Colline Metallifere · Maremma

Follonica

The Maremma's seaside town: a golden gulf, pine forests and sandy beaches between the Metalliferous Hills and the island of Elba on the horizon.

Follonica is the seaside soul of the Tuscan Maremma: a lively year-round town overlooking its own gulf, with miles of sandy beaches framed by pine forest. Founded in the 19th century as an ironworks town by Grand Duke Leopold II, it preserves that heritage in the atmospheric former foundry district and the MAGMA museum, dedicated to the art of cast iron. Today it is one of the most popular resort towns on the Tuscan coast, with a buzzing seafront promenade, shops, restaurants and all the services of a real town. Just behind it rise the Metalliferous Hills, with medieval villages and the forests of the most authentic Maremma. A perfect base for those who want the sea without giving up everyday convenience and community life.

At the table

In Follonica the sea rules the table: mixed fried fish, spaghetti with shellfish and the fresh daily catch of the gulf, served in the restaurants along the promenade. Yet the Maremma countryside is minutes away, bringing tortelli maremmani, wild boar and the hearty inland flavours of the Metalliferous Hills.

Aerial view of the seafront promenade and beach of Follonica, Tuscan Maremma, province of Grosseto

Pedestrian street in the centre of Follonica with lampposts and shops, Tuscan Maremma

Wine and olive oil

This is the land of Monteregio di Massa Marittima DOC and the bold reds of the Maremma Toscana IGT, while the hills behind the town produce an intense, fragrant extra virgin olive oil, among the finest in the province of Grosseto.

Festivals

The Follonica Carnival is one of Tuscany's most famous, with spectacular floats parading along the seafront. In summer the town comes alive with concerts and events by the sea, and on 15 November it celebrates its patron saint, St Leopold.

Distances

Beaches and railway station: in town. Massa Marittima: 17 km. Castiglione della Pescaia: 24 km. Piombino and the Elba ferries: 26 km. Grosseto: 48 km.