Italy Travel Guide

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Fodor's Essential Italy 2024
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Italy is the whole package, and it knows it. Covering 116,350 square miles of gorgeous coastlines, mountains, and countryside and with more than 2,700 years of history and culture in all genres, it’s hard to beat the cultural wealth and beauty of Italy’s everyday–whether food, art, fashion, or design. And though Italy is united under the same country code +39, it is a patchwork of personalities—20 regions with distinctly different traditions and terrains.

Since the Grand Tour itineraries of yesteryear, the cities of Rome, Florence, Naples, and Venice have topped the list of must-see destinations. The 21st-century itinerary expands outward for full immersion into Italian culture with an extended lineup that includes the beaches of the Amalfi Coast and Puglia, the food towns of Emil... Read More

Capital city Rome leads the country in the center-south Lazio region, and it’s here where the reputation of Italian chaos comes from. Since its 753 BC founding, Rome has been the center of attention. Today’s Eternal City convenes millennia of culture and millions of residents and visitors in its historic center of approximately five square miles. Rome’s ancient history is seen every day in the contemporary Roman landscape whether it’s driving past the Colosseum, watching the pilgrims flow into St. Peter’s Square or queuing up to see Michelangelo’s masterpiece in the Sistine Chapel.

Along with the must-see cities, there are unparalleled experiences that you must do when in Italy, including eating a true Neapolitan pizza in Naples, climbing Sicily’s Mount Etna (an active volcano), driving the head-spinning curves of the Amalfi Coast, taking a midnight gondola ride around Venice, walking the top level of the Colosseum, driving a vintage Fiat through the Tuscan countryside, eating anything in Emilia Romagna, and exploring antiquity at any ancient sites such as Pompeii, Paestum, and Herculaneum.

All Italians would tell you the best way to get to know the country is simply to explore whatever is front of you and on your plate. Italy’s food culture varies from region to region. For pizza and pasta lovers, head south to Naples and Rome, and meat-lovers to Tuscany. Sicily is the country’s breadbasket for its incredible range of fruit and veggies, and seafood and desserts. Emilia Romagna sits on the throne of the country’s gastronomic empire, known for its Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, prosciutto di Parma, balsamic vinegar, and incredible homemade pasta specialties like tortellini. Wine, why not? There is no region where you can’t find an amazing bottle of wine—red, white or bubbles—just look for the area’s strade del vino (wine roads) to lead you in the right direction.

There is never a bad time to visit Italy, whether winter or summer, high season or low season. From November through the end of February, tourism tends to dissipate which makes sites are less crowded and highly requested tickets like Rome’s Vatican Museums, Florence’s Uffizi and Milan’s Last Supper easier to reserve. Spring kicks into high gear during La Settimana Santa (Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter), and from that moment, Italy unleashes events and holidays, and more as the weeks warm up. Crowds accumulate and by mid-June the best place to be are the lesser-visited towns. In the summer months, Italians head to the beach or mountains, and by August, Rome and other big cities are veritable ghost towns. Though the residents have left and infrastructure can be reduced, cities and towns organize summer events such as extended museum hours, outdoor concerts and other events.

Thanks to its unbeatable location in the southern Mediterranean basin, the climate is generally mild in the winters and warm in the summer, but here’s rub: weather varies notably from region to region. The northern regions, like Lombardia, Piemonte, Veneto, and even Emilia Romagna tend to have harsher, longer winters than their southern counterparts like Sicily, Calabria, and Campania where the hot sun seems to shine for 10 months a year. Be prepared, just as each region is climatically different from its neighbor, a drive across a region can vastly change from chilly mountainside and arid plains to scalding seaside.

Fodor's Essential Italy 2024
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Sicily

The island of Sicily has an abundance of history. Some of the world's best-preserved Byzantine mosaics stand adjacent to magnificent Greek temples and Roman amphitheaters...

Rome

Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists...

Tuscany

Midway down the Italian peninsula, Tuscany (Toscana in Italian) is distinguished by rolling hills, snowcapped mountains, dramatic cypress trees, and miles of coastline on the...

Florence

Florence, the city of the lily, gave birth to the Renaissance and changed the way we see the world. For centuries it has captured the...

Naples

Located under the shadow of Vesuvius, Naples is the most vibrant city in Italy—a steaming, bubbling, reverberating minestrone in which each block is a small...

The Dolomites

The Dolomites, those inimitable craggy peaks Le Corbusier called "the most beautiful work of architecture ever seen," are never so arresting as at dusk, when...

Capri, Ischia, and Procida

The islands off Naples are so different from each other that you wonder how they can possibly be in the same bay—indeed, some would say...

The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

Much of the pleasure of exploring the arc around Venice—stretching from Verona to Trieste, encompassing the Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia regions—comes from discovering the variations...

The Amalfi Coast

Easily one of the most picturesque places on earth, this Italian Eden—situated about two-thirds down the boot on the Tyrrhenian coast—boasts colorful cliffside villages, rolling...

Emilia–Romagna

Gourmets the world over claim that Emilia-Romagna's greatest contribution to humankind has been gastronomic. Birthplace of fettuccine, tortellini, lasagna, prosciutto, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, the region...

The Italian Riviera

Nestled between the south of France and the Tuscan border lies the region of Liguria, with verdant and lush mountains to the north and east...

Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Venture off the traffic-filled highways and explore the countryside of Italy’s boot, made up of the three separate regions—Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria—each one with its...

Milan

Rome may be bigger and wield political power, but Milan and the affluent north are what really make the country go. Leonardo da Vinci's Last...

Lombardy and the Lakes

Lombardy is one of Italy's most dynamic regions, offering everything from world-class ski slopes to luxurious summer lake resorts, and Milan is the pulse of...

Sardinia

The second-largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia remains unique and enigmatic with its rugged coastline and white-sand beaches, dramatic granite cliffs, and mountainous inland tracts...

Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Northwest Italy's Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta regions come with a large dose of mountain splendor, bourgeois refinement, culinary achievement, and scenic beauty. Two of Europe's...

Capri

Fantastic grottoes, soaring conical peaks, caverns great and small, plus villas of the emperors and thousands of legends brush Capri with an air of whispered...

Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula

As a hub for visiting must-see sites—Pompeii and Naples to the north, Capri to the west, and the Amalfi Coast and Paestum to the south—the...

Sorrento

Sorrento may have become a jumping-off point for visits to Pompeii, Capri, and Amalfi, but you can find countless reasons to love it for itself...

The Bay of Naples

If you're lucky enough to travel to Naples by water, a peacock's tail of splendor unfolds before you as you enter the vast Golfo di...

Genoa

Genoa (Genova in Italian) was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, but the city's proud history predates that explorer by hundreds of years. Genoa was already...

Ischia

Although Capri leaves you breathless with its charm and beauty, Ischia (pronounced "EES-kee-ah, "with the stress on the first syllable), also called the Isola Verde...

Bologna

Bologna, a city rich with cultural jewels, has long been one of the best-kept secrets in northern Italy. Tourists in the know bask in the...

Side Trips from Rome

Less well known than neighboring Tuscany, Lazio, the region that encompasses Rome, is often bypassed by foreign visitors. This is a pity, since the area...

Emilia

The Via Emilia runs through Emilia's heart in a straight shot from medieval Piacenza, 67 km (42 miles) southeast of Milan, through Bologna, and ultimately...

Turin

Turin (Torino, in Italian) is roughly in the center of Piedmont–Valle d'Aosta and 128 km (80 miles) west of Milan; it's on the Po River...

Positano

When John Steinbeck visited Positano in 1953, he wrote that it was difficult to consider tourism an industry because "there are not enough [tourists]." Alas...

Palermo

Once the intellectual capital of southern Europe, Palermo has always been at the crossroads of civilization. Favorably located on a crescent bay at the foot...

Amalfi

At first glance, it's hard to imagine that this resort destination was one of the world's great naval powers, and a sturdy rival of Genoa...

Lake Como

If you're after palatial villas, rose-laden belvederes, hanging wisteria and bougainvillea, lanterns casting a glow over lakeshore restaurants, and majestic Alpine vistas, then Lake Como...

Verona

On the banks of the fast-flowing River Adige, enchanting Verona has timeless monuments, a picturesque town center, and a romantic reputation as the setting of...

Lake Garda

Lake Garda has had a perennial attraction for travelers and writers alike; even the essayist Michel de Montaigne (1533–92), whose 15 months of travel journals...

Cagliari

Known in Sardinia as Casteddu, the island's capital has steep streets and impressive Italianate architecture, from modern to medieval. This city of nearly 160,000 people...

Trieste

Trieste is built along a fringe of coastline where a rugged karst plateau tumbles abruptly into the beautiful Adriatic. It was the only port of...

Bolzano (Bozen)

Bolzano (Bozen), capital of the autonomous province of Alto Adige, is tucked among craggy peaks in a Dolomite valley 77 km (48 miles) from the...

Ravello

Positano may focus on pleasure, and Amalfi on history, but cool, serene Ravello revels in refinement. Thrust over the Bay of Salerno on a mountain...

Trento

Trento is a prosperous, cosmopolitan university town that retains an architectural charm befitting its historical importance. It was here, from 1545 to 1563, that the...

Siracusa

Siracusa, known to English speakers as Syracuse, is a wonder to behold. One of the great ancient capitals of Western civilization, the city was founded...

Padua

A romantic warren of arcaded streets, Padua has long been one of the major cultural centers of northern Italy. Its university, founded in 1222 and...

Lucca

Ramparts built in the 16th and 17th centuries enclose a charming fortress town filled with churches (99 of them), terracotta–roofed buildings, and narrow cobblestone streets...

Cinque Terre

"Charming" and "breathtaking" are adjectives that get a workout when you're traveling in Italy, but it's rare that both apply to a single location. The...

Taormina

The view of the sea and Mt. Etna from Taormina's jagged, cactus-covered cliffs is as close to perfection as a panorama can get—especially on clear...

Catania

The chief wonder of Catania, Sicily's second city, is that it's there at all. Its successive populations were deported by one Greek tyrant, sold into...

Procida

Lying barely 3 km (2 miles) from the mainland and 10 km (6 miles) from the nearest port (Pozzuoli), Procida is an island of enormous...

Ferrara

When the legendary Ferrarese filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni called his beloved hometown "a city that you can see only partly, while the rest disappears to be...

Merano (Meran)

The second-largest town in Alto Adige, Merano (Meran) was once the capital of the Austrian region of Tyrol. When the town and surrounding area were...

Alghero

A tourist-friendly town of about 45,000 inhabitants, with a distinctly Spanish flavor, Alghero is also known as "Barcelonetta" (Little Barcelona) for its strong Catalan ties...

Ravenna

A small, quiet, and well-heeled city, Ravenna has brick palaces, cobblestone streets, magnificent monuments, and spectacular Byzantine mosaics. The high point in its civic history...

Vicenza

Vicenza bears the distinctive signature of the 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio, whose name has been given to the "Palladian" style of architecture. He emphasized the...

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The archetypal Dolomite resort, Cortina d'Ampezzo entices those seeking both relaxation and adventure. The town is the western gateway to the Strade Grande delle Dolomiti...

Bergamo

If you're driving from Milan to Lake Garda, the perfect deviation from your autostrada journey is the lovely medieval town of Bergamo, which is also...

Lake Maggiore

Magnificently scenic, Lake Maggiore has a unique geographical position: its mountainous western shore is in Piedmont, its lower eastern shore is in Lombardy, and its...

Pisa

If you can get beyond the kitsch of the stalls hawking cheap souvenirs around the Leaning Tower, you'll find that Pisa has much to offer...

Herculaneum (Ercolano)

A visit to the archaeological site of Herculaneum neatly counterbalances the hustle of its larger neighbor, Pompeii. Although close to the heart of busy Ercolano—indeed...

Matera

This town of unique Sassi (cave dwellings) is one of southern Italy's most intriguing places. The so-called New Town is full of elegant Baroque churches...

Treviso

Treviso has been dubbed "Little Venice" because of its meandering, moss-bank canals. They can't really compare with Venice's spectacular waterways, but Treviso's historic center, with...

Alba

This small town has a gracious atmosphere and a compact core, studded with medieval towers and Gothic buildings. In addition to being a wine center...

Arezzo

Arezzo is best known for the magnificent Piero della Francesca frescoes in the church of San Francesco. It's also the birthplace of the poet Petrarch...

Romagna

Anywhere in Emilia-Romagna, the story goes, a weary, lost traveler will be invited into a family's home and offered a drink. But the Romagnesi claim...

Cremona

Cremona is a classical-music lover's dream. With violin shops on every block along its crooked old streets, it is where the world's best violins are...

Lecce

Lecce is the crown jewel of the Mezzogiorno. The city is called "the Florence of the south," but that term doesn't do justice to Lecce's...

Asolo

Once considered the most romantic and charming of Veneto towns, the hamlet of Asolo has unfortunately lost much of its appeal, now that it's given...

Pozzuoli

Legendary spirits populate Pozzuoli. St. Paul stepped ashore at the harbor here in AD 61 en route to Rome; his own ship had been wrecked...

Udine

Udine, the largest city on the Friuli side of the region, has a provincial, genteel atmosphere and lots of charm. The city sometimes seems completely...

Acireale

Acireale sits amid a clutter of rocky pinnacles and lush lemon groves. The craggy coast is known as the Riviera dei Ciclopi, after the legend...

Madonna di Campiglio

The winter resort of Madonna di Campiglio vies with Cortina d'Ampezzo as the most fashionable place for Italians to ski and be seen in the...

Trapani

On Sicily’s west coast, Trapani is said to have been formed when the goddess Demeter, searching for her kidnapped daughter Persephone, dropped her sickle in...

Bari

The biggest city in the region, Bari is a major port and a transit point for travelers catching ferries across the Adriatic to Greece, Croatia...

Greve in Chianti

If there is a capital of Chianti, it is Greve, a friendly market town with no shortage of cafés, enoteche (wine bars), and crafts shops...

Courmayeur/Monte Bianco

The main attraction of Courmayeur is a knock-'em-dead view of Europe's highest peak, Monte Bianco. The celebrities and the wealthy who come here these days...

Aosta

Aosta stands at the junction of two of the important trade routes that connect France and Italy, the valleys of the Rhône and the Isère...

Erice

Perched 2,450 feet above sea level, Erice is an enchanting medieval mountaintop aerie of palaces, fountains, and cobblestone streets. Shaped like an equilateral triangle, the...

