Battilana, Carrara

The Apuan Alps rise immediately inland from Carrara, with the marble basins above the city as the defining landscape feature of the area. The Ligurian Sea coast is at the town, with a continuous seafront and beaches toward Marina di Carrara. Part of the nearby mountain area falls within the Parco naturale regionale delle Alpi Apuane. The nearest ski lifts are the small lifts at Careggine, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes by road depending on the exact starting point. Carrara itself is a city of size with full services, a historic centre, port facilities at Marina di Carrara, and direct rail and road links to Massa, La Spezia and Pisa. The area is known nationally for Carrara marble and the quarries cut into the mountains above the city.