When most people think of Italian carnival celebrations they immediately think of the exclusive masked balls of Venice. However, a much more approachable - and in my opinion - more enjoyable carnival experience occurs a few hundred miles to the south, in the Tuscan beach town of Viareggio. Whereas Venice’s festivities are expensive, adult-oriented, and touristic, Carnivale di Viareggio is affordable, family friendly, and absurdly (in a good way) Italian.