Nuoro

The somewhat shabby provincial capital of Nuoro is on the edge of a gorge in the harsh mountainous area that culminates in Gennargentu, the island's...

Viterbo

Viterbo's moment of glory was in the 13th century, when it became the seat of the papal court. The medieval core of the city still...

Mt. Etna

The first time you see Mt. Etna, whether it's trailing clouds of smoke or emitting fiery streaks of lava, is certain to be unforgettable. The...

Montalcino

Tiny Montalcino, with its commanding view from high on a hill, can claim an Etruscan past. It saw a fair number of travelers, as it...

Pompeii

Mention Pompeii and most travelers think of ancient Roman villas, prancing bronze fauns, writhing plaster casts of Vesuvius's victims, and the fabled days of the...

Corvara

Corvara is the main town of the Alta Badia, known for its prime skiing and hiking location in the middle of the Sella Ronda. The...

Ortisei (St. Ulrich)

Ortisei (St. Ulrich), the jewel in the crown of Val Gardena's resorts, is a hub of activity in both summer and winter; there are hundreds...

Oristano

...

Portofino

One of the most photographed villages along the coast, with a decidedly romantic and affluent aura, Portofino has long been a popular destination for the...

Pula

Resort villages sprawl along the coast southwest of the capital, which has its share of fine scenery and good beaches. On the marshy shoreline between...

Bordighera

Bordighera is an attractive seaside resort with panoramas from Genoa (on a clear day) to Monte Carlo. A large English colony, attracted by the mild...

Conca dei Marini

A longtime favorite of the off-duty rich and famous, Conca dei Marini (the name means "seafarers' basin") hides many of its charms, as any sublime...

Cefalu

The coast between Palermo and Messina is dotted with charming villages. Tindari (which dates back to the early-Christian era) and Laghetti di Maranello are two...

Santa Margherita Ligure

A beautiful old resort town favored by well-to-do Italians, Santa Margherita Ligure has everything a Riviera playground should have—plenty of palm trees and attractive hotels...

San Remo

Once the crown jewel of the Riviera di Ponente, San Remo is still the area's largest resort, lined with polished hotels, exotic gardens, and seaside...

Frascati

It's worth taking a stroll through Frascati's lively old center. Via Battisti, leading from the Belvedere, takes you into Piazza San Pietro with its imposing...

Portovenere

The colorful facades and pedestrians-only calata (promenade) make Portovenere the quintessential Ligurian seaside village; it's often called the “sixth town” of the Cinque Terre—but with...

Brunico (Bruneck)

Located in the heart of the Val Pusteria, this quiet and quaint town is divided by the Rienza River. The modern part of Brunico is...

Porto Cervo

Sardinia's northeastern coast is fringed with low cliffs, inlets, and small bays. This has become an upscale vacationland, with glossy resorts such as Baia Sardinia...

Camogli

Camogli, at the edge of the large promontory and nature reserve known as the Portofino Peninsula, has always been a town of sailors. By the...

Modica

Modica and Ragusa are the two chief cities in Sicily's smallest province, and the centers of a region known as Iblea. The dry, rocky, and...

Vesuvius

Vesuvius may have lost its plume of smoke, but it has lost none of its fascination—especially for those who live in the towns around the...

Noto

If Siracusa's Baroque beauties whet your appetite for that over-the-top style, head to Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lying about 40 minutes away on...

Misurina

Nestled on the shores of Lake Misurina, among the Dolomites, Misurina's high altitude, low air humidity, and total absence of dust mites and air pollution...

Taranto

Taranto (stress the first syllable) was an important port even in Greek times, and it's still Italy's largest naval base. It lies toward the back...

Mantua

Mantua (Mantova in Italian) stands tallest among the ancient walled cities of the Po Plain; it may not be flashy or dramatic, but its beauty...

Cosenza

A construction boom in the 1950s and '60s encased Cosenza's medieval city—which winds up the hillsides between the Busento and Crati rivers—in a sprawling, traffic-clogged...

Baia

Now largely under the sea, ancient Baia was once the most opulent and fashionable resort area of the Roman Empire, the place where Sulla, Pompey...

Lerici

Lerici, part of the Riviera di Levante, is on the spectacular Bay of La Spezia, otherwise known as the Gulf of Poets, and is famous...

Gallipoli

The fishing port of Gallipoli, on the eastern tip of the Golfo di Taranto, is divided between a new town, on the mainland, and the...

Colle di Val d'Elsa

Most people pass through on their way to and from popular tourist destinations Volterra and San Gimignano—a shame, because Colle di Val d'Elsa has a...

Asti

Asti is best known outside Italy for its wines—excellent reds as well as the famous sparkling white spumante. The town itself has some impressive reminders...

Ragusa

Ragusa, a modern city with a beautiful historic core, is known for some great local red wines and wonderful cheese—a creamy, doughy, flavorful version of...

Montepulciano

Perched on a hilltop, Montepulciano is made up of a pyramid of redbrick buildings set within a circle of cypress trees. At an altitude of...

Bressanone (Brixen)

Bressanone is an important artistic center and was the seat of prince-bishops for centuries. Like their counterparts in Trento, these medieval administrators had the delicate...

Enna

Deep in Sicily's interior, the fortress city of Enna (altitude 2,844 feet) commands exceptional views of the surrounding rolling plains, and, in the distance, Mt...

Tropea

Ringed by cliffs and wonderful sandy beaches, the Tropea Promontory is still just beginning to be discovered by foreign tourists. The main town of Tropea...

Fiesole

A half-day excursion to Fiesole, in the hills 8 km (5 miles) above Florence, gives you a pleasant respite from museums and a wonderful view...

Ostuni

This sun-bleached medieval town lies on three hills not far from the coast. From a distance, Ostuni is a jumble of blazing white houses and...

Trani

Trani has a harbor filled with fishing boats and a quaint old town with cobblestone streets, gleaming medieval churches, and palazzi built from local limestone...

Monterosso al Mare

It's the combined draw of beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and plentiful small hotels and restaurants that make Monterosso al Mare into the...

Agrigento

Agrigento owes its fame almost exclusively to its ancient Greek temples—though it was also the birthplace of playwright Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936). Along the coast, around...

Marostica

26 km (16 miles) northeast of Vicenza, 93 km (58 miles) northwest of Venice.From the 14th-century Castello Inferiore, where the town council still meets, an...

Cividale del Friuli

Cividale is the most important place for taking in the impressive and beautiful art of the Lombards, a Germanic people who entered Italy in 568...

Bormio

At the foot of Stelvio Pass, Bormio is the most famous ski resort on the western side of the Dolomites, with 38 km (24 miles)...

Alberobello

With more than 1,000 trulli along its steep, narrow streets, Alberobello has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the more...

Cetara

Tourists tend to take a pass on the village of Cetara. A quiet fishing village below orange groves on Monte Falerzo, it was held in...

Castelgandolfo

This little town is the pope's summer retreat. It was the Barberini Pope Urban VIII who first headed here, eager to escape the malarial miasmas...

Tivoli

In ancient times, just about anybody who was anybody had a villa in Tivoli, including Crassus, Trajan, Hadrian, Horace, and Catullus. Tivoli fell into obscurity...

Pienza

Pienza owes its appearance to Pope Pius II (1405–64), who had grand plans to transform his hometown of Corsignano—its former name—into a compact model Renaissance...

Breuil-Cervinia/The Matterhorn

Sitting in a huge natural basin at the foot of the Matterhorn, this town, once a high Alpine pasture, grew to become one of Europe's...

Atrani

In some respects this stage-set of a medieval town is a secret treasure: set in a narrow valley between two cliffs, this is the smallest...

Paestum

For history buffs, a visit to Campania is not complete without seeing the ancient ruins of Paestum. A visit to the ruins to stroll past...

Vieste

This large whitewashed town jutting off the tip of the spur of Italy's boot is an attractive place to wander around. Although curvy mountain roads...

The Barolo Region

The Langhe district may not get as much attention as other wine-producing regions in Italy, but the payoff for a visit can be just as...

Reggio Calabria

This raw city is one of Italy's busiest ports, where you can find not only container ships and cranes but also a wonderful lungomare (promenade)...

Rovereto

A 15th-century Venetian castle dominates Rovereto's compact medieval centro storico, with one of Italy's finest contemporary art museums just steps away. The Trento Museum Pass...

Praiano

Praiano has less wealth and sophistication than its more famous neighbors and more olive and lemon trees than tourists. From afar, it looks as alluring...

Finale Ligure

Lovely Finale Ligure is actually made up of three small villages: Finalmarina, Finalpia, and Finalborgo, and makes a wonderful base for exploring the Riviera di...

Lipari

The largest and most developed of the Aeolians, Lipari welcomes you with distinctive pastel-color houses. Fields of spiky agaves dot the northernmost tip of the...

Olbia

Amid the resorts of Sardinia's northeastern coast, Olbia, a town of about 60,000, is a lively little seaport and port of call for mainland ferries...

Mattinata

The town of Mattinata is a good center for hikes in the Foresta Umbra and for visiting the Santuario di San Michele. It also has...

Diamante

A lively and attractive little resort on Calabria's north Tyrrhenian Coast, Diamante styles itself as "the town of murals and peperoncini." The old town center...

Aquileia

This sleepy little town is refreshingly free of the tourists that you might expect at such a culturally historic place. In the time of Emperor...

Crotone

One of the most important Magna Graecia colonies in Italy, Crotone was a major cultural center in the 5th century BC, when it was the...

Vernazza

With its narrow streets and small squares, Vernazza is arguably the most charming of the five Cinque Terre towns, and therefore, usually the most crowded...

Sant'Antioco

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Castellina in Chianti

Castellina in Chianti—or simply Castellina—is on a ridge above three valleys: the Val di Pesa, Val d'Arbia, and Val d'Elsa. No matter what direction you...

Naturno (Naturns)

As the name suggests, Naturno is a great location for a nature-based vacation; you can access a number of hiking trails to explore the area...

Sant'Agnello

Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, the tiny hamlet of Sant'Agnello was an address of choice. To escape Sorrento's crowds, Bourbon princes and exiled...

Marina del Cantone

As the largest (pebble) beach on the Sorrentine Peninsula, Marina del Cantone attracts weekend sun worshippers and foodies drawn by the seaside restaurants here. To...

Panzano

The magnificent views of the valleys of the Pesa and Greve rivers easily make Panzano one of the prettiest stops in Chianti. The triangular Piazza...

Cortona

Made popular by Frances Mayes's book Under the Tuscan Sun and film of the same name, Cortona is no longer the destination of just a...

Pavia

Pavia was once Milan's chief regional rival. The city dates from at least the Roman era and was the capital of the Lombard kings for...

Otranto

In one of the first great Gothic novels, Horace Walpole's 1764 The Castle of Otranto, the English writer immortalized this city and its mysterious medieval...

Messina

Messina's ancient history recounts a series of disasters, but the city once vied with Palermo in a bid to become the capital, developing a fine...

Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi

Because of its panoramic vistas, Sant'Agata was an end-of-the-line pilgrimage site for beauty lovers through the centuries, especially before the Amalfi Drive opened up the...

Corniglia

The buildings, narrow lanes, and stairways of Corniglia are strung together amid vineyards high on the cliffs. On a clear day views of the entire...

Marsala

Marsala is readily associated with its world-famous, richly colored eponymous fortified wine, and your main reason for stopping will likely be to visit some of...

Piazza Armerina

A quick look around the fanciful town of Piazza Armerina is rewarding; it has a provincial warmth, and the crumbling yellow-stone architecture with Sicily's trademark...

Caltagirone

Built over three hills, this charming Baroque town is a center of Sicily's ceramics industry. Here you can find majolica balustrades, tiled windowsills, and the...

Giardini Botanici Hanbury

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Riomaggiore

At the eastern end of the Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore is built into a river gorge (thus the name, which means "major river") and is easily...

Sestriere

In the early 1930s, before skiing became a more egalitarian sport, the patriarch of the FIAT automobile dynasty had this resort built to cater to...

Sassari

With a population of about 130,000, Sassari, the island’s second-largest city, is an important university town and administrative center, notable for its history of intellectualism...

Polignano a Mare

This well-preserved, whitewashed old town, perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the Adriatic, makes an atmospheric base for exploring the surrounding area. Film crews and adrenaline...

Sestri Levante

Halfway between the Cinque Terre and Portofino lies this lovely seaside resort. The old village is on a peninsula with the beautiful Baia del Silenzio...

Manarola

The enchanting pastel houses of Manarola spill down a steep hill overlooking a spectacular turquoise swimming cove and a bustling harbor. The whole town is...

Ostia Antica

Founded around the 4th century BC, Ostia served as Rome's port city for several centuries until the Tiber changed course, leaving the town high and...

Canazei

Of the year-round resort towns in the Val di Fassa, Canazei is the most popular. The mountains around this small town are threaded with hiking...

Castelmola

Although many believe that Taormina has the most spectacular views, tiny Castelmola—floating 1,800 feet above sea level—literally takes the word "scenic" to a whole new...

Maratea

The high, twisty road into the Maratea region affords breathtaking glimpses of the turquoise sea and a gigantic statue of Cristo Redentore (reminiscent of the...

Camigliatello

Lined with chalets, Camigliatello is one of the Sila Massif's major resort towns. Most of the Sila isn't mountainous at all; rather, it's an extensive...

Caldaro (Kaltern)

This vineyard village, with clear views of castles high up in the surrounding mountains, represents the centuries of division that forged the unique character of...

Ticinese

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Furore

Furore stretches for 8 km (5 miles) along the panoramic winding road climbing the Monti Lattari hills toward Agerola. Its nickname as the paese che...

Monreale

Only a short drive from Palermo, the sleepy town of Monreale is well worth the effort just to see the spectacular gold mosaics inside the...

Castel del Monte

The isolated Norman Castel del Monte dominates the surrounding countryside from the top of a 1,778-foot-high hill. The nearest town is Andria, 17 km (10½...

Castrovillari

Stress the first i when you pronounce the name of this provincial Calabrian city, nestled in the deep valley beneath 7,375-foot Mt. Pollino. The town...

Ceglie Messapica

With its 14th-century Piazza Vecchia, tattered Baroque balconies, and lordly medieval castles, the little whitewashed town of Ceglie Messapica is the epitome of everyone’s notion...

Costa Verde

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Martina Franca

Martina Franca is a beguiling town with a dazzling mixture of medieval and Baroque architecture in the light-color local stone. Developed as a military stronghold...

