Viareggio

Viareggio is a seaside resort town on the Tuscan coast in the province of Lucca, part of the Versilia riviera. Its long beachfront is lined almost entirely with private stabilimenti balneari (beach clubs) that charge for sunbed and umbrella access, so independent travellers looking for free public sand have limited options in town. Viareggio is best known for the Carnevale di Viareggio, held along its seafront promenade (the Passeggiata) every February — one of Italy's most famous carnivals, with elaborate papier-mâché floats built in dedicated workshops (the Cittadella del Carnevale) and paraded for weeks around the event. The frazione of Torre del Lago Puccini, part of the same comune, is separately known as the home of composer Giacomo Puccini and hosts an annual open-air Puccini opera festival. Viareggio's town centre also has notable Liberty-style (Art Nouveau) architecture along the seafront, much of it rebuilt after a 1917 fire.