Carrara, 20 minutes’ drive inland, is nicknamed the Marble City. The dramatic white-marked mountains behind Marina di Carrara have played a key role in sculpting Italy’s historic looks. What looks like snow, is some of the purest marble in the world, used to build Rome’s famous Pantheon and Trajan’s Column. Florences is just an hour and 45 minutes’ drive from here, being worth a visit to enjoy the work of the renowned artists Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo. Pisa is even nearer, just 50 minutes drive down the coast.