Beside the Seaside Italian Style in Viareggio, Tuscany, Viareggio, Italy (B)

Viareggio is a resort in Versilia on the Tuscan Riviera. It stretches for three kilometres along a beautiful, natural sandy beach. Precise rows of coloured umbrellas, each shading two sunbeds on either side of a small table surge towards the gently lapping waves of the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is a sight to savour.

Visitors from the nearby towns of Florence, Lucca and Prato began to flock here with the arrival of the railway in 1891. The wide open spaces around the town and the twenty-kilometres of natural beaches were a welcome relief from the busy city streets. Today this lovely resort attracts visitors from all over the world. But it is not simply a seaside resort as Viareggio is a large, thriving town. Its railway station is located on one side of the old town and its long promenade is located on the other. Between the two is a grid of narrow streets many of which lead into Piazza Cavour where its historic daily market takes place. Stalls surround the large, old building that dominates this square and some lurk under its loggia. Continuing towards the sea front visitors will emerge on the wide promenade known as La Passeggiata Margherita. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).