Selinunte

Numerous Greek temple ruins perch on a plateau overlooking an expanse of the Mediterranean at Selinunte (or Selinus). The town is named after a local...

Ariccia

Ariccia is a gem of Baroque town planning. When Fabio Chigi, scion of the superwealthy banking family, became Pope Alexander VII, he commissioned Gian Lorenzo...

Nemi

A bronze statue of Diana the Huntress greets you at the entrance to Nemi, the smallest and prettiest village of the Castelli Romani. It's perched...

Palestrina

Except to students of ancient history and music lovers, Palestrina is little known outside Italy. Its most famous native son, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, born...

Scicli

Overshadowed by its larger neighbors, Modica and Ragusa, Scicli is a Baroque beauty in its own right and one of the eight villages designated by...

La Spezia

La Spezia is sometimes thought of as nothing but a large, industrialized naval port en route to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere; it does possess...

Albisola Marina

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Imperia

Imperia actually consists of two towns: Porto Maurizio, a medieval town built on a promontory, and Oneglia, now an industrial center for oil refining and...

Elba

Elba is the Tuscan archipelago's largest island, but it resembles nearby verdant Corsica more than it does its rocky Italian sisters, thanks to a network...

Nervi

The identity of this stately late-19th-century resort, famous for its 1½-km-long (1-mile-long) seaside Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, its palm-lined roads, and its 300 acres of parks...

Levanto

Nestled at the end of a valley of pine forests, olive groves, vineyards, and medieval villages lies this sunny seaside town, an alternative and usually...

Caprarola

The wealthy and powerful Farnese family took over this sleepy village in the 1500s and had the architect Vignola design a huge palace and gardens...

Castelsardo

The seaside citadel of Castelsardo is surmounted by an impressive fortress, which now contains a museum highlighting the basketware for which the town is famous...

Barga

Barga is a lovely little city (one of Italy’s smallest under that classification) with a finely preserved medieval core. It produced textiles—mostly silk—during the Renaissance...

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana might be the best base for exploring the Garfagnana, because it's central with respect to the other towns. During the Renaissance the...

Marina di Praia

Just east of Praiano, the scenic hamlet of Marina di Praia is nestled by the sea at the bottom of a dramatic chasm. This is...

Montecatini Terme

Immortalized in Fellini's film 8½, Montecatini Terme is one of Italy's premier terme (spas). Known for their curative powers—and, at least once upon a time...

Cumae

Perhaps the oldest Greek colony on mainland Italy, Cumae overshadowed the Phlegrean Fields and Neapolis in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, because it was...

La Maddalena

From the port of Palau you can visit the archipelago of La Maddalena, seven granite islands embellished with aromatic scrub and wind-bent pines. The most...

Rivoli

The Savoy court was based in Rivoli in the Middle Ages, and the town retains several remnants from that richly dramatic period...

Salina

The second largest of the Aeolians, Salina is also the most fertile, which accounts for its excellent Malvasia dessert wine. Salina is the archipelago’s lushest...

Chiavari

Chiavari is a fishing town (rather than village) of considerable character, with narrow, twisting streets and a good harbor. Chiavari's citizens were intrepid explorers, and...

Sacra di San Michele

Perhaps best known as inspiration for the setting of Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose, this abbey was built on Monte Pirchiriano in...

Santa Teresa di Gallura

At the northern tip of Sardinia, Santa Teresa Gallura retains the relaxed, carefree air of a former fishing village. Nearby beaches rival those farther down...

Albenga

Albenga has a medieval core, with narrow streets laid out by the ancient Romans. A network of alleys is punctuated by centuries-old towers surrounding the...

Stromboli

This northernmost of the Aeolians consists entirely of the cone of an active volcano. The view from the sea—especially at night, as an endless stream...

Tharros

Spread across a thin tongue of land that dangles off the Sinis Peninsula, the archaeological site of Tharros ranks as one of Sardinia’s most important...

Lago di Carezza

This small village borders a scenic lake that demands a stop...

Bard

This small medieval town clings to a rocky crag that almost completely blocks the entrance to the Valle d'Aosta from Piedmont. Recognized for its strategic...

Passo dello Stelvio

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Segesta

Segesta is the site of one of Sicily's most impressive temples, constructed on the side of a barren windswept hill overlooking a valley of giant...

Bagnaia

The village of Bagnaia is the site of the 16th-century cardinal Alessandro Montalto's summer retreat, which is quite an extravaganza...

Alassio

Although Alassio is no longer a sleepy fishing village, the centro still possesses some old-world charm, colorful buildings, a great beachfront promenade, and white-sand beaches...

Panarea

Panarea is the second smallest of the islands but has some of the most dramatic scenery, including wild caves carved out of the rock and...

San Pietro

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Castello Fenis

The tiny town of Fénis owes its origins to the presence of the medieval castle that once provided shelter for the local peasants who lived...

Abbazia di Sant'Antonio di Ranverso

These days this former medieval hospital's main draw is its richly detailed frescoes, from the 15th century...

Buonconvento

Buonconvento dates back to the 12th century, though it was surrounded by defensive walls in the later Middle Ages. Though the name means "happy place"...

Carrara

Carrara, from which the famous white marble takes its name, lies in a beautiful valley midway up a spectacular mountain in the Apuane Alps. The...

Aliano

This remote village off the SS598 in the center of Basilicata's empty interior was the site of Carlo Levi's internment during 1936 and 1937. After...

Filicudi

Just a dot in the sea, Filicudi is famous for its unusual volcanic rock formations, the enchanting Grotta del Bue Marino (Grotto of the Sea...

Bagni di Lucca

Pretty Bagni di Lucca was a fashionable spa town in the early 19th century—in part because of its thermal waters. The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe...

Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni has been famous since Roman times for the mildly sulfurous waters that come bubbling up into the large rectangular pool that forms the...

Saluzzo

The russet-brick town of Saluzzo—a flourishing medieval center and later seat of a Renaissance ducal court—is a well-preserved gem with narrow, winding streets, frescoed houses...

Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima is a charming medieval hill town with a rich mining and industrial heritage—pyrite, iron, and copper were found in these parts. After a...

Monte Argentario

Connected to the mainland only by two thin strips of land and a causeway, Monte Argentario feels like an island. The north and south isthmuses...

Oplontis (Torre Annunziata)

Surrounded by the fairly drab 1960s urban landscape of Torre Annunziata, Oplontis justifies its reputation as one of the more mysterious archaeological sites to be...

Alicudi

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Montelupo

This small town, which straddles the Arno, and its surrounding villages, have been producing ceramics for centuries. A ceramics museum proudly displays the work of...

Giglio

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Empoli

Empoli, roughly halfway between Florence and Pisa, is a small town with a long history. References to the city first appear in documents from the...

Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi is a playground for wealthy Italians and equally well-heeled visitors. Its wide, sandy beaches—strands are 6 km (4 miles) long—have the Alpi...

Rende

Rende is a pleasing stop on the way to or from Cosenza. Leave your car in the parking lot at the base of a long...

Chiusi

Chiusi was once one of the most powerful of the ancient cities of the Etruscan League, and it's now a valuable source of information about...

Fonni

In the heart of the Barbagia region, Fonni is the highest town on the island. This mountainous district, including Monte Spada and the Bruncu Spina...

Chianciano Terme

People from around the world come to the città del fegato sano (city of the healthy liver) to experience the curative waters. The area's innumerable...

Castelnuovo Berardenga

The southernmost village in Chianti has a compact center with hilly, curving streets. A plethora of piazzas invite wandering...

Barumini

It's definitely worth a detour to the quiet village of Barumini to visit the extraordinary stone village-fortress of Su Nuraxi...

Monteriggioni

Tiny Monteriggioni makes a nice stop on the way north to Colle di Val d'Elsa, San Gimignano, or Volterra. It's hard to imagine that this...

Livorno

Livorno is a gritty city with a long and interesting history. In the early Middle Ages it alternately belonged to Pisa and Genoa. In 1421...

Asciano

Founded by the Etruscans around the 5th century BC, Asciano is now a sleepy little town surrounded by 13th-century walls. The tiny centro storico (historic...

Venaria Reale

This immense palace was built in the 16th century as a hunting lodge...

Avigliana

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Dobbiaco (Toblach)

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Stilo

Grandly positioned on the side of the rugged Monte Consolino, the village of Stilo is listed as one of Italy's most beautiful borghi (historic villages)...

Caccamo

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San Giovanni Rotondo

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Abetone

Abetone is one of the most-visited vacation spots in the Apennine Mountains, where Tuscans, Emilia-Romagnans, and others come to ski. Set above two valleys, the...

Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore

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St. Vincent

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Golfo Aranci

At the mouth of the Gulf of Olbia, Golfo Aranci is a small-scale resort and arrival point for ferries from the mainland. Tour the town...

Casale Monferrato

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Novara

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Giara di Gesturi

On the 45-square-km (28-square-mile) basalt plateau of Giara di Gesturi live some of the island's more exotic wildlife, including a species of wild dwarf horse...

Gaiole in Chianti

A market town since 1200, Gaiole is now a central destination for touring southern Chianti. A stream runs through its center, and flowers adorn many...

Cogne and the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso

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Pizzo

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Cervo

Cervo is the quintessential sleepy Ligurian coastal village, nicely polished for the tourists who come to explore its narrow byways and street staircases. It's a...

Peschici

Peschici is a pleasant resort on Gargano's north shore, a cascade of whitewashed houses and streets with a beautiful view over a sweeping cove. Some...

Taggia

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Locri

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Bardonecchia

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Chiusa (Klausen)

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Parco dell'Orecchiella

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Grotte di Castellana

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Caltanissetta

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Foggia

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Savona

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Passignano

Other than its Romanesque abbey and the few houses clustered around it, there is very little to actually see in this tiny hamlet. But the...

Santo Stefano di Camastra

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Vercelli

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Settignano

When Florence is overcrowded and hot, this village, a 20-minute car or bus trip east of Florence, is particularly appealing. It was the birthplace of...

Sicily

The island of Sicily has an abundance of history. Some of the world's best-preserved Byzantine mosaics stand adjacent to magnificent Greek temples and Roman amphitheaters...

Rome

Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists...

Tuscany

Midway down the Italian peninsula, Tuscany (Toscana in Italian) is distinguished by rolling hills, snowcapped mountains, dramatic cypress trees, and miles of coastline on the...

Florence

Florence, the city of the lily, gave birth to the Renaissance and changed the way we see the world. For centuries it has captured the...

Naples

Located under the shadow of Vesuvius, Naples is the most vibrant city in Italy—a steaming, bubbling, reverberating minestrone in which each block is a small...

The Dolomites

The Dolomites, those inimitable craggy peaks Le Corbusier called "the most beautiful work of architecture ever seen," are never so arresting as at dusk, when...

Capri, Ischia, and Procida

The islands off Naples are so different from each other that you wonder how they can possibly be in the same bay—indeed, some would say...

The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

Much of the pleasure of exploring the arc around Venice—stretching from Verona to Trieste, encompassing the Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia regions—comes from discovering the variations...

The Amalfi Coast

Easily one of the most picturesque places on earth, this Italian Eden—situated about two-thirds down the boot on the Tyrrhenian coast—boasts colorful cliffside villages, rolling...

Emilia–Romagna

The Italian Riviera

Nestled between the south of France and the Tuscan border lies the region of Liguria, with verdant and lush mountains to the north and east...

Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Venture off the traffic-filled highways and explore the countryside of Italy’s boot, made up of the three separate regions—Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria—each one with its...

Milan

Rome may be bigger and wield political power, but Milan and the affluent north are what really make the country go. Leonardo da Vinci's Last...

Lombardy and the Lakes

Lombardy is one of Italy's most dynamic regions, offering everything from world-class ski slopes to luxurious summer lake resorts, and Milan is the pulse of...

Sardinia

The second-largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia remains unique and enigmatic with its rugged coastline and white-sand beaches, dramatic granite cliffs, and mountainous inland tracts...

Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Northwest Italy's Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta regions come with a large dose of mountain splendor, bourgeois refinement, culinary achievement, and scenic beauty. Two of Europe's...

Capri

Fantastic grottoes, soaring conical peaks, caverns great and small, plus villas of the emperors and thousands of legends brush Capri with an air of whispered...

Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula

As a hub for visiting must-see sites—Pompeii and Naples to the north, Capri to the west, and the Amalfi Coast and Paestum to the south—the...

Sorrento

Sorrento may have become a jumping-off point for visits to Pompeii, Capri, and Amalfi, but you can find countless reasons to love it for itself...

The Bay of Naples

If you're lucky enough to travel to Naples by water, a peacock's tail of splendor unfolds before you as you enter the vast Golfo di...

Genoa

Genoa (Genova in Italian) was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, but the city's proud history predates that explorer by hundreds of years. Genoa was already...

Ischia

Although Capri leaves you breathless with its charm and beauty, Ischia (pronounced "EES-kee-ah, "with the stress on the first syllable), also called the Isola Verde...

Bologna

Bologna, a city rich with cultural jewels, has long been one of the best-kept secrets in northern Italy. Tourists in the know bask in the...

Side Trips from Rome

Less well known than neighboring Tuscany, Lazio, the region that encompasses Rome, is often bypassed by foreign visitors. This is a pity, since the area...

Emilia

The Via Emilia runs through Emilia's heart in a straight shot from medieval Piacenza, 67 km (42 miles) southeast of Milan, through Bologna, and ultimately...

Turin

Turin (Torino, in Italian) is roughly in the center of Piedmont–Valle d'Aosta and 128 km (80 miles) west of Milan; it's on the Po River...

Positano

When John Steinbeck visited Positano in 1953, he wrote that it was difficult to consider tourism an industry because "there are not enough [tourists]." Alas...

Palermo

Once the intellectual capital of southern Europe, Palermo has always been at the crossroads of civilization. Favorably located on a crescent bay at the foot...

Amalfi

At first glance, it's hard to imagine that this resort destination was one of the world's great naval powers, and a sturdy rival of Genoa...

Lake Como

If you're after palatial villas, rose-laden belvederes, hanging wisteria and bougainvillea, lanterns casting a glow over lakeshore restaurants, and majestic Alpine vistas, then Lake Como...

Verona

On the banks of the fast-flowing River Adige, enchanting Verona has timeless monuments, a picturesque town center, and a romantic reputation as the setting of...

Lake Garda

Lake Garda has had a perennial attraction for travelers and writers alike; even the essayist Michel de Montaigne (1533–92), whose 15 months of travel journals...

