Private Tour: Leonardo Da Vinci Roots & World's Oldest Funicular

Meet your multilingual driver in Piazza Adua in Florence, get in the car and start enjoy this incredible full day private tour! We will lead you through the Leonardo da Vinci's origins places (have you ever wonder where the most famous genius of history ever was born?) and also to discover the iconic town of Montecatini Terme, with its Thermal Spas Unesco Heritage Site, and then the medieval village of Montecatini Alto: the oldest funicular railway in the world, operating since 1898, will take you there. On arrival you will truly experience ancient history, and then you will be lost in admiring the panorama from the fortress. It's time to head off: the first stop is in an hour!

The path dedicated to Leonardo da Vinci starts from Anchiano the birthplace where he was born on April 15, 1452. The house is surrounded by green hills and from here you can admire the beautiful landscape often present in the works of the artist. Here you will have the opportunity to enter the house where a life-size hologram of the artist tells an exciting tale of his extraordinary life. We continue to Vinci a town deeply steeped in Leonardo’s Legacy. Here you have the opportunity to visit on your own the Museo Leonardiano inside the Castle, where you can admire the collection of machines dedicated to the work of Leonardo. The Museum also includes the exhibition "Leonardo and painting", that presents high-resolution and life-size reproductions of Leonardo’s paintings and some drawings. At the end we will walk together through the village and visit the church of S.Croce, where we can admire the ancient baptismal font where Leonardo was baptized.

It's lunch time! We will stop in a farm located in the countryside of Vinci, completely surrounded by vineyards. If the weather allows us, we can also visit the vineyards! In any case, we will have a tasting of four glasses of wine produced on the farm, accompanied by a board with typical Tuscan cold cuts.

After lunch, we will travel for about 30 minutes to the iconic town of Montecatini Terme, where all the jet-set, princes and kings have gone to take advantage of the healing properties of its thermal waters. The Romans already knew the waters of Montecatini, but it was thanks to the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopoldo de' Medici that the town had an important development and became an international destination. Our tour includes a stop to have a short visit of the thermal baths that have been declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO: Terme Tettuccio. Your tour leader will show you the stunning Liberty architecture that frames the Thermal Springs.

In five minutes we will arrive at the Funicolare Station the best way to get to the medieval village of Montecatini Alto

Ten min. is the traveling time with the oldest funicular in the world, operating since 1898; it has had some of the most famous men in history as passengers over the years: starting with Giuseppe Verdi, who was on the inaugural trip on June 4, 1898! Then Royalty, scientists, philosophers, politicians, rock-stars, Hollywood celebrities, but also simple tourists, who through the funicular went to breathe a little of ancient history! During the Middle Ages, when armies fought on the plain below it, this fortress was an unbreakable bastion and you will have free time to explore it on your own. Here you can see the ruins of the first fortress, the Romanesque S.Pietro's church and its bell tower, the tower of CastelNuovo, the square, the neo-Gothic theater that houses a pizzeria and several medieval houses. Take a break in the picturesque square for an ice cream, before you're overcome with the beauty of the valley view! Now, your tour leader is waiting for you: it’s time to come back.