This boot-shaped country is known for its masterpieces – in art, the opera, high fashion, luxury cars, architecture (both old and new) and gastronomy. It’s difficult to pinpoint a “low-season” for tourists. This place is bustling with international visitors all year ‘round.
This is the land of Leonardo da Vinci and Pavarotti, pig-snuffled white truffles and oven-baked pizza; effortless style, Roman gladiators and serenading Venetian gondoliers. It’s where history’s ancient glories rub shoulders with the best of our modern world, and the epitome of la dolce vita.
Travel has never sounded quite as musical as hitting the streets of Sicily, Sardinia or Siena. It’s never been as visually stunning as the dramatic Amalfi Coast or southern mountains. It’s never been as romantic as Verona – Shakespeare’s setting for Romeo and Juliet. It’s never tasted as good as the lemon-flavoured gelato you’ll eat in Florence, as you wait in the queue to view Michelangelo’s David.
If it’s adventure and adrenaline you crave, you’ll find it here. The Italians have a reputation for harrowing driving (fuelled, perhaps, by their love of Ferrari and Lamborghini). But there are also plenty of places to partake in other less dangerous sports: ski the Alps, dive the gold coast of Sardinia, or hike the Dolomites.
Milan, Lake Como and surrounds are playgrounds of the rich and famous. Venice, meanwhile, is otherworldly – a city submerged in water, steeped in culture and a playful sense of carnival. And Rome’s ancient monuments are an epic trip in themselves – home to the Colosseum, Forum, Palatine Hill, Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain and Pantheon, to name a few.
Arts + Culture Lovers; Backpackers/Budget Travellers; Couples/Honeymooners; Families; Foodies; History Buffs; Nature Lovers
