Italy
Whatever your travel preferences – whether you adore ancient history, embrace cultural immersion, love being a foodie abroad, or want some adventure and fun – well, Italy’s ready to please.
Once there, it’s easy to quickly fall into Italy’s ‘la Dolce Vita’ way of enjoying life. And, why not? After all, the days in Italy are never dull, the food and wine are delicious, the country’s storied heritage is unparalleled, and romance and beauty abound.
Italy offers tempting choices for experiencing the country’s almost limitless array of historic icons to see like those in ancient Rome and Renaissance Florence, regional cuisines to taste in foodie famous Bologna and Naples, playgrounds of rolling hills, be-speckled with country villas and hilltop perched villages, to enjoy in Tuscany and Umbria, and breathtaking coastal hot spots like the Amalfi Coast and Italian Riviera to indulge.
For many of us, Italy’s an easy choice. The tough part is picking the best background for your travel like a local adventure, in an incredibly gorgeous country with so much to share with her visitors. Personally, I like to choose a home base like Florence or Rome and branch out regionally to other must-see spots on day trips and an overnighter once in a while. With Italy such a friendly and welcoming country, returning again and again to experience even more, is always a tantalizing option.
Top Italy Cities and Regions
Florence – Tuscany’s capital, Renaissance birthplace, and hometown of trendsetters Giotto, Botticelli, Michelangelo - where today unmeasurable history and unrivaled art live and breathe in museums, palaces, statues, gardens, narrow winding streets, piazzas, churches, and with every footstep.
Rome – From Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel masterpiece to the Trevi Fountain, the Roman Colosseum to Circus Maximus, and the Vatican Museums to the Spanish Steps - each footstep traces the Eternal City’s unique legacy from pivotal past civilizations.
Tuscany – Of Under the Tuscan Sun fame, wildly popular for Chianti vineyards, olive groves, Tuscan cuisine and picture-postcard ochre and terra cotta painted villages like San Gimignano, Cortona, and Sienna dotting rolling hills of elegant Tuscan cypress trees.
Umbria – Known as Italy’s “green heart”, bursting with dense forests and medieval hill towns including Assisi and Perugia, nestled among hauntingly beautiful mountains.
More Top Italy Cities and Regions
Amalfi Coast - Luxury living in the land of 100 blissful beaches, believed the most beautiful pastel-hued villa-strewn slice of coastline.
Assisi – Serenely mystical pilgrimage destination, peacefully nestled in Umbria among cloud-kissed hills, replete with blog text and photo boxes) village churches, leading to the breathtaking 13th c. Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi.
Cinque Terre – 12 miles of dramatic Italian Riviera coast line, wildly popular national park protecting five intensely colorful and picturesque fishing villages, balanced atop steep hills plunging to the sea.
Cortona – Rustic and romantic, of Under the Tuscan Sun movie fame, the quintessential Tuscan walled and cobblestoned village overlooks expansive olive groves and vineyards below.
Italian Riviera - Crescent-shaped stretch of Mediterranean coastline from Ventimiglia to Spezia, dotted by dazzling village gems, clinging to craggy hilltops rising from the sea, dramatic mountainscapes inland.
Lake Como – Iconic beautiful lake tucked in below the Italian Alps, surrounded by charming villages like the famous Bellagio, a uniquely scenic and elegant haven to enjoy the Italian la dolce vita.
Lucca – Renaissance walled river city with wide tree-lined paths encircling old town, perfect for strolling or cycling, authentic Tuscan living, revered traditional Tuscan cuisine.
Milan – Center of Italian fashion showcased at the famous 4-story shopping mall, Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, deep-seated history and culture witnessed through Davinci’s The Last Supper, Napoleon’s palazzo, and the iconic Milan Duomo (cathedral).
Positano – Most picturesque “vertical town” boasting idyllic sun splashed peach to terracotta hued houses, cascading down sheer coastal cliffs to the Amalfi Coast’s beaches below.
Perugia – Hilltop perched capital of Umbria, enveloped by purple-hued mountains, offers dramatic valley vistas from the city’s historic center, a renowned Umbria art and heritage center.
Pisa – Once a maritime powerhouse during the crusades, today pedestrianized café-lined cobbled streets lead to the 12th c. medieval leaning tower and a dozen historic churches, including Santo Sepolcro, built for the Knights Templar.
Siena – Tuscan 14th c. red-bricked town hall on Piazza del Campo where traditional Paleo games (horse races) occur, unique 13th c. iconic medieval Duomo of Siena (cathedral) - home to masterpieces from the likes of Donatello, Michelangelo and Bernini – claiming Italy’s most ornate
Sorrento –Amalfi Coast resort town outfitted in bougainvillea, straddling steep cliffs overlooking the Bay of Naples and an historic old town, popular with Byron, Tolstoy, Goethe, Dickens.
Venice - Built on 100+ small islands, romantic gondolas glide through Venice’s network of canals lined by Renaissance and Gothic era palaces, bejeweled by landmarks like Piazza San Marco, Doge Palace and museums.
