Tuscany · Lucca
Forte dei Marmi
The Versilia luxury beach built around an eighteenth-century marble-loading fort, with 99 bagni concessions and a Wednesday market that draws Milan.
- Best time
- May–Sep
- By car
- 38 min from Pisa
- Population
- 6,861
Known for
BEACH CLUBS
Around 99 bagni concessions along the Bandiera Blu coastline, the most exclusive renting cabanas for over 20,000 euros per season.
THE PONTILE
Wooden marble-loading pier built 1867-1877 with tracks and a steam crane, now the central seafront promenade and viewpoint.
WEDNESDAY MARKET
Piazza Marconi market running since the 1930s, with leather and cashmere stalls that pull weekday shoppers from Milan and Bologna.
When to visit
Best · May–Sep
- J12°
- F13°
- M14°
- A17°
- M21°
- J25°
- J28°
- A29°
- S25°
- O21°
- N16°
- D13°
- Best
- Hot or crowded
- Quiet
- Mostly closed
Daytime averages, 2020–2024. The sea is warmest in August at 28° and coldest in February at 12°. Weather data by Open-Meteo.com.
The festa: Ermete martire, 28 August
Why come
Forte dei Marmi sits at sea level on the Versilia coast, 8. 9 square kilometers of flat ground between the Apuan Alps and the Ligurian Sea. The town takes its name from a small fort built in 1788 under Grand Duke Leopold to defend the coast and used through the nineteenth century to stockpile marble shipped down from the Carrara and Seravezza quarries before loading onto ships at the wooden pier.
The Pontile, built between 1867 and 1877, carried tracks and a steam crane for the marble trade and is now the central promenade landmark. The town became a Belle Époque resort in the early twentieth century, then a luxury destination from the 1960s. Russian buyers arrived in the 1990s, the press named the seafront Piccola Russia, and by 2023 around 99 bagni concessions operate along the beach, the most prestigious cabins renting at over 20,000 euros per season.
Read on
Forte dei Marmi in our articles
The 6 best hidden coastal towns within 90 minutes of Pisa6 towns, Forte dei Marmi among them.
The 6 best towns with a serious restaurant in the province of Lucca6 towns, Forte dei Marmi among them.
The best beach towns within 90 minutes of Pisa6 towns, Forte dei Marmi among them.
The best coastal towns within 90 minutes of Florence6 towns, Forte dei Marmi among them.
How to get there
From Florence / Pisa (PSA), about 47 minutes by car.
Genoa (GOA) is about 1h 46m away.
By car from the centre of Pisa 38 minutes or Florence 1h 24m.
Coming by train into Livorno Centrale? Forte dei Marmi is about 39 minutes away by road.
What to see
Fortino di Leopoldo
The 1788 marble-loading fortress that gave the town its name, on the central piazza, now housing the Museo della Satira e della Caricatura.
Pontile
Wooden marble-loading pier built between 1867 and 1877, with tracks and a steam crane, now the central seafront promenade.
Spiaggia di Forte dei Marmi
Wide Versilia Bandiera Blu beach with around 99 bagni concessions running back to the Belle Époque, fine golden sand and the Apuan Alps as backdrop.
Mercato del Mercoledì
Wednesday market on Piazza Marconi running since the 1930s, with clothing, leather and cashmere stalls that draw shoppers from Milan and Bologna.
Museo della Satira e della Caricatura
Civic museum inside the Fortino, with 35,000 satirical drawings and political cartoons, founded 1992 from the Mauro Bambi bequest.
The slow-trip planner
Building a trip? Find where Forte dei Marmi fits in a slow Italy circuit.
Answer five questions. We will shape a geographically coherent slow trip from the 1,000 Italian towns most travelers skip. Yours to save and share.
We’ve tried
What we got up to
Restaurants, walks, swims — the things we actually did in and around Forte dei Marmi, each with the piece we wrote about it.
The tordello, the meat-stuffed pasta that is Versilia telling you it isn't Lucca.
We recommend
Where to eat and stay
Not our picks, but places the guides put their name to: a Michelin star, a Gambero Rosso fork, a Slow Food snail, a Michelin Key for the hotels. Worth a table, a counter, or a night when you pass through.
LorenzoRistorante
Lorenzo carries one Michelin star, two Gambero Rosso forks (89/100), plus a place in L'Espresso's Top 300, among other nods.
Lux Lucis - Hotel Principe Forte dei MarmiRistorante
One Michelin star for Lux Lucis - Hotel Principe Forte dei Marmi, along with two Gambero Rosso forks (88/100) and a place in L'Espresso's Top 300, among other nods.
BistrotRistorante
Bistrot carries one Michelin star, plus two Gambero Rosso forks (86/100).
La MagnoliaRistorante
La Magnolia carries one Michelin star, plus two Gambero Rosso forks (87/100).
SciabolaRistorante
One Michelin star for Sciabola, and two Gambero Rosso forks (82/100).
Osteria del MareRistorante
Osteria del Mare carries one Gambero Rosso fork (78/100).
Pesce BaraccaBistrot
Pesce Baracca carries two Gambero Rosso tables.
Pensione AmericaHotel
One Michelin Key for Pensione America, along with a Leading Hotels of the World listing and a place on Italy's historic-locali register.
Principe Forte dei MarmiHotel
One Michelin Key for Principe Forte dei Marmi, and a Leading Hotels of the World listing.
Grand Hotel ImperialeHotel
Grand Hotel Imperiale has a place in the Michelin hotel guide to its name.
The Magic Forte dei MarmiHotel
The Magic Forte dei Marmi has a place in the Michelin hotel guide to its name.
The Sunday letter
Forte dei Marmi got its letter. One town every Sunday, free. The photo, the food, the festa.
Living here
- Population 6,861
- Commuter belti
- Pharmacy in town
- High school within a 30-minute drive
- Nearest airport Florence / Pisa, 47 min drive
- Regional capital Firenze, 1 h 24 min drive
Common questions
- What is Forte dei Marmi known for?
- Forte dei Marmi is the Versilia luxury beach built around an eighteenth-century marble-loading fort, with 99 bagni concessions and a Wednesday market that draws Milan.
- Where is Forte dei Marmi?
- Forte dei Marmi is a comune in the province of Lucca, in Tuscany, at 2 meters above sea level.
- What is the nearest airport to Forte dei Marmi?
- Florence / Pisa (PSA), about 47 minutes by car.
- How long is the drive from Pisa to Forte dei Marmi?
- About 38 minutes by car.
- When is the best time to visit Forte dei Marmi?
- Best in May–Sep. August is the warmest month, averaging 29 degrees, and December the wettest, with about 16 rain days.
- Is there a sagra or a festival in Forte dei Marmi?
- The town keeps its patron saint's day: Ermete martire, 28 August.
- Which other towns are like Forte dei Marmi?
- Castiglione della Pescaia, Vietri sul Mare and Pizzo.
- How many people live in Forte dei Marmi?
- 6,861 at the 2023 count.
Tags & datadesignations · numbers · sources
Recognised as
The numbers
- Elevation: 2 m
- Population: 6,861
- Surface area: 8.88 km²
These figures were compiled from public directories: ISTAT, OpenStreetMap and Wikidata, and from the official listings of the guides named on this page. Town details change; verify with official sources before you travel.
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🟦 Bandiera Blu
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