Carrara Travel Guide

Tourist Guide
Carrara
Revel in the beauty of this commune’s marble mountains and learn about its quarrying and carving traditions that have endured since the Roman Age.

Carrara is a city and wider commune best known for its crowning peaks of gleaming white marble. Established in the early 2nd century B.C. as a residence for Ancient Roman quarrymen, Carrara’s reputation for its superior stone has reached across the world. Discover exquisitely preserved architecture and time-honored sculpture academies in this enchanting city, as well as the marble quarries from which some of Italy’s great masterpieces were hewn.

Explore the streets of the old town and find a gorgeous collection of heritage buildings and medieval treasures. With its backdrop of marble-crusted mountaintops and streets dotted with sculptures and statues, the city is breathtaking at every turn. Admire the Carrara Cathedral, a magnificent 12th-century building with an ornate façade carved from local marble. Visit the Fine Arts Academy within the old Ducal Palace (Palazzo Cybo Malaspina), which incorporates elements of its original 13th-century construction with a 16th-century Renaissance palace. Learn about the local anarchist movement started by radical-thinking quarry workers and international revolutionists at the end of the 19th century.

The city contains a collection of superb churches. Check out the Baroque 17th-century San Francesco Convent and Church of the Suffragio. Other highlights include the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie alla Lugnola and the Church of Santa Maria Assunta in Torano.

Be sure to visit the fine art academies and galleries exhibiting the city’s antiquities. Go on a thrilling four-wheel-drive tour around the city’s marble quarries, which provided the smooth stone used in Rome’s Pantheon, Trajan’s Column and Michelangelo’s David. The Cava Museo Carrara a Fantiscritti provides a fascinating insight into the city’s ancient tradition. From the Cave di Marmo, you can see all the way to the Ligurian-Tuscan coastline. A short drive to the waterfront will bring you to a collection of gorgeous resorts and beaches in Marina di Carrara.

Carrara is located at the foot of the Apuan Alps in the Massa Carrara province. It is less than an hour’s drive or train ride from La Spezia. Enjoy the mild Tuscan climate in Carrara at any time of the year. Don’t miss a visit to the marble capital of the world and add Carrara to your Tuscan trip.

Hotel Firenze E Continentale
Hotel Firenze E Continentale
4 out of 5
Via Paleocapa 7, La Spezia, SP
The price is AU$173 per night from 4 Apr to 5 Apr
AU$173
per night
4 Apr - 5 Apr
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly hotel in La Spezia. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast, and room service. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff ...
8.4/10 Very Good! (991 reviews)
Goid location by train station
"Nice room, friendly staff breakfast staff couldn't keep up. Ran out of coffee, eggs, etc."

Reviewed on 25 Mar. 2024

Hotel Firenze E Continentale
The Poet Hotel
The Poet Hotel
4 out of 5
Via Roma, 139, La Spezia, SP
Fully refundableReserve now, pay when you stay
The price is AU$267 per night from 2 Apr to 3 Apr
AU$267
per night
2 Apr - 3 Apr
Stay at this 4-star business-friendly hotel in La Spezia. Enjoy free WiFi, breakfast, and room service. Our guests praise the breakfast and the helpful staff ...
9/10 Wonderful! (510 reviews)
"Nice stay"

Reviewed on 26 Mar. 2024

The Poet Hotel
Hotel Villa Argentina
Hotel Villa Argentina
2 out of 5
Via A. de Gasperi, 170, Riomaggiore, SP
The price is AU$216 per night from 9 Apr to 10 Apr
AU$216
per night
9 Apr - 10 Apr
Stay at this hotel in Riomaggiore. Enjoy breakfast, WiFi, and onsite parking. Popular attractions Church of San Giovanni Battista and Guardiola Tower are located ...
8/10 Very Good! (328 reviews)
"Beautiful property! The elevator is almost a necessity because it is a HIKE to get up there, especially with a backpack. The room was clean and larger than I was expecting, and the balcony had a beautiful view. I'd read in a review that the room had no coffee maker or electric kettle, so I brought ..."

Reviewed on 25 Mar. 2024

Hotel Villa Argentina
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.
Il Borgo di Campi
Il Borgo di Campi
2 out of 5
Strada Litoranea delle 5 Terre, Riomaggiore, SP
Stay at this aparthotel in Riomaggiore. Enjoy breakfast, a terrace, and a garden. Popular attractions Spiaggia del Paese and Guardiola Tower are located nearby. ...
7.6/10 Good! (262 reviews)
"As all the other reviews have mentioned, the property is located on a hillside with spectacular views. Our room was for 3 people and the only view from the room was through the wooden blinds over a window."

Reviewed on 24 Jul. 2023

Il Borgo di Campi
A few meters from the sea, with sea view balconies in the 5 Terre park.
A few meters from the sea, with sea view balconies in the 5 Terre park.
Riomaggiore
Enjoy free WiFi, onsite parking, and a balcony. Popular attractions Ferry Terminal and La Spezia Cruise Terminal are located nearby. Discover genuine guest reviews ...
9.6/10 Exceptional! (137 reviews)
It’s a tower home
"Tower home means the rooms are small, and there are four of them with a narrow spiral staircase from one to the next. Understand that going in. The hosts are excellent. They really went the extra mile to help us find the place and get into it late when we had aircraft problems and were very late ..."

Reviewed on 25 Mar. 2024

A few meters from the sea, with sea view balconies in the 5 Terre park.
Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore, apartment overlooking the village and sea
Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore, apartment overlooking the village and sea
La Spezia
Stay at this apartment in Riomaggiore. Enjoy free WiFi, a terrace, and a balcony. Popular attractions Church of San Giovanni Battista and Guardiola Tower are ...
9.8/10 Exceptional! (145 reviews)
Our stay
"Great location and very helpful host. Quite a few stairs but the view is worth it."

Reviewed on 22 Oct. 2023

Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore, apartment overlooking the village and sea
Lowest nightly price found within the past 24 hours based on a 1 night stay for 2 adults. Prices and availability subject to change. Additional terms may apply.

Popular places to visit

Activities

Cities near Carrara