Cagliari

Known in Sardinia as Casteddu, the island's capital has steep streets and impressive Italianate architecture, from modern to medieval. This city of nearly 160,000 people...

Trieste

Trieste is built along a fringe of coastline where a rugged karst plateau tumbles abruptly into the beautiful Adriatic. It was the only port of...

Bolzano (Bozen)

Bolzano (Bozen), capital of the autonomous province of Alto Adige, is tucked among craggy peaks in a Dolomite valley 77 km (48 miles) from the...

Ravello

Positano may focus on pleasure, and Amalfi on history, but cool, serene Ravello revels in refinement. Thrust over the Bay of Salerno on a mountain...

Trento

Trento is a prosperous, cosmopolitan university town that retains an architectural charm befitting its historical importance. It was here, from 1545 to 1563, that the...

Siracusa

Siracusa, known to English speakers as Syracuse, is a wonder to behold. One of the great ancient capitals of Western civilization, the city was founded...

Padua

A romantic warren of arcaded streets, Padua has long been one of the major cultural centers of northern Italy. Its university, founded in 1222 and...

Lucca

Ramparts built in the 16th and 17th centuries enclose a charming fortress town filled with churches (99 of them), terracotta–roofed buildings, and narrow cobblestone streets...

Cinque Terre

"Charming" and "breathtaking" are adjectives that get a workout when you're traveling in Italy, but it's rare that both apply to a single location. The...

Taormina

The view of the sea and Mt. Etna from Taormina's jagged, cactus-covered cliffs is as close to perfection as a panorama can get—especially on clear...

Catania

The chief wonder of Catania, Sicily's second city, is that it's there at all. Its successive populations were deported by one Greek tyrant, sold into...

Procida

Lying barely 3 km (2 miles) from the mainland and 10 km (6 miles) from the nearest port (Pozzuoli), Procida is an island of enormous...

Ferrara

When the legendary Ferrarese filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni called his beloved hometown "a city that you can see only partly, while the rest disappears to be...

Merano (Meran)

The second-largest town in Alto Adige, Merano (Meran) was once the capital of the Austrian region of Tyrol. When the town and surrounding area were...

Alghero

A tourist-friendly town of about 45,000 inhabitants, with a distinctly Spanish flavor, Alghero is also known as "Barcelonetta" (Little Barcelona) for its strong Catalan ties...

Ravenna

A small, quiet, and well-heeled city, Ravenna has brick palaces, cobblestone streets, magnificent monuments, and spectacular Byzantine mosaics. The high point in its civic history...

Vicenza

Vicenza bears the distinctive signature of the 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio, whose name has been given to the "Palladian" style of architecture. He emphasized the...

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The archetypal Dolomite resort, Cortina d'Ampezzo entices those seeking both relaxation and adventure. The town is the western gateway to the Strade Grande delle Dolomiti...

Bergamo

If you're driving from Milan to Lake Garda, the perfect deviation from your autostrada journey is the lovely medieval town of Bergamo, which is also...

Lake Maggiore

Magnificently scenic, Lake Maggiore has a unique geographical position: its mountainous western shore is in Piedmont, its lower eastern shore is in Lombardy, and its...

Pisa

If you can get beyond the kitsch of the stalls hawking cheap souvenirs around the Leaning Tower, you'll find that Pisa has much to offer...

Herculaneum (Ercolano)

A visit to the archaeological site of Herculaneum neatly counterbalances the hustle of its larger neighbor, Pompeii. Although close to the heart of busy Ercolano—indeed...

Matera

This town of unique Sassi (cave dwellings) is one of southern Italy's most intriguing places. The so-called New Town is full of elegant Baroque churches...

Treviso

Treviso has been dubbed "Little Venice" because of its meandering, moss-bank canals. They can't really compare with Venice's spectacular waterways, but Treviso's historic center, with...

Alba

This small town has a gracious atmosphere and a compact core, studded with medieval towers and Gothic buildings. In addition to being a wine center...

Arezzo

Arezzo is best known for the magnificent Piero della Francesca frescoes in the church of San Francesco. It's also the birthplace of the poet Petrarch...

Romagna

Anywhere in Emilia-Romagna, the story goes, a weary, lost traveler will be invited into a family's home and offered a drink. But the Romagnesi claim...

Cremona

Cremona is a classical-music lover's dream. With violin shops on every block along its crooked old streets, it is where the world's best violins are...

Lecce

Lecce is the crown jewel of the Mezzogiorno. The city is called "the Florence of the south," but that term doesn't do justice to Lecce's...

Asolo

Once considered the most romantic and charming of Veneto towns, the hamlet of Asolo has unfortunately lost much of its appeal, now that it's given...

Pozzuoli

Legendary spirits populate Pozzuoli. St. Paul stepped ashore at the harbor here in AD 61 en route to Rome; his own ship had been wrecked...

Udine

Udine, the largest city on the Friuli side of the region, has a provincial, genteel atmosphere and lots of charm. The city sometimes seems completely...

Acireale

Acireale sits amid a clutter of rocky pinnacles and lush lemon groves. The craggy coast is known as the Riviera dei Ciclopi, after the legend...

Madonna di Campiglio

The winter resort of Madonna di Campiglio vies with Cortina d'Ampezzo as the most fashionable place for Italians to ski and be seen in the...

Trapani

On Sicily’s west coast, Trapani is said to have been formed when the goddess Demeter, searching for her kidnapped daughter Persephone, dropped her sickle in...

Bari

The biggest city in the region, Bari is a major port and a transit point for travelers catching ferries across the Adriatic to Greece, Croatia...

Greve in Chianti

If there is a capital of Chianti, it is Greve, a friendly market town with no shortage of cafés, enoteche (wine bars), and crafts shops...

Courmayeur/Monte Bianco

The main attraction of Courmayeur is a knock-'em-dead view of Europe's highest peak, Monte Bianco. The celebrities and the wealthy who come here these days...

Aosta

Aosta stands at the junction of two of the important trade routes that connect France and Italy, the valleys of the Rhône and the Isère...

Erice

Perched 2,450 feet above sea level, Erice is an enchanting medieval mountaintop aerie of palaces, fountains, and cobblestone streets. Shaped like an equilateral triangle, the...

Nuoro

The somewhat shabby provincial capital of Nuoro is on the edge of a gorge in the harsh mountainous area that culminates in Gennargentu, the island's...

Viterbo

Viterbo's moment of glory was in the 13th century, when it became the seat of the papal court. The medieval core of the city still...

Mt. Etna

The first time you see Mt. Etna, whether it's trailing clouds of smoke or emitting fiery streaks of lava, is certain to be unforgettable. The...

Montalcino

Tiny Montalcino, with its commanding view from high on a hill, can claim an Etruscan past. It saw a fair number of travelers, as it...

Pompeii

Mention Pompeii and most travelers think of ancient Roman villas, prancing bronze fauns, writhing plaster casts of Vesuvius's victims, and the fabled days of the...

Corvara

Corvara is the main town of the Alta Badia, known for its prime skiing and hiking location in the middle of the Sella Ronda. The...

Ortisei (St. Ulrich)

Ortisei (St. Ulrich), the jewel in the crown of Val Gardena's resorts, is a hub of activity in both summer and winter; there are hundreds...

Oristano

...

Portofino

One of the most photographed villages along the coast, with a decidedly romantic and affluent aura, Portofino has long been a popular destination for the...

Pula

Resort villages sprawl along the coast southwest of the capital, which has its share of fine scenery and good beaches. On the marshy shoreline between...

Bordighera

Bordighera is an attractive seaside resort with panoramas from Genoa (on a clear day) to Monte Carlo. A large English colony, attracted by the mild...

Conca dei Marini

A longtime favorite of the off-duty rich and famous, Conca dei Marini (the name means "seafarers' basin") hides many of its charms, as any sublime...

Cefalu

The coast between Palermo and Messina is dotted with charming villages. Tindari (which dates back to the early-Christian era) and Laghetti di Maranello are two...

Santa Margherita Ligure

A beautiful old resort town favored by well-to-do Italians, Santa Margherita Ligure has everything a Riviera playground should have—plenty of palm trees and attractive hotels...

San Remo

Once the crown jewel of the Riviera di Ponente, San Remo is still the area's largest resort, lined with polished hotels, exotic gardens, and seaside...

Frascati

It's worth taking a stroll through Frascati's lively old center. Via Battisti, leading from the Belvedere, takes you into Piazza San Pietro with its imposing...

Portovenere

The colorful facades and pedestrians-only calata (promenade) make Portovenere the quintessential Ligurian seaside village; it's often called the “sixth town” of the Cinque Terre—but with...

Brunico (Bruneck)

Located in the heart of the Val Pusteria, this quiet and quaint town is divided by the Rienza River. The modern part of Brunico is...

Porto Cervo

Sardinia's northeastern coast is fringed with low cliffs, inlets, and small bays. This has become an upscale vacationland, with glossy resorts such as Baia Sardinia...

Camogli

Camogli, at the edge of the large promontory and nature reserve known as the Portofino Peninsula, has always been a town of sailors. By the...

Modica

Modica and Ragusa are the two chief cities in Sicily's smallest province, and the centers of a region known as Iblea. The dry, rocky, and...

Vesuvius

Vesuvius may have lost its plume of smoke, but it has lost none of its fascination—especially for those who live in the towns around the...

Noto

If Siracusa's Baroque beauties whet your appetite for that over-the-top style, head to Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lying about 40 minutes away on...

Misurina

Nestled on the shores of Lake Misurina, among the Dolomites, Misurina's high altitude, low air humidity, and total absence of dust mites and air pollution...

Taranto

Taranto (stress the first syllable) was an important port even in Greek times, and it's still Italy's largest naval base. It lies toward the back...

Mantua

Mantua (Mantova in Italian) stands tallest among the ancient walled cities of the Po Plain; it may not be flashy or dramatic, but its beauty...

Cosenza

A construction boom in the 1950s and '60s encased Cosenza's medieval city—which winds up the hillsides between the Busento and Crati rivers—in a sprawling, traffic-clogged...

Baia

Now largely under the sea, ancient Baia was once the most opulent and fashionable resort area of the Roman Empire, the place where Sulla, Pompey...

Lerici

Lerici, part of the Riviera di Levante, is on the spectacular Bay of La Spezia, otherwise known as the Gulf of Poets, and is famous...

Gallipoli

The fishing port of Gallipoli, on the eastern tip of the Golfo di Taranto, is divided between a new town, on the mainland, and the...

Colle di Val d'Elsa

Most people pass through on their way to and from popular tourist destinations Volterra and San Gimignano—a shame, because Colle di Val d'Elsa has a...

Asti

Asti is best known outside Italy for its wines—excellent reds as well as the famous sparkling white spumante. The town itself has some impressive reminders...

Ragusa

Ragusa, a modern city with a beautiful historic core, is known for some great local red wines and wonderful cheese—a creamy, doughy, flavorful version of...

Montepulciano

Perched on a hilltop, Montepulciano is made up of a pyramid of redbrick buildings set within a circle of cypress trees. At an altitude of...

Bressanone (Brixen)

Bressanone is an important artistic center and was the seat of prince-bishops for centuries. Like their counterparts in Trento, these medieval administrators had the delicate...

Enna

Deep in Sicily's interior, the fortress city of Enna (altitude 2,844 feet) commands exceptional views of the surrounding rolling plains, and, in the distance, Mt...

Tropea

Ringed by cliffs and wonderful sandy beaches, the Tropea Promontory is still just beginning to be discovered by foreign tourists. The main town of Tropea...

Fiesole

A half-day excursion to Fiesole, in the hills 8 km (5 miles) above Florence, gives you a pleasant respite from museums and a wonderful view...

Ostuni

This sun-bleached medieval town lies on three hills not far from the coast. From a distance, Ostuni is a jumble of blazing white houses and...

Trani

Trani has a harbor filled with fishing boats and a quaint old town with cobblestone streets, gleaming medieval churches, and palazzi built from local limestone...

Monterosso al Mare

It's the combined draw of beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and plentiful small hotels and restaurants that make Monterosso al Mare into the...

Agrigento

Agrigento owes its fame almost exclusively to its ancient Greek temples—though it was also the birthplace of playwright Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936). Along the coast, around...

Marostica

26 km (16 miles) northeast of Vicenza, 93 km (58 miles) northwest of Venice.From the 14th-century Castello Inferiore, where the town council still meets, an...

Cividale del Friuli

Cividale is the most important place for taking in the impressive and beautiful art of the Lombards, a Germanic people who entered Italy in 568...

Bormio

At the foot of Stelvio Pass, Bormio is the most famous ski resort on the western side of the Dolomites, with 38 km (24 miles)...

Alberobello

With more than 1,000 trulli along its steep, narrow streets, Alberobello has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the more...

Cetara

Tourists tend to take a pass on the village of Cetara. A quiet fishing village below orange groves on Monte Falerzo, it was held in...

Castelgandolfo

This little town is the pope's summer retreat. It was the Barberini Pope Urban VIII who first headed here, eager to escape the malarial miasmas...

Tivoli

In ancient times, just about anybody who was anybody had a villa in Tivoli, including Crassus, Trajan, Hadrian, Horace, and Catullus. Tivoli fell into obscurity...

Pienza

Pienza owes its appearance to Pope Pius II (1405–64), who had grand plans to transform his hometown of Corsignano—its former name—into a compact model Renaissance...

Breuil-Cervinia/The Matterhorn

Sitting in a huge natural basin at the foot of the Matterhorn, this town, once a high Alpine pasture, grew to become one of Europe's...

Atrani

In some respects this stage-set of a medieval town is a secret treasure: set in a narrow valley between two cliffs, this is the smallest...

Paestum

For history buffs, a visit to Campania is not complete without seeing the ancient ruins of Paestum. A visit to the ruins to stroll past...

Vieste

This large whitewashed town jutting off the tip of the spur of Italy's boot is an attractive place to wander around. Although curvy mountain roads...

The Barolo Region

The Langhe district may not get as much attention as other wine-producing regions in Italy, but the payoff for a visit can be just as...

Reggio Calabria

This raw city is one of Italy's busiest ports, where you can find not only container ships and cranes but also a wonderful lungomare (promenade)...

Rovereto

A 15th-century Venetian castle dominates Rovereto's compact medieval centro storico, with one of Italy's finest contemporary art museums just steps away. The Trento Museum Pass...

Praiano

Praiano has less wealth and sophistication than its more famous neighbors and more olive and lemon trees than tourists. From afar, it looks as alluring...

