Arezzo is located about 20 minutes from the B&B and has a historic center worth seeing. You may have seen the old Italian town featured in the award winning "La Bella Vita".
Grand Piazza Historic Center:
As you enter Arezzo you will drive through the commercial part of the town but the historic area is where you want to end up. This town is known for its monthly antique market which happens the first weekend of every month. You can find anything and everything there. Even if you are not in the mood to buy or carry around any potential treasures for the rest of your vacation, its worth checking out, having lunch, and walking around. In the fall you will also find various activities like jousting events, parades, fairs, historical reenactments and much more. Check out the blog post "When to plan your trip" for more tips on timing of events.
Antique Fair:
At the top of the hill, above the main Piazza is a small public park where the main cathedral and a Medici Fortress is located. The Fortress was built by the Medici of Florence in the 1500s. At the very bottom of the hill is the Roman Amphitheater which was built in the first century.
Public Park and Inside Fortress:
The town also has great bars and restaurants, both in the historic area and on the outskirts, especially if you are looking for a break from Italian food. Ask us for recommendations because we have many! A few are listed below.
Bars & Restaurants:
Essenza Dario E Anna dal 1964 - Located on the main piazza, this restaurant has a very interesting interior decor and also offers outdoor seating with views of the Piazza. Normally I stay away from restaurants on the main piazza because they can be a little touristy but I love the atmosphere of this restaurant and the staff is not pushy. It is a little more fancy and upscale if you are looking for some place more special.
Ristorante Logge Vasari - Also located on the main piazza but slightly hidden under the columns. This place is approachable in price, has typical Tuscan cuisine with a more hip vibe. It is also a great place to people watch but be out of the sun and hot heat.
Hoppy Lab Arezzo - If you are looking for a break from wine, this cozy beer hall is a great place to stop. They have indoor and outdoor seating and you can bring your own food in. There is a fried chicken and fries place just around the corner.
La Clandestina - This place has great wine and awesome cocktails. It is often hard to find anything other than a spritz around here but this place delivers. They also have amazing aperitivo snacks that are more substantial than you would get elsewhere. The vibe is cool, hip, almost hipster coffee shop but cocktails and heavy ourdouves. I do believe they have a full menu but I have always just gone for the cocktails and snacks. They are located just off the main walking strip called "Corso Italia" where you will find most of the shopping.
The street "Corso Italia" - This is the main walking strip of the historic area and has various wine bars, clothing stores, and home good stores. Just off of the Corso you can walk to Piazza San Francesco which has a beautiful church worth touring and many more restaurants. You will also find a Gyoza bar and Poke Bowl place if you are looking to break up all the Italian cuisine you have probably consumed on your vacation.
Tip:
Arezzo is also where one of the main train stations is located. You can connect to Florence, Venice, Rome, and other places from there. If you fly into Rome or Florence, you can take the train to Arezzo and pick up a rental car. Other than Cortona, this is the best and closet place to find a rental car (unless of course you picked it up at the airport). There is also a large parking lot here which is walking distance to the historic center.