Montecatini Alto
I found a "personal
description" of Montecatini Terme and Montecatini
Alto while browsing online with google and I've decided to
put it here as it well describes the town:
"...The Medieval town is in fact on the top of the
mountain. It is called Montecatini Alto and can be
accessed by road, or via the funicolare. The town at the
bottom is much larger, called Montecatini Terne, and was
only established in the eighteenth century as a spar town.
What an elegant and luxurious town it is. Very wide
streets, beautifully maintained Neo-Classical and Art
Nouveau buildings , beautiful gardens, the most stunning
spas and hotels. One of them were providing a late morning
concert with orchestra playing in the domed courtyard.
They not only believe in the curative powers of the water,
but in relaxation. To cap it all off; no vespas. Now that
the Hydro Majestic is being fully restored, it will be on
the scale of many of the spa hotels in Montecatini. We
walked the parks (in one was a fabulous modern fountain
water wheel consisting of stainless steel funnels that
release water into the funnel below which turns the wheel)
and avenues to the funicolare, about a couple of
kilometres, and then were hauled to the top of the
mountain and Montecatini Alto.
It is a beautiful 10 minute trip, with the car on tracks
being pulled up the mountain by a cable. We stood outside
on the front deck, and passed through woods, and cuttings
through the cliff. At the top we did a photographic
circuit, including a walk into the town where we got the
surprise of our lives. As we turned the corner into the
piazza, there was barely room for one car to pass through
the middle. All available space was canvas awnings,
shading tables and chairs set up out front of restaurants."
Some
images and pictures of Montecatini Alto
.
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