Finale Ligure

Lovely Finale Ligure is actually made up of three small villages: Finalmarina, Finalpia, and Finalborgo, and makes a wonderful base for exploring the Riviera di...

Lipari

The largest and most developed of the Aeolians, Lipari welcomes you with distinctive pastel-color houses. Fields of spiky agaves dot the northernmost tip of the...

Olbia

Amid the resorts of Sardinia's northeastern coast, Olbia, a town of about 60,000, is a lively little seaport and port of call for mainland ferries...

Mattinata

The town of Mattinata is a good center for hikes in the Foresta Umbra and for visiting the Santuario di San Michele. It also has...

Diamante

A lively and attractive little resort on Calabria's north Tyrrhenian Coast, Diamante styles itself as "the town of murals and peperoncini." The old town center...

Aquileia

This sleepy little town is refreshingly free of the tourists that you might expect at such a culturally historic place. In the time of Emperor...

Crotone

One of the most important Magna Graecia colonies in Italy, Crotone was a major cultural center in the 5th century BC, when it was the...

Vernazza

With its narrow streets and small squares, Vernazza is arguably the most charming of the five Cinque Terre towns, and therefore, usually the most crowded...

Sant'Antioco

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Castellina in Chianti

Castellina in Chianti—or simply Castellina—is on a ridge above three valleys: the Val di Pesa, Val d'Arbia, and Val d'Elsa. No matter what direction you...

Naturno (Naturns)

As the name suggests, Naturno is a great location for a nature-based vacation; you can access a number of hiking trails to explore the area...

Sant'Agnello

Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, the tiny hamlet of Sant'Agnello was an address of choice. To escape Sorrento's crowds, Bourbon princes and exiled...

Marina del Cantone

As the largest (pebble) beach on the Sorrentine Peninsula, Marina del Cantone attracts weekend sun worshippers and foodies drawn by the seaside restaurants here. To...

Panzano

The magnificent views of the valleys of the Pesa and Greve rivers easily make Panzano one of the prettiest stops in Chianti. The triangular Piazza...

Cortona

Made popular by Frances Mayes's book Under the Tuscan Sun and film of the same name, Cortona is no longer the destination of just a...

Pavia

Pavia was once Milan's chief regional rival. The city dates from at least the Roman era and was the capital of the Lombard kings for...

Otranto

In one of the first great Gothic novels, Horace Walpole's 1764 The Castle of Otranto, the English writer immortalized this city and its mysterious medieval...

Messina

Messina's ancient history recounts a series of disasters, but the city once vied with Palermo in a bid to become the capital, developing a fine...

Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi

Because of its panoramic vistas, Sant'Agata was an end-of-the-line pilgrimage site for beauty lovers through the centuries, especially before the Amalfi Drive opened up the...

Corniglia

The buildings, narrow lanes, and stairways of Corniglia are strung together amid vineyards high on the cliffs. On a clear day views of the entire...

Marsala

Marsala is readily associated with its world-famous, richly colored eponymous fortified wine, and your main reason for stopping will likely be to visit some of...

Piazza Armerina

A quick look around the fanciful town of Piazza Armerina is rewarding; it has a provincial warmth, and the crumbling yellow-stone architecture with Sicily's trademark...

Caltagirone

Built over three hills, this charming Baroque town is a center of Sicily's ceramics industry. Here you can find majolica balustrades, tiled windowsills, and the...

Giardini Botanici Hanbury

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Riomaggiore

At the eastern end of the Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore is built into a river gorge (thus the name, which means "major river") and is easily...

Sestriere

In the early 1930s, before skiing became a more egalitarian sport, the patriarch of the FIAT automobile dynasty had this resort built to cater to...

Sassari

With a population of about 130,000, Sassari, the island’s second-largest city, is an important university town and administrative center, notable for its history of intellectualism...

Polignano a Mare

This well-preserved, whitewashed old town, perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the Adriatic, makes an atmospheric base for exploring the surrounding area. Film crews and adrenaline...

Sestri Levante

Halfway between the Cinque Terre and Portofino lies this lovely seaside resort. The old village is on a peninsula with the beautiful Baia del Silenzio...

Manarola

The enchanting pastel houses of Manarola spill down a steep hill overlooking a spectacular turquoise swimming cove and a bustling harbor. The whole town is...

Ostia Antica

Founded around the 4th century BC, Ostia served as Rome's port city for several centuries until the Tiber changed course, leaving the town high and...

Canazei

Of the year-round resort towns in the Val di Fassa, Canazei is the most popular. The mountains around this small town are threaded with hiking...

Castelmola

Although many believe that Taormina has the most spectacular views, tiny Castelmola—floating 1,800 feet above sea level—literally takes the word "scenic" to a whole new...

Maratea

The high, twisty road into the Maratea region affords breathtaking glimpses of the turquoise sea and a gigantic statue of Cristo Redentore (reminiscent of the...

Camigliatello

Lined with chalets, Camigliatello is one of the Sila Massif's major resort towns. Most of the Sila isn't mountainous at all; rather, it's an extensive...

Caldaro (Kaltern)

This vineyard village, with clear views of castles high up in the surrounding mountains, represents the centuries of division that forged the unique character of...

Ticinese

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Furore

Furore stretches for 8 km (5 miles) along the panoramic winding road climbing the Monti Lattari hills toward Agerola. Its nickname as the paese che...

Monreale

Only a short drive from Palermo, the sleepy town of Monreale is well worth the effort just to see the spectacular gold mosaics inside the...

Castel del Monte

The isolated Norman Castel del Monte dominates the surrounding countryside from the top of a 1,778-foot-high hill. The nearest town is Andria, 17 km (10½...

Castrovillari

Stress the first i when you pronounce the name of this provincial Calabrian city, nestled in the deep valley beneath 7,375-foot Mt. Pollino. The town...

Ceglie Messapica

With its 14th-century Piazza Vecchia, tattered Baroque balconies, and lordly medieval castles, the little whitewashed town of Ceglie Messapica is the epitome of everyone’s notion...

Costa Verde

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Martina Franca

Martina Franca is a beguiling town with a dazzling mixture of medieval and Baroque architecture in the light-color local stone. Developed as a military stronghold...

Selinunte

Numerous Greek temple ruins perch on a plateau overlooking an expanse of the Mediterranean at Selinunte (or Selinus). The town is named after a local...

Ariccia

Ariccia is a gem of Baroque town planning. When Fabio Chigi, scion of the superwealthy banking family, became Pope Alexander VII, he commissioned Gian Lorenzo...

Nemi

A bronze statue of Diana the Huntress greets you at the entrance to Nemi, the smallest and prettiest village of the Castelli Romani. It's perched...

Palestrina

Except to students of ancient history and music lovers, Palestrina is little known outside Italy. Its most famous native son, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, born...

Scicli

Overshadowed by its larger neighbors, Modica and Ragusa, Scicli is a Baroque beauty in its own right and one of the eight villages designated by...

La Spezia

La Spezia is sometimes thought of as nothing but a large, industrialized naval port en route to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere; it does possess...

Albisola Marina

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Imperia

Imperia actually consists of two towns: Porto Maurizio, a medieval town built on a promontory, and Oneglia, now an industrial center for oil refining and...

Elba

Elba is the Tuscan archipelago's largest island, but it resembles nearby verdant Corsica more than it does its rocky Italian sisters, thanks to a network...

Nervi

The identity of this stately late-19th-century resort, famous for its 1½-km-long (1-mile-long) seaside Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, its palm-lined roads, and its 300 acres of parks...

Levanto

Nestled at the end of a valley of pine forests, olive groves, vineyards, and medieval villages lies this sunny seaside town, an alternative and usually...

Caprarola

The wealthy and powerful Farnese family took over this sleepy village in the 1500s and had the architect Vignola design a huge palace and gardens...

Castelsardo

The seaside citadel of Castelsardo is surmounted by an impressive fortress, which now contains a museum highlighting the basketware for which the town is famous...

Barga

Barga is a lovely little city (one of Italy’s smallest under that classification) with a finely preserved medieval core. It produced textiles—mostly silk—during the Renaissance...

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana might be the best base for exploring the Garfagnana, because it's central with respect to the other towns. During the Renaissance the...

Marina di Praia

Just east of Praiano, the scenic hamlet of Marina di Praia is nestled by the sea at the bottom of a dramatic chasm. This is...

Montecatini Terme

Immortalized in Fellini's film 8½, Montecatini Terme is one of Italy's premier terme (spas). Known for their curative powers—and, at least once upon a time...

Cumae

Perhaps the oldest Greek colony on mainland Italy, Cumae overshadowed the Phlegrean Fields and Neapolis in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, because it was...

La Maddalena

From the port of Palau you can visit the archipelago of La Maddalena, seven granite islands embellished with aromatic scrub and wind-bent pines. The most...

Rivoli

The Savoy court was based in Rivoli in the Middle Ages, and the town retains several remnants from that richly dramatic period...

Salina

The second largest of the Aeolians, Salina is also the most fertile, which accounts for its excellent Malvasia dessert wine. Salina is the archipelago’s lushest...

Chiavari

Chiavari is a fishing town (rather than village) of considerable character, with narrow, twisting streets and a good harbor. Chiavari's citizens were intrepid explorers, and...

Sacra di San Michele

Perhaps best known as inspiration for the setting of Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose, this abbey was built on Monte Pirchiriano in...

Santa Teresa di Gallura

At the northern tip of Sardinia, Santa Teresa Gallura retains the relaxed, carefree air of a former fishing village. Nearby beaches rival those farther down...

Albenga

Albenga has a medieval core, with narrow streets laid out by the ancient Romans. A network of alleys is punctuated by centuries-old towers surrounding the...

Stromboli

This northernmost of the Aeolians consists entirely of the cone of an active volcano. The view from the sea—especially at night, as an endless stream...

Tharros

Spread across a thin tongue of land that dangles off the Sinis Peninsula, the archaeological site of Tharros ranks as one of Sardinia’s most important...

Lago di Carezza

This small village borders a scenic lake that demands a stop...

Bard

This small medieval town clings to a rocky crag that almost completely blocks the entrance to the Valle d'Aosta from Piedmont. Recognized for its strategic...

Passo dello Stelvio

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Segesta

Segesta is the site of one of Sicily's most impressive temples, constructed on the side of a barren windswept hill overlooking a valley of giant...

Bagnaia

The village of Bagnaia is the site of the 16th-century cardinal Alessandro Montalto's summer retreat, which is quite an extravaganza...

Alassio

Although Alassio is no longer a sleepy fishing village, the centro still possesses some old-world charm, colorful buildings, a great beachfront promenade, and white-sand beaches...

Panarea

Panarea is the second smallest of the islands but has some of the most dramatic scenery, including wild caves carved out of the rock and...

San Pietro

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Castello Fenis

The tiny town of Fénis owes its origins to the presence of the medieval castle that once provided shelter for the local peasants who lived...

Abbazia di Sant'Antonio di Ranverso

These days this former medieval hospital's main draw is its richly detailed frescoes, from the 15th century...

Buonconvento

Buonconvento dates back to the 12th century, though it was surrounded by defensive walls in the later Middle Ages. Though the name means "happy place"...

Carrara

Carrara, from which the famous white marble takes its name, lies in a beautiful valley midway up a spectacular mountain in the Apuane Alps. The...

Aliano

This remote village off the SS598 in the center of Basilicata's empty interior was the site of Carlo Levi's internment during 1936 and 1937. After...

Filicudi

Just a dot in the sea, Filicudi is famous for its unusual volcanic rock formations, the enchanting Grotta del Bue Marino (Grotto of the Sea...

Bagni di Lucca

Pretty Bagni di Lucca was a fashionable spa town in the early 19th century—in part because of its thermal waters. The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe...

Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni has been famous since Roman times for the mildly sulfurous waters that come bubbling up into the large rectangular pool that forms the...

Saluzzo

The russet-brick town of Saluzzo—a flourishing medieval center and later seat of a Renaissance ducal court—is a well-preserved gem with narrow, winding streets, frescoed houses...

Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima is a charming medieval hill town with a rich mining and industrial heritage—pyrite, iron, and copper were found in these parts. After a...

Monte Argentario

Connected to the mainland only by two thin strips of land and a causeway, Monte Argentario feels like an island. The north and south isthmuses...

Oplontis (Torre Annunziata)

Surrounded by the fairly drab 1960s urban landscape of Torre Annunziata, Oplontis justifies its reputation as one of the more mysterious archaeological sites to be...

Alicudi

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Montelupo

This small town, which straddles the Arno, and its surrounding villages, have been producing ceramics for centuries. A ceramics museum proudly displays the work of...

Giglio

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Empoli

Empoli, roughly halfway between Florence and Pisa, is a small town with a long history. References to the city first appear in documents from the...

Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi is a playground for wealthy Italians and equally well-heeled visitors. Its wide, sandy beaches—strands are 6 km (4 miles) long—have the Alpi...

Rende

Rende is a pleasing stop on the way to or from Cosenza. Leave your car in the parking lot at the base of a long...

Chiusi

Chiusi was once one of the most powerful of the ancient cities of the Etruscan League, and it's now a valuable source of information about...

Fonni

In the heart of the Barbagia region, Fonni is the highest town on the island. This mountainous district, including Monte Spada and the Bruncu Spina...

Chianciano Terme

People from around the world come to the città del fegato sano (city of the healthy liver) to experience the curative waters. The area's innumerable...

Castelnuovo Berardenga

The southernmost village in Chianti has a compact center with hilly, curving streets. A plethora of piazzas invite wandering...

Barumini

It's definitely worth a detour to the quiet village of Barumini to visit the extraordinary stone village-fortress of Su Nuraxi...

Monteriggioni

Tiny Monteriggioni makes a nice stop on the way north to Colle di Val d'Elsa, San Gimignano, or Volterra. It's hard to imagine that this...

Livorno

Livorno is a gritty city with a long and interesting history. In the early Middle Ages it alternately belonged to Pisa and Genoa. In 1421...

Asciano

Founded by the Etruscans around the 5th century BC, Asciano is now a sleepy little town surrounded by 13th-century walls. The tiny centro storico (historic...

Venaria Reale

This immense palace was built in the 16th century as a hunting lodge...

Avigliana

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Dobbiaco (Toblach)

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Stilo

Grandly positioned on the side of the rugged Monte Consolino, the village of Stilo is listed as one of Italy's most beautiful borghi (historic villages)...

