The city of Grosseto has been awarded the title of “European Green Pioneer of Smart Tourism 2024”: a prize by the European Commission to destinations that have implemented successful strategies for sustainable tourism.
Located along the Tyrrhenian coast, Grosseto boasts a thousand-years-old historical background that characterizes its monuments, the urban fabric and the beauty of the countryside surrounding the city. The municipality is situated on an immense plain, where there was once a big salt lake, called “Prile Lake”, that over the centuries dried out leaving a marshy but fertile land.
A few kilometers from the historic center, lies a green oasis of 9 thousand hectares of hills and plains, evergreen forests and brushes, ponds and marshes with a very high density of animals, including porcupines, deer, foxes and thousands of birds. The Regional Park of Maremma is a kind of rare island that still preserves the treasures of its history, such as the great abbey of San Rabano and the “butteri” (cowboys) which continue the tradition of wild farming of Maremma bovines.
Approximately 30 percent of the protected area is dedicated to agriculture, serving as a base for the many agritourism activities. Maremma Park houses, in fact, dozens of facilities that all year round offer stays combined with tastings inside wineries, cheese factories, wine cellars and olive tree groves, and trekking paths to discover local flora and fauna.
There are many bicycle paths that passes through the countryside and along the coast departing from the city. By riding a section of the Tirrenica Cycle Path, it is possible to reach the Diaccia Botrona, the most important wetland in Italy, while the bike-pedestrian path, running along the Ombrone at the top of the river bank and crossing the modern bicycle and pedestrian bridge Gigi della Barca (Gigi of the Boat), connects Grosseto to Alberese and to the Maremma Park. For those who want to discover the archaeological treasures that link the Maremma to the Roman-Etruscan culture, there is instead an itinerary leading to the Archaeological Park of Roselle, guardian of the ruins of one of the most important cities of Etruria.
The commitment of Grosseto is not limited to projects related to mobility: the Municipality has made its beaches, its monuments and its historic center accessible, thanks to projects such as “Mare per tutti” (Sea for everyone) and GRITACCESS, two initiatives that aim to offer information and services dedicated to people affected by disabilities.
From the crystal-clear sea to the trails in the green to the cultural heritage, visiting Grosseto means discovering a territory which has become a leader in sustainable and inclusive tourism.
