THE VILLAGE OF POPULONIA
A Fortress with a thousand faces..
An ancient medieval village that rises on a hill, it was built above the sea to dominate the whole promontory..
Populonia was an ancient Etruscan town, the only one built along the coast. It was originally called Fufluna, from the name of the God of wine.
The medieval village was built on what was once the ancient acropolis, around 300 A.D., and it was surrounded by impressive walls.
Today it has been transformed into a lively village, full of boutiques and craft shops,cafes and typical restaurants. Populonia embodies a unique reality that deserves to be lived calmly and with the right spirit.
By going up the road that from the beach leads to the Castle, you can already enjoy the ancient history of Populonia by admiring the first Etruscan ruins of the necropolis
Two minutes along the road which goes through century-old oak trees, pines and holm oaks, and finally you get to the door of the village: here, you will feel immediately immersed in the friendly and familiar atmosphere that characterizes the life of the Castle.
In Populonia you will find something for all tastes!
FOOD
You can start your day with a nice breakfast at the cafe “la Taverna di Populonia“, where Luca and Marisa bake hot croissants since early in the morning and the coffee aroma pervades the streets. You can taste salads, sandwiches and ready meals for lunch and dinner … then move on to the rich aperitif in
the tavern gardens!
At the Osteria la Torre di Populonia Antonio and Maria will make you dream of the sea with their fishbased cuisine, from linguine with clams to delicious fried fish, completing your meal with Ludovica’s legendary desserts.
If you love sophisticated cocktails don’t miss those created by Cristiano at Dispensa Desideri! A cocktail bar, restaurant, pizzeria and tapasseria where you will find excellent local cuisine prepared with love by Valter and Flavia, delicious gourmet pizzas baked by Giulio and wonderful desserts made by Virginia.
Ancient history that you will surely fall in love with..
CULTURE
In Populonia, archeology enthusiasts will definitely find what they are looking for!
Inside the village, the Etruscan Museum Gasparri Collection houses a small treasure made up of all the artifacts found in the area. While visiting the Rocca of the Castle you’ll get to the top of the tower…Wonderful! A 360 ° view of the whole surrounding area, on clear days Corsica and Capraia seem to be within walking distance, and the view spreads from San Vincenzo to Punta Ala!
Just outside the village there are the ruins of the acropolis, with the majestic temple of Venus, the remains of the rich Etruscans’ villas and, after a short walk, you will reach a spectacular viewpoint that overlooks the island of Elba.
Immersed in pristine nature…
SPORT
In Populonia you can relax … but as soon as you leave the house, plenty of sports activities will be waiting for you, along with several paths that branch off in the woods surrounding the Castle: from here you can take nice walks and reach the suggestive rocky coves of the promontory towards Piombino.
For mountain bike enthusiasts, Matteo, from Tuscany Bike, will organize for you bike tours to discover the surroundings! The bike center is located not far from Populonia within the Poggio all’Agnello resort; here you can choose your bike at the rental, your tour and your guide who will accompany you on excursions,
from crosscountry to suitable tours for families, rich in landscape and cultural details, up to enduro tours, more technical singletrack and freeride tours.
But not only: if you want you can attend technical courses so as to improve your bike riding, with lots of fun!