Caccamo

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San Giovanni Rotondo

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Abetone

Abetone is one of the most-visited vacation spots in the Apennine Mountains, where Tuscans, Emilia-Romagnans, and others come to ski. Set above two valleys, the...

Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore

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St. Vincent

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Golfo Aranci

At the mouth of the Gulf of Olbia, Golfo Aranci is a small-scale resort and arrival point for ferries from the mainland. Tour the town...

Casale Monferrato

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Novara

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Giara di Gesturi

On the 45-square-km (28-square-mile) basalt plateau of Giara di Gesturi live some of the island's more exotic wildlife, including a species of wild dwarf horse...

Gaiole in Chianti

A market town since 1200, Gaiole is now a central destination for touring southern Chianti. A stream runs through its center, and flowers adorn many...

Cogne and the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso

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Pizzo

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Cervo

Cervo is the quintessential sleepy Ligurian coastal village, nicely polished for the tourists who come to explore its narrow byways and street staircases. It's a...

Peschici

Peschici is a pleasant resort on Gargano's north shore, a cascade of whitewashed houses and streets with a beautiful view over a sweeping cove. Some...

Taggia

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Locri

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Bardonecchia

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Chiusa (Klausen)

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Parco dell'Orecchiella

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Grotte di Castellana

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Caltanissetta

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Foggia

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Savona

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Passignano

Other than its Romanesque abbey and the few houses clustered around it, there is very little to actually see in this tiny hamlet. But the...

Santo Stefano di Camastra

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Vercelli

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Settignano

When Florence is overcrowded and hot, this village, a 20-minute car or bus trip east of Florence, is particularly appealing. It was the birthplace of...

Rome

Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists...

Florence

Florence, the city of the lily, gave birth to the Renaissance and changed the way we see the world. For centuries it has captured the...

Naples

Located under the shadow of Vesuvius, Naples is the most vibrant city in Italy—a steaming, bubbling, reverberating minestrone in which each block is a small...

Milan

Rome may be bigger and wield political power, but Milan and the affluent north are what really make the country go. Leonardo da Vinci's Last...

Sorrento

Sorrento may have become a jumping-off point for visits to Pompeii, Capri, and Amalfi, but you can find countless reasons to love it for itself...

Genoa

Genoa (Genova in Italian) was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, but the city's proud history predates that explorer by hundreds of years. Genoa was already...

Bologna

Bologna, a city rich with cultural jewels, has long been one of the best-kept secrets in northern Italy. Tourists in the know bask in the...

Turin

Turin (Torino, in Italian) is roughly in the center of Piedmont–Valle d'Aosta and 128 km (80 miles) west of Milan; it's on the Po River...

Positano

When John Steinbeck visited Positano in 1953, he wrote that it was difficult to consider tourism an industry because "there are not enough [tourists]." Alas...

Palermo

Once the intellectual capital of southern Europe, Palermo has always been at the crossroads of civilization. Favorably located on a crescent bay at the foot...

Amalfi

At first glance, it's hard to imagine that this resort destination was one of the world's great naval powers, and a sturdy rival of Genoa...

Verona

On the banks of the fast-flowing River Adige, enchanting Verona has timeless monuments, a picturesque town center, and a romantic reputation as the setting of...

Cagliari

Known in Sardinia as Casteddu, the island's capital has steep streets and impressive Italianate architecture, from modern to medieval. This city of nearly 160,000 people...

Trieste

Trieste is built along a fringe of coastline where a rugged karst plateau tumbles abruptly into the beautiful Adriatic. It was the only port of...

Bolzano (Bozen)

Bolzano (Bozen), capital of the autonomous province of Alto Adige, is tucked among craggy peaks in a Dolomite valley 77 km (48 miles) from the...

Ravello

Positano may focus on pleasure, and Amalfi on history, but cool, serene Ravello revels in refinement. Thrust over the Bay of Salerno on a mountain...

Trento

Trento is a prosperous, cosmopolitan university town that retains an architectural charm befitting its historical importance. It was here, from 1545 to 1563, that the...

Siracusa

Siracusa, known to English speakers as Syracuse, is a wonder to behold. One of the great ancient capitals of Western civilization, the city was founded...

Padua

A romantic warren of arcaded streets, Padua has long been one of the major cultural centers of northern Italy. Its university, founded in 1222 and...

Lucca

Ramparts built in the 16th and 17th centuries enclose a charming fortress town filled with churches (99 of them), terracotta–roofed buildings, and narrow cobblestone streets...

Taormina

The view of the sea and Mt. Etna from Taormina's jagged, cactus-covered cliffs is as close to perfection as a panorama can get—especially on clear...

Ferrara

When the legendary Ferrarese filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni called his beloved hometown "a city that you can see only partly, while the rest disappears to be...

Procida

Lying barely 3 km (2 miles) from the mainland and 10 km (6 miles) from the nearest port (Pozzuoli), Procida is an island of enormous...

Catania

The chief wonder of Catania, Sicily's second city, is that it's there at all. Its successive populations were deported by one Greek tyrant, sold into...

Alghero

A tourist-friendly town of about 45,000 inhabitants, with a distinctly Spanish flavor, Alghero is also known as "Barcelonetta" (Little Barcelona) for its strong Catalan ties...

Merano (Meran)

The second-largest town in Alto Adige, Merano (Meran) was once the capital of the Austrian region of Tyrol. When the town and surrounding area were...

Ravenna

A small, quiet, and well-heeled city, Ravenna has brick palaces, cobblestone streets, magnificent monuments, and spectacular Byzantine mosaics. The high point in its civic history...

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The archetypal Dolomite resort, Cortina d'Ampezzo entices those seeking both relaxation and adventure. The town is the western gateway to the Strade Grande delle Dolomiti...

Vicenza

Vicenza bears the distinctive signature of the 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio, whose name has been given to the "Palladian" style of architecture. He emphasized the...

Bergamo

If you're driving from Milan to Lake Garda, the perfect deviation from your autostrada journey is the lovely medieval town of Bergamo, which is also...

Pisa

If you can get beyond the kitsch of the stalls hawking cheap souvenirs around the Leaning Tower, you'll find that Pisa has much to offer...

Herculaneum (Ercolano)

A visit to the archaeological site of Herculaneum neatly counterbalances the hustle of its larger neighbor, Pompeii. Although close to the heart of busy Ercolano—indeed...

Matera

This town of unique Sassi (cave dwellings) is one of southern Italy's most intriguing places. The so-called New Town is full of elegant Baroque churches...

Treviso

Treviso has been dubbed "Little Venice" because of its meandering, moss-bank canals. They can't really compare with Venice's spectacular waterways, but Treviso's historic center, with...

Alba

This small town has a gracious atmosphere and a compact core, studded with medieval towers and Gothic buildings. In addition to being a wine center...

Arezzo

Arezzo is best known for the magnificent Piero della Francesca frescoes in the church of San Francesco. It's also the birthplace of the poet Petrarch...

Asolo

Once considered the most romantic and charming of Veneto towns, the hamlet of Asolo has unfortunately lost much of its appeal, now that it's given...

Lecce

Lecce is the crown jewel of the Mezzogiorno. The city is called "the Florence of the south," but that term doesn't do justice to Lecce's...

Pozzuoli

Legendary spirits populate Pozzuoli. St. Paul stepped ashore at the harbor here in AD 61 en route to Rome; his own ship had been wrecked...

Cremona

Cremona is a classical-music lover's dream. With violin shops on every block along its crooked old streets, it is where the world's best violins are...

Madonna di Campiglio

The winter resort of Madonna di Campiglio vies with Cortina d'Ampezzo as the most fashionable place for Italians to ski and be seen in the...

Bari

The biggest city in the region, Bari is a major port and a transit point for travelers catching ferries across the Adriatic to Greece, Croatia...

Greve in Chianti

If there is a capital of Chianti, it is Greve, a friendly market town with no shortage of cafés, enoteche (wine bars), and crafts shops...

Acireale

Acireale sits amid a clutter of rocky pinnacles and lush lemon groves. The craggy coast is known as the Riviera dei Ciclopi, after the legend...

Udine

Udine, the largest city on the Friuli side of the region, has a provincial, genteel atmosphere and lots of charm. The city sometimes seems completely...

Trapani

On Sicily’s west coast, Trapani is said to have been formed when the goddess Demeter, searching for her kidnapped daughter Persephone, dropped her sickle in...

Erice

Perched 2,450 feet above sea level, Erice is an enchanting medieval mountaintop aerie of palaces, fountains, and cobblestone streets. Shaped like an equilateral triangle, the...

Nuoro

The somewhat shabby provincial capital of Nuoro is on the edge of a gorge in the harsh mountainous area that culminates in Gennargentu, the island's...

Viterbo

Viterbo's moment of glory was in the 13th century, when it became the seat of the papal court. The medieval core of the city still...

Courmayeur/Monte Bianco

The main attraction of Courmayeur is a knock-'em-dead view of Europe's highest peak, Monte Bianco. The celebrities and the wealthy who come here these days...

Mt. Etna

The first time you see Mt. Etna, whether it's trailing clouds of smoke or emitting fiery streaks of lava, is certain to be unforgettable. The...

Aosta

Aosta stands at the junction of two of the important trade routes that connect France and Italy, the valleys of the Rhône and the Isère...

Portofino

One of the most photographed villages along the coast, with a decidedly romantic and affluent aura, Portofino has long been a popular destination for the...

Montalcino

Tiny Montalcino, with its commanding view from high on a hill, can claim an Etruscan past. It saw a fair number of travelers, as it...

Bordighera

Bordighera is an attractive seaside resort with panoramas from Genoa (on a clear day) to Monte Carlo. A large English colony, attracted by the mild...

Pula

Resort villages sprawl along the coast southwest of the capital, which has its share of fine scenery and good beaches. On the marshy shoreline between...

Pompeii

Mention Pompeii and most travelers think of ancient Roman villas, prancing bronze fauns, writhing plaster casts of Vesuvius's victims, and the fabled days of the...

Corvara

Corvara is the main town of the Alta Badia, known for its prime skiing and hiking location in the middle of the Sella Ronda. The...

Oristano

...

Ortisei (St. Ulrich)

Ortisei (St. Ulrich), the jewel in the crown of Val Gardena's resorts, is a hub of activity in both summer and winter; there are hundreds...

Brunico (Bruneck)

Located in the heart of the Val Pusteria, this quiet and quaint town is divided by the Rienza River. The modern part of Brunico is...

Vesuvius

Vesuvius may have lost its plume of smoke, but it has lost none of its fascination—especially for those who live in the towns around the...

Conca dei Marini

A longtime favorite of the off-duty rich and famous, Conca dei Marini (the name means "seafarers' basin") hides many of its charms, as any sublime...

Frascati

It's worth taking a stroll through Frascati's lively old center. Via Battisti, leading from the Belvedere, takes you into Piazza San Pietro with its imposing...

Santa Margherita Ligure

A beautiful old resort town favored by well-to-do Italians, Santa Margherita Ligure has everything a Riviera playground should have—plenty of palm trees and attractive hotels...

San Remo

Once the crown jewel of the Riviera di Ponente, San Remo is still the area's largest resort, lined with polished hotels, exotic gardens, and seaside...

Camogli

Camogli, at the edge of the large promontory and nature reserve known as the Portofino Peninsula, has always been a town of sailors. By the...

Portovenere

The colorful facades and pedestrians-only calata (promenade) make Portovenere the quintessential Ligurian seaside village; it's often called the “sixth town” of the Cinque Terre—but with...

Cefalu

The coast between Palermo and Messina is dotted with charming villages. Tindari (which dates back to the early-Christian era) and Laghetti di Maranello are two...

Porto Cervo

Sardinia's northeastern coast is fringed with low cliffs, inlets, and small bays. This has become an upscale vacationland, with glossy resorts such as Baia Sardinia...

Modica

Modica and Ragusa are the two chief cities in Sicily's smallest province, and the centers of a region known as Iblea. The dry, rocky, and...

Colle di Val d'Elsa

Most people pass through on their way to and from popular tourist destinations Volterra and San Gimignano—a shame, because Colle di Val d'Elsa has a...

Ragusa

Ragusa, a modern city with a beautiful historic core, is known for some great local red wines and wonderful cheese—a creamy, doughy, flavorful version of...

Fiesole

A half-day excursion to Fiesole, in the hills 8 km (5 miles) above Florence, gives you a pleasant respite from museums and a wonderful view...

Cosenza

A construction boom in the 1950s and '60s encased Cosenza's medieval city—which winds up the hillsides between the Busento and Crati rivers—in a sprawling, traffic-clogged...

Baia

Now largely under the sea, ancient Baia was once the most opulent and fashionable resort area of the Roman Empire, the place where Sulla, Pompey...

Asti

Asti is best known outside Italy for its wines—excellent reds as well as the famous sparkling white spumante. The town itself has some impressive reminders...

Tropea

Ringed by cliffs and wonderful sandy beaches, the Tropea Promontory is still just beginning to be discovered by foreign tourists. The main town of Tropea...

Taranto

Taranto (stress the first syllable) was an important port even in Greek times, and it's still Italy's largest naval base. It lies toward the back...

Gallipoli

The fishing port of Gallipoli, on the eastern tip of the Golfo di Taranto, is divided between a new town, on the mainland, and the...

Misurina

Nestled on the shores of Lake Misurina, among the Dolomites, Misurina's high altitude, low air humidity, and total absence of dust mites and air pollution...

Mantua

Mantua (Mantova in Italian) stands tallest among the ancient walled cities of the Po Plain; it may not be flashy or dramatic, but its beauty...

Noto

If Siracusa's Baroque beauties whet your appetite for that over-the-top style, head to Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lying about 40 minutes away on...

Lerici

Lerici, part of the Riviera di Levante, is on the spectacular Bay of La Spezia, otherwise known as the Gulf of Poets, and is famous...

Bressanone (Brixen)

Bressanone is an important artistic center and was the seat of prince-bishops for centuries. Like their counterparts in Trento, these medieval administrators had the delicate...

Enna

Deep in Sicily's interior, the fortress city of Enna (altitude 2,844 feet) commands exceptional views of the surrounding rolling plains, and, in the distance, Mt...

Montepulciano

Perched on a hilltop, Montepulciano is made up of a pyramid of redbrick buildings set within a circle of cypress trees. At an altitude of...

Agrigento

Agrigento owes its fame almost exclusively to its ancient Greek temples—though it was also the birthplace of playwright Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936). Along the coast, around...

