Follonica

Italy, Italy

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Follonica is a charming seaside town on the Gulf of Follonica in southern Tuscany, Italy, often called the “Pearl of the Gulf” for its magical fine white sandy beaches and low seabeds that make it a popular vacation spot.

Founded in 1834 by Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany specifically for workers of a new ironworks plant, the town was built on what was once swampland to become the old Italian cast iron capital and second most important iron trade point in Europe. The iron industry defined Follonica’s identity for over a century, with the name deriving from “fulloni,” the bellows used in the foundries, and today visitors can explore this industrial heritage at the MAGMA Museum housed in the converted 19th-century Forno San Ferdinando iron foundry.

The town features an 8-kilometer coastline along the Tyrrhenian Sea with both public and private beaches awarded the Blue Flag designation for water quality, backed by a thriving pinewood and surrounded by nature preserves including Riserva Naturale Scarlino and Riserva di Padule Orti Bottagone.

Follonica attracts mostly Italian tourists along with visitors from Germany, France, and the UK, offering a laid-back, welcoming atmosphere with abundant restaurants serving fresh seafood specialties like cacciucco (a tomato-based stew with five types of fish), shops, and discos.