The hills above Lucca, leading up to the Tucan ski resorts of Abetone and Monte Cimone offer fabulous views, great locations and, most of all: affordable Tuscany. From here you can be in Florence, or sking or on the beach or at Pisa International Airport all within about as hour. The area is characterised by medieval hilltop villages, dating back to around the 11th Century. Some villages, however, are Roman in origin. The Province of Lucca was a seperate Nation until the unification of Italy in 1860. For centuries, the inhabitants of the Lucca Hills looked after their crops, collected chesnuts and tended their sheep and goats, keeping a watchful eye out for Pisani or Florentine invaders!
If you have Google Earth installed you can open this file and browse by location:
locations.kml