Ostuni

This sun-bleached medieval town lies on three hills not far from the coast. From a distance, Ostuni is a jumble of blazing white houses and...

Trani

Trani has a harbor filled with fishing boats and a quaint old town with cobblestone streets, gleaming medieval churches, and palazzi built from local limestone...

Marostica

26 km (16 miles) northeast of Vicenza, 93 km (58 miles) northwest of Venice.From the 14th-century Castello Inferiore, where the town council still meets, an...

Cividale del Friuli

Cividale is the most important place for taking in the impressive and beautiful art of the Lombards, a Germanic people who entered Italy in 568...

Alberobello

With more than 1,000 trulli along its steep, narrow streets, Alberobello has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the more...

Monterosso al Mare

It's the combined draw of beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and plentiful small hotels and restaurants that make Monterosso al Mare into the...

Cetara

Tourists tend to take a pass on the village of Cetara. A quiet fishing village below orange groves on Monte Falerzo, it was held in...

Castelgandolfo

This little town is the pope's summer retreat. It was the Barberini Pope Urban VIII who first headed here, eager to escape the malarial miasmas...

Bormio

At the foot of Stelvio Pass, Bormio is the most famous ski resort on the western side of the Dolomites, with 38 km (24 miles)...

Tivoli

In ancient times, just about anybody who was anybody had a villa in Tivoli, including Crassus, Trajan, Hadrian, Horace, and Catullus. Tivoli fell into obscurity...

Atrani

In some respects this stage-set of a medieval town is a secret treasure: set in a narrow valley between two cliffs, this is the smallest...

Praiano

Praiano has less wealth and sophistication than its more famous neighbors and more olive and lemon trees than tourists. From afar, it looks as alluring...

Pienza

Pienza owes its appearance to Pope Pius II (1405–64), who had grand plans to transform his hometown of Corsignano—its former name—into a compact model Renaissance...

Reggio Calabria

This raw city is one of Italy's busiest ports, where you can find not only container ships and cranes but also a wonderful lungomare (promenade)...

Breuil-Cervinia/The Matterhorn

Sitting in a huge natural basin at the foot of the Matterhorn, this town, once a high Alpine pasture, grew to become one of Europe's...

Finale Ligure

Lovely Finale Ligure is actually made up of three small villages: Finalmarina, Finalpia, and Finalborgo, and makes a wonderful base for exploring the Riviera di...

Rovereto

A 15th-century Venetian castle dominates Rovereto's compact medieval centro storico, with one of Italy's finest contemporary art museums just steps away. The Trento Museum Pass...

Paestum

For history buffs, a visit to Campania is not complete without seeing the ancient ruins of Paestum. A visit to the ruins to stroll past...

Vieste

This large whitewashed town jutting off the tip of the spur of Italy's boot is an attractive place to wander around. Although curvy mountain roads...

Olbia

Amid the resorts of Sardinia's northeastern coast, Olbia, a town of about 60,000, is a lively little seaport and port of call for mainland ferries...

Crotone

One of the most important Magna Graecia colonies in Italy, Crotone was a major cultural center in the 5th century BC, when it was the...

Gavi

...

Panzano

The magnificent views of the valleys of the Pesa and Greve rivers easily make Panzano one of the prettiest stops in Chianti. The triangular Piazza...

Pavia

Pavia was once Milan's chief regional rival. The city dates from at least the Roman era and was the capital of the Lombard kings for...

Aquileia

This sleepy little town is refreshingly free of the tourists that you might expect at such a culturally historic place. In the time of Emperor...

Sant'Antioco

...

Cortona

Made popular by Frances Mayes's book Under the Tuscan Sun and film of the same name, Cortona is no longer the destination of just a...

Vernazza

With its narrow streets and small squares, Vernazza is arguably the most charming of the five Cinque Terre towns, and therefore, usually the most crowded...

Castellina in Chianti

Castellina in Chianti—or simply Castellina—is on a ridge above three valleys: the Val di Pesa, Val d'Arbia, and Val d'Elsa. No matter what direction you...

Naturno (Naturns)

As the name suggests, Naturno is a great location for a nature-based vacation; you can access a number of hiking trails to explore the area...

Mattinata

The town of Mattinata is a good center for hikes in the Foresta Umbra and for visiting the Santuario di San Michele. It also has...

Diamante

A lively and attractive little resort on Calabria's north Tyrrhenian Coast, Diamante styles itself as "the town of murals and peperoncini." The old town center...

Sant'Agnello

Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, the tiny hamlet of Sant'Agnello was an address of choice. To escape Sorrento's crowds, Bourbon princes and exiled...

Marina del Cantone

As the largest (pebble) beach on the Sorrentine Peninsula, Marina del Cantone attracts weekend sun worshippers and foodies drawn by the seaside restaurants here. To...

Otranto

In one of the first great Gothic novels, Horace Walpole's 1764 The Castle of Otranto, the English writer immortalized this city and its mysterious medieval...

Sassari

With a population of about 130,000, Sassari, the island’s second-largest city, is an important university town and administrative center, notable for its history of intellectualism...

Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi

Because of its panoramic vistas, Sant'Agata was an end-of-the-line pilgrimage site for beauty lovers through the centuries, especially before the Amalfi Drive opened up the...

Piazza Armerina

A quick look around the fanciful town of Piazza Armerina is rewarding; it has a provincial warmth, and the crumbling yellow-stone architecture with Sicily's trademark...

Marsala

Marsala is readily associated with its world-famous, richly colored eponymous fortified wine, and your main reason for stopping will likely be to visit some of...

Castelmola

Although many believe that Taormina has the most spectacular views, tiny Castelmola—floating 1,800 feet above sea level—literally takes the word "scenic" to a whole new...

Ostia Antica

Founded around the 4th century BC, Ostia served as Rome's port city for several centuries until the Tiber changed course, leaving the town high and...

Polignano a Mare

This well-preserved, whitewashed old town, perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the Adriatic, makes an atmospheric base for exploring the surrounding area. Film crews and adrenaline...

Messina

Messina's ancient history recounts a series of disasters, but the city once vied with Palermo in a bid to become the capital, developing a fine...

Sestri Levante

Halfway between the Cinque Terre and Portofino lies this lovely seaside resort. The old village is on a peninsula with the beautiful Baia del Silenzio...

Giardini Botanici Hanbury

...

Maratea

The high, twisty road into the Maratea region affords breathtaking glimpses of the turquoise sea and a gigantic statue of Cristo Redentore (reminiscent of the...

Corniglia

The buildings, narrow lanes, and stairways of Corniglia are strung together amid vineyards high on the cliffs. On a clear day views of the entire...

Riomaggiore

At the eastern end of the Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore is built into a river gorge (thus the name, which means "major river") and is easily...

Canazei

Of the year-round resort towns in the Val di Fassa, Canazei is the most popular. The mountains around this small town are threaded with hiking...

Caltagirone

Built over three hills, this charming Baroque town is a center of Sicily's ceramics industry. Here you can find majolica balustrades, tiled windowsills, and the...

Camigliatello

Lined with chalets, Camigliatello is one of the Sila Massif's major resort towns. Most of the Sila isn't mountainous at all; rather, it's an extensive...

Caldaro (Kaltern)

This vineyard village, with clear views of castles high up in the surrounding mountains, represents the centuries of division that forged the unique character of...

Sestriere

In the early 1930s, before skiing became a more egalitarian sport, the patriarch of the FIAT automobile dynasty had this resort built to cater to...

Ticinese

...

Manarola

The enchanting pastel houses of Manarola spill down a steep hill overlooking a spectacular turquoise swimming cove and a bustling harbor. The whole town is...

Palestrina

Except to students of ancient history and music lovers, Palestrina is little known outside Italy. Its most famous native son, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, born...

Monreale

Only a short drive from Palermo, the sleepy town of Monreale is well worth the effort just to see the spectacular gold mosaics inside the...

Costa Verde

...

Scicli

Overshadowed by its larger neighbors, Modica and Ragusa, Scicli is a Baroque beauty in its own right and one of the eight villages designated by...

Castrovillari

Stress the first i when you pronounce the name of this provincial Calabrian city, nestled in the deep valley beneath 7,375-foot Mt. Pollino. The town...

Castel del Monte

The isolated Norman Castel del Monte dominates the surrounding countryside from the top of a 1,778-foot-high hill. The nearest town is Andria, 17 km (10½...

Ceglie Messapica

With its 14th-century Piazza Vecchia, tattered Baroque balconies, and lordly medieval castles, the little whitewashed town of Ceglie Messapica is the epitome of everyone’s notion...

Selinunte

Numerous Greek temple ruins perch on a plateau overlooking an expanse of the Mediterranean at Selinunte (or Selinus). The town is named after a local...

Nemi

A bronze statue of Diana the Huntress greets you at the entrance to Nemi, the smallest and prettiest village of the Castelli Romani. It's perched...

Martina Franca

Martina Franca is a beguiling town with a dazzling mixture of medieval and Baroque architecture in the light-color local stone. Developed as a military stronghold...

Furore

Furore stretches for 8 km (5 miles) along the panoramic winding road climbing the Monti Lattari hills toward Agerola. Its nickname as the paese che...

Ariccia

Ariccia is a gem of Baroque town planning. When Fabio Chigi, scion of the superwealthy banking family, became Pope Alexander VII, he commissioned Gian Lorenzo...

Imperia

Imperia actually consists of two towns: Porto Maurizio, a medieval town built on a promontory, and Oneglia, now an industrial center for oil refining and...

Albisola Marina

...

Elba

Elba is the Tuscan archipelago's largest island, but it resembles nearby verdant Corsica more than it does its rocky Italian sisters, thanks to a network...

La Spezia

La Spezia is sometimes thought of as nothing but a large, industrialized naval port en route to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere; it does possess...

Nervi

The identity of this stately late-19th-century resort, famous for its 1½-km-long (1-mile-long) seaside Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, its palm-lined roads, and its 300 acres of parks...

Levanto

Nestled at the end of a valley of pine forests, olive groves, vineyards, and medieval villages lies this sunny seaside town, an alternative and usually...

Caprarola

The wealthy and powerful Farnese family took over this sleepy village in the 1500s and had the architect Vignola design a huge palace and gardens...

Sacra di San Michele

Perhaps best known as inspiration for the setting of Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose, this abbey was built on Monte Pirchiriano in...

Marina di Praia

Just east of Praiano, the scenic hamlet of Marina di Praia is nestled by the sea at the bottom of a dramatic chasm. This is...

Cumae

Perhaps the oldest Greek colony on mainland Italy, Cumae overshadowed the Phlegrean Fields and Neapolis in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, because it was...

Montecatini Terme

Immortalized in Fellini's film 8½, Montecatini Terme is one of Italy's premier terme (spas). Known for their curative powers—and, at least once upon a time...

Albenga

Albenga has a medieval core, with narrow streets laid out by the ancient Romans. A network of alleys is punctuated by centuries-old towers surrounding the...

Rivoli

The Savoy court was based in Rivoli in the Middle Ages, and the town retains several remnants from that richly dramatic period...

Santa Teresa di Gallura

At the northern tip of Sardinia, Santa Teresa Gallura retains the relaxed, carefree air of a former fishing village. Nearby beaches rival those farther down...

Tharros

Spread across a thin tongue of land that dangles off the Sinis Peninsula, the archaeological site of Tharros ranks as one of Sardinia’s most important...

Castelsardo

The seaside citadel of Castelsardo is surmounted by an impressive fortress, which now contains a museum highlighting the basketware for which the town is famous...

La Maddalena

From the port of Palau you can visit the archipelago of La Maddalena, seven granite islands embellished with aromatic scrub and wind-bent pines. The most...

Barga

Barga is a lovely little city (one of Italy’s smallest under that classification) with a finely preserved medieval core. It produced textiles—mostly silk—during the Renaissance...

Chiavari

Chiavari is a fishing town (rather than village) of considerable character, with narrow, twisting streets and a good harbor. Chiavari's citizens were intrepid explorers, and...

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana might be the best base for exploring the Garfagnana, because it's central with respect to the other towns. During the Renaissance the...

Lago di Carezza

This small village borders a scenic lake that demands a stop...

Passo dello Stelvio

...

Segesta

Segesta is the site of one of Sicily's most impressive temples, constructed on the side of a barren windswept hill overlooking a valley of giant...

Bagnaia

The village of Bagnaia is the site of the 16th-century cardinal Alessandro Montalto's summer retreat, which is quite an extravaganza...

Bard

This small medieval town clings to a rocky crag that almost completely blocks the entrance to the Valle d'Aosta from Piedmont. Recognized for its strategic...

Alassio

Although Alassio is no longer a sleepy fishing village, the centro still possesses some old-world charm, colorful buildings, a great beachfront promenade, and white-sand beaches...

Barumini

It's definitely worth a detour to the quiet village of Barumini to visit the extraordinary stone village-fortress of Su Nuraxi...

Buonconvento

Buonconvento dates back to the 12th century, though it was surrounded by defensive walls in the later Middle Ages. Though the name means "happy place"...

Carrara

Carrara, from which the famous white marble takes its name, lies in a beautiful valley midway up a spectacular mountain in the Apuane Alps. The...

Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni has been famous since Roman times for the mildly sulfurous waters that come bubbling up into the large rectangular pool that forms the...

Venaria Reale

This immense palace was built in the 16th century as a hunting lodge...

Monte Argentario

Connected to the mainland only by two thin strips of land and a causeway, Monte Argentario feels like an island. The north and south isthmuses...

Montelupo

This small town, which straddles the Arno, and its surrounding villages, have been producing ceramics for centuries. A ceramics museum proudly displays the work of...

Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima is a charming medieval hill town with a rich mining and industrial heritage—pyrite, iron, and copper were found in these parts. After a...

Aliano

This remote village off the SS598 in the center of Basilicata's empty interior was the site of Carlo Levi's internment during 1936 and 1937. After...

Bagni di Lucca

Pretty Bagni di Lucca was a fashionable spa town in the early 19th century—in part because of its thermal waters. The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe...

Empoli

Empoli, roughly halfway between Florence and Pisa, is a small town with a long history. References to the city first appear in documents from the...

Oplontis (Torre Annunziata)

Surrounded by the fairly drab 1960s urban landscape of Torre Annunziata, Oplontis justifies its reputation as one of the more mysterious archaeological sites to be...

Saluzzo

The russet-brick town of Saluzzo—a flourishing medieval center and later seat of a Renaissance ducal court—is a well-preserved gem with narrow, winding streets, frescoed houses...

