The most fabulous thing about Viareggio, aside from the stunning snow-capped mountains you see from the beach, is the two mile long promenade that follows their beach front clubs, shops and restaurants.  On a chilly but sunny February morning, before the crowds and craziness of Carnevale, this promenade is full of folks meandering, while chatting with each other, while walking their dogs and while enjoying a sunny winter afternoon.  The Carnevale season in Viareggio is the 2nd most popular in Italy, second only to Venice.  The floats are impressive, the crowds are fun and engaging and the city is alive with festivities.

Viareggio is on the train line to the Cinque Terre, so if you are thinking about visiting there, I really recommend a stop here!

The absolutely fabulous Hotel Plaza e de Russie faces the promenade and is the perfect spot for a night ( or ten.)  I was lucky enough to get a seafront room and happily relaxed with the window open and a lovely view.  This hotel is part of the Relais & Chateux brand and the staff was incredibly friendly and helpful.  My visit to Viareggio was fairly last minute so I had not researched any restaurants but the concierge was happy to recommend a few.  I relaxed in my room reading about them then called down to the front desk to have the concierge make the reservation on my behalf.  The hotel has a Michelin starred restaurant on site but as I was dining alone, I didn’t feel up for the fancy meal.  I highly recommend this hotel and can not wait to visit again!

A great spot to stop for a café and a little treat is Café Fappani – on the promenade at Viale Guglielmo Marconi.  They have plenty of outdoor seating and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner though make sure to check the hours dependent on the season.  I had a delicious chocolate “pasticciotti” – a chocolate custard filled tart.  They offered Almond and Vanilla flavored as well, though I behaved and only had one!

On the advise of the concierge at the hotel, I selected Ristorante Nomade for dinner.  I was dining alone so in those cases, I always go early at the first reservation.  For a little bit, myself and one other single diner were the only people in the restaurant.  I had a superior meal — treating myself to each course and enjoying every bite.  There was a small soup for me to try, along with a candle made of butter which they lit and then instructed me to enjoy with the bread.  It was decadent and perfect.  I had a plate of pasta with black garlic and sea shrimp which was interestingly addictive – I could not stop eating it.  For my main, I had a grilled Seabass with potatoes and veggies.  The perfect dessert (and what caught my eye when I was looking at the restaurant’s website) was the Peanut parfait with caramel ice cream​ for dessert.  It was really a wonderful meal and I enjoyed every bite.