip.

Wearing the right thing

Carrara is a gamble when it comes to weather. If you go in the winter or spring, you can expect the cold to be amplified because you’re in the mountains. I went in late March and our group was FREEZING. Despite how warm Lucca was, Carrara was chilly, and we all wished we had worn more layers. To show up better prepared, you’ll want to wear the following:

• Layers like a cute sweatshirt, a nice leather jacket, or possibly even a puffer coat
• A winter hat
• Sunglasses (this is regardless of which season you visit!)
• Thermal socks
• Cute hiking pants and/or leggings
• Good hiking boots because your shoes are going to get extremely muddy and slightly ruined unfortunately (I have this pair of Columbia hiking boots that I even used to climb Kilimanjaro!)

If you’re coming in the summer, on the contrary, Carrara doesn’t get cold because you’re in the mountains, but instead gets extremely hot. This is because the sun reflects off of the marble, making the top of Carrara a sweltering situation. Here’s what to wear in this case:

• Shorts, like wind shorts or just a simply pair of legging shorts
• A stylish loose tank (you’re in Italy — style first!)
• A baseball camp (I would personally wear something punny like this one)
• Good hiking boots and/or sneakers (remember — they’re going to get very dirty, so I would avoid wearing white)
• Sunglasses
• One light jacket just incase for some reason you end up there on a cold day (though I was told this is unlikely, it doesn’t hurt to come over-prepared)

Pix or it didn’t happen

What’s the point of traveling without proper footage to document it?! I kid, I kid. But if you do want to capture your time in Carrara, here’s the camera gear I pretty much am not caught dead without when traveling:

• A tripod to best capture your own photos — and videos for reels and social media
• A selfie stick to capture the ride up the mountain on the way — simply put the stick out the window and snap and film away (but obviously please be cautious that there are no other cars coming)
• A GoPro — this is especially helpful for capturing the ride up because of the wide lens
• This iPhone/Android holder tripod attachment (I’ve had this one for years)

Miscellaneous items to bring

Aside from the right clothes and camera gear, here are general things you’ll want to bring when visiting Carrara:

• Sunscreen — especially in the summertime
• A thermos or water bottle
• A small backpack, especially if you want to buy some souvenirs, including some lardo or vino to go
• Cash to tip your guide

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