Viareggio, Coastal commune in Tuscany, Italy
Viareggio is a coastal commune in the Province of Lucca on the Tuscan Riviera, stretching along a long strip of sand on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The core of the town lies between the waterfront area with its bathing establishments and an artificial canal that runs parallel to the coast and once served for drainage.
The settlement developed in the 16th century as a port town for the Republic of Lucca, after earlier attempts at this marshy coast had failed. In the 19th century the rise as a seaside resort began, when nobles and wealthy families from Florence and other Tuscan cities came here.
The name derives from the medieval term Via Regia, referring to an old trade route that once passed through this coastal area. Today locals use the wide waterfront promenade as a gathering spot in the evening, where families and friends meet between the Art Nouveau pavilions.
The main streets run parallel to the coast and make it easy to find your way between the beach and the town center. Outside the peak summer months the town can be explored more quietly, when fewer visitors are around and many venues still remain open.
In the shipyards on the outskirts of town large sailing yachts and motorboats are still built today, later used in harbors worldwide. Some yards occasionally open their workshops to visitors who want to follow the construction up close.
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