Giglio

...

Livorno

Livorno is a gritty city with a long and interesting history. In the early Middle Ages it alternately belonged to Pisa and Genoa. In 1421...

Fonni

In the heart of the Barbagia region, Fonni is the highest town on the island. This mountainous district, including Monte Spada and the Bruncu Spina...

Monteriggioni

Tiny Monteriggioni makes a nice stop on the way north to Colle di Val d'Elsa, San Gimignano, or Volterra. It's hard to imagine that this...

Chianciano Terme

People from around the world come to the città del fegato sano (city of the healthy liver) to experience the curative waters. The area's innumerable...

Chiusi

Chiusi was once one of the most powerful of the ancient cities of the Etruscan League, and it's now a valuable source of information about...

Castelnuovo Berardenga

The southernmost village in Chianti has a compact center with hilly, curving streets. A plethora of piazzas invite wandering...

San Pietro

...

Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi is a playground for wealthy Italians and equally well-heeled visitors. Its wide, sandy beaches—strands are 6 km (4 miles) long—have the Alpi...

Castello Fenis

The tiny town of Fénis owes its origins to the presence of the medieval castle that once provided shelter for the local peasants who lived...

Asciano

Founded by the Etruscans around the 5th century BC, Asciano is now a sleepy little town surrounded by 13th-century walls. The tiny centro storico (historic...

Rende

Rende is a pleasing stop on the way to or from Cosenza. Leave your car in the parking lot at the base of a long...

Bardonecchia

...

Locri

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Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore

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Avigliana

...

Peschici

Peschici is a pleasant resort on Gargano's north shore, a cascade of whitewashed houses and streets with a beautiful view over a sweeping cove. Some...

Abetone

Abetone is one of the most-visited vacation spots in the Apennine Mountains, where Tuscans, Emilia-Romagnans, and others come to ski. Set above two valleys, the...

Grotte di Castellana

...

Foggia

...

Pizzo

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Santo Stefano di Camastra

...

San Giovanni Rotondo

...

Gaiole in Chianti

A market town since 1200, Gaiole is now a central destination for touring southern Chianti. A stream runs through its center, and flowers adorn many...

Golfo Aranci

At the mouth of the Gulf of Olbia, Golfo Aranci is a small-scale resort and arrival point for ferries from the mainland. Tour the town...

Settignano

When Florence is overcrowded and hot, this village, a 20-minute car or bus trip east of Florence, is particularly appealing. It was the birthplace of...

Giara di Gesturi

On the 45-square-km (28-square-mile) basalt plateau of Giara di Gesturi live some of the island's more exotic wildlife, including a species of wild dwarf horse...

Vercelli

...

Taggia

...

Cervo

Cervo is the quintessential sleepy Ligurian coastal village, nicely polished for the tourists who come to explore its narrow byways and street staircases. It's a...

Savona

...

Dobbiaco (Toblach)

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Parco dell'Orecchiella

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Novara

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Caltanissetta

...

St. Vincent

...

Casale Monferrato

...

Passignano

Other than its Romanesque abbey and the few houses clustered around it, there is very little to actually see in this tiny hamlet. But the...

Caccamo

...

Stilo

Grandly positioned on the side of the rugged Monte Consolino, the village of Stilo is listed as one of Italy's most beautiful borghi (historic villages)...

Chiusa (Klausen)

...

Rome

Italy's vibrant capital lives in the present, but no other city on earth evokes its past so powerfully. For over 2,500 years, emperors, popes, artists...

Florence

Florence, the city of the lily, gave birth to the Renaissance and changed the way we see the world. For centuries it has captured the...

Naples

Located under the shadow of Vesuvius, Naples is the most vibrant city in Italy—a steaming, bubbling, reverberating minestrone in which each block is a small...

Milan

Rome may be bigger and wield political power, but Milan and the affluent north are what really make the country go. Leonardo da Vinci's Last...

Sorrento

Sorrento may have become a jumping-off point for visits to Pompeii, Capri, and Amalfi, but you can find countless reasons to love it for itself...

Genoa

Genoa (Genova in Italian) was the birthplace of Christopher Columbus, but the city's proud history predates that explorer by hundreds of years. Genoa was already...

Bologna

Bologna, a city rich with cultural jewels, has long been one of the best-kept secrets in northern Italy. Tourists in the know bask in the...

Turin

Turin (Torino, in Italian) is roughly in the center of Piedmont–Valle d'Aosta and 128 km (80 miles) west of Milan; it's on the Po River...

Positano

When John Steinbeck visited Positano in 1953, he wrote that it was difficult to consider tourism an industry because "there are not enough [tourists]." Alas...

Palermo

Once the intellectual capital of southern Europe, Palermo has always been at the crossroads of civilization. Favorably located on a crescent bay at the foot...

Amalfi

At first glance, it's hard to imagine that this resort destination was one of the world's great naval powers, and a sturdy rival of Genoa...

Verona

On the banks of the fast-flowing River Adige, enchanting Verona has timeless monuments, a picturesque town center, and a romantic reputation as the setting of...

Cagliari

Known in Sardinia as Casteddu, the island's capital has steep streets and impressive Italianate architecture, from modern to medieval. This city of nearly 160,000 people...

Trieste

Trieste is built along a fringe of coastline where a rugged karst plateau tumbles abruptly into the beautiful Adriatic. It was the only port of...

Bolzano (Bozen)

Bolzano (Bozen), capital of the autonomous province of Alto Adige, is tucked among craggy peaks in a Dolomite valley 77 km (48 miles) from the...

Ravello

Positano may focus on pleasure, and Amalfi on history, but cool, serene Ravello revels in refinement. Thrust over the Bay of Salerno on a mountain...

Trento

Trento is a prosperous, cosmopolitan university town that retains an architectural charm befitting its historical importance. It was here, from 1545 to 1563, that the...

Siracusa

Siracusa, known to English speakers as Syracuse, is a wonder to behold. One of the great ancient capitals of Western civilization, the city was founded...

Padua

A romantic warren of arcaded streets, Padua has long been one of the major cultural centers of northern Italy. Its university, founded in 1222 and...

Lucca

Ramparts built in the 16th and 17th centuries enclose a charming fortress town filled with churches (99 of them), terracotta–roofed buildings, and narrow cobblestone streets...

Taormina

The view of the sea and Mt. Etna from Taormina's jagged, cactus-covered cliffs is as close to perfection as a panorama can get—especially on clear...

Ferrara

When the legendary Ferrarese filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni called his beloved hometown "a city that you can see only partly, while the rest disappears to be...

Procida

Lying barely 3 km (2 miles) from the mainland and 10 km (6 miles) from the nearest port (Pozzuoli), Procida is an island of enormous...

Catania

The chief wonder of Catania, Sicily's second city, is that it's there at all. Its successive populations were deported by one Greek tyrant, sold into...

Alghero

A tourist-friendly town of about 45,000 inhabitants, with a distinctly Spanish flavor, Alghero is also known as "Barcelonetta" (Little Barcelona) for its strong Catalan ties...

Merano (Meran)

The second-largest town in Alto Adige, Merano (Meran) was once the capital of the Austrian region of Tyrol. When the town and surrounding area were...

Ravenna

A small, quiet, and well-heeled city, Ravenna has brick palaces, cobblestone streets, magnificent monuments, and spectacular Byzantine mosaics. The high point in its civic history...

Cortina d'Ampezzo

The archetypal Dolomite resort, Cortina d'Ampezzo entices those seeking both relaxation and adventure. The town is the western gateway to the Strade Grande delle Dolomiti...

Vicenza

Vicenza bears the distinctive signature of the 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio, whose name has been given to the "Palladian" style of architecture. He emphasized the...

Bergamo

If you're driving from Milan to Lake Garda, the perfect deviation from your autostrada journey is the lovely medieval town of Bergamo, which is also...

Pisa

If you can get beyond the kitsch of the stalls hawking cheap souvenirs around the Leaning Tower, you'll find that Pisa has much to offer...

Herculaneum (Ercolano)

A visit to the archaeological site of Herculaneum neatly counterbalances the hustle of its larger neighbor, Pompeii. Although close to the heart of busy Ercolano—indeed...

Matera

This town of unique Sassi (cave dwellings) is one of southern Italy's most intriguing places. The so-called New Town is full of elegant Baroque churches...

Treviso

Treviso has been dubbed "Little Venice" because of its meandering, moss-bank canals. They can't really compare with Venice's spectacular waterways, but Treviso's historic center, with...

Alba

This small town has a gracious atmosphere and a compact core, studded with medieval towers and Gothic buildings. In addition to being a wine center...

Arezzo

Arezzo is best known for the magnificent Piero della Francesca frescoes in the church of San Francesco. It's also the birthplace of the poet Petrarch...

Asolo

Once considered the most romantic and charming of Veneto towns, the hamlet of Asolo has unfortunately lost much of its appeal, now that it's given...

Lecce

Lecce is the crown jewel of the Mezzogiorno. The city is called "the Florence of the south," but that term doesn't do justice to Lecce's...

Pozzuoli

Legendary spirits populate Pozzuoli. St. Paul stepped ashore at the harbor here in AD 61 en route to Rome; his own ship had been wrecked...

Cremona

Cremona is a classical-music lover's dream. With violin shops on every block along its crooked old streets, it is where the world's best violins are...

Madonna di Campiglio

The winter resort of Madonna di Campiglio vies with Cortina d'Ampezzo as the most fashionable place for Italians to ski and be seen in the...

Bari

The biggest city in the region, Bari is a major port and a transit point for travelers catching ferries across the Adriatic to Greece, Croatia...

Greve in Chianti

If there is a capital of Chianti, it is Greve, a friendly market town with no shortage of cafés, enoteche (wine bars), and crafts shops...

Acireale

Acireale sits amid a clutter of rocky pinnacles and lush lemon groves. The craggy coast is known as the Riviera dei Ciclopi, after the legend...

Udine

Udine, the largest city on the Friuli side of the region, has a provincial, genteel atmosphere and lots of charm. The city sometimes seems completely...

Trapani

On Sicily’s west coast, Trapani is said to have been formed when the goddess Demeter, searching for her kidnapped daughter Persephone, dropped her sickle in...

Erice

Perched 2,450 feet above sea level, Erice is an enchanting medieval mountaintop aerie of palaces, fountains, and cobblestone streets. Shaped like an equilateral triangle, the...

Nuoro

The somewhat shabby provincial capital of Nuoro is on the edge of a gorge in the harsh mountainous area that culminates in Gennargentu, the island's...

Viterbo

Viterbo's moment of glory was in the 13th century, when it became the seat of the papal court. The medieval core of the city still...

Courmayeur/Monte Bianco

The main attraction of Courmayeur is a knock-'em-dead view of Europe's highest peak, Monte Bianco. The celebrities and the wealthy who come here these days...

Mt. Etna

The first time you see Mt. Etna, whether it's trailing clouds of smoke or emitting fiery streaks of lava, is certain to be unforgettable. The...

Aosta

Aosta stands at the junction of two of the important trade routes that connect France and Italy, the valleys of the Rhône and the Isère...

Portofino

One of the most photographed villages along the coast, with a decidedly romantic and affluent aura, Portofino has long been a popular destination for the...

Montalcino

Tiny Montalcino, with its commanding view from high on a hill, can claim an Etruscan past. It saw a fair number of travelers, as it...

Bordighera

Bordighera is an attractive seaside resort with panoramas from Genoa (on a clear day) to Monte Carlo. A large English colony, attracted by the mild...

Pula

Resort villages sprawl along the coast southwest of the capital, which has its share of fine scenery and good beaches. On the marshy shoreline between...

Pompeii

Mention Pompeii and most travelers think of ancient Roman villas, prancing bronze fauns, writhing plaster casts of Vesuvius's victims, and the fabled days of the...

Corvara

Corvara is the main town of the Alta Badia, known for its prime skiing and hiking location in the middle of the Sella Ronda. The...

Oristano

...

Ortisei (St. Ulrich)

Ortisei (St. Ulrich), the jewel in the crown of Val Gardena's resorts, is a hub of activity in both summer and winter; there are hundreds...

Brunico (Bruneck)

Located in the heart of the Val Pusteria, this quiet and quaint town is divided by the Rienza River. The modern part of Brunico is...

Vesuvius

Vesuvius may have lost its plume of smoke, but it has lost none of its fascination—especially for those who live in the towns around the...

Conca dei Marini

A longtime favorite of the off-duty rich and famous, Conca dei Marini (the name means "seafarers' basin") hides many of its charms, as any sublime...

Frascati

It's worth taking a stroll through Frascati's lively old center. Via Battisti, leading from the Belvedere, takes you into Piazza San Pietro with its imposing...

Santa Margherita Ligure

A beautiful old resort town favored by well-to-do Italians, Santa Margherita Ligure has everything a Riviera playground should have—plenty of palm trees and attractive hotels...

San Remo

Once the crown jewel of the Riviera di Ponente, San Remo is still the area's largest resort, lined with polished hotels, exotic gardens, and seaside...

Camogli

Camogli, at the edge of the large promontory and nature reserve known as the Portofino Peninsula, has always been a town of sailors. By the...

Portovenere

The colorful facades and pedestrians-only calata (promenade) make Portovenere the quintessential Ligurian seaside village; it's often called the “sixth town” of the Cinque Terre—but with...

Cefalu

The coast between Palermo and Messina is dotted with charming villages. Tindari (which dates back to the early-Christian era) and Laghetti di Maranello are two...

Porto Cervo

Sardinia's northeastern coast is fringed with low cliffs, inlets, and small bays. This has become an upscale vacationland, with glossy resorts such as Baia Sardinia...

Modica

Modica and Ragusa are the two chief cities in Sicily's smallest province, and the centers of a region known as Iblea. The dry, rocky, and...

Colle di Val d'Elsa

Most people pass through on their way to and from popular tourist destinations Volterra and San Gimignano—a shame, because Colle di Val d'Elsa has a...

Ragusa

Ragusa, a modern city with a beautiful historic core, is known for some great local red wines and wonderful cheese—a creamy, doughy, flavorful version of...

Fiesole

A half-day excursion to Fiesole, in the hills 8 km (5 miles) above Florence, gives you a pleasant respite from museums and a wonderful view...

Cosenza

A construction boom in the 1950s and '60s encased Cosenza's medieval city—which winds up the hillsides between the Busento and Crati rivers—in a sprawling, traffic-clogged...

Baia

Now largely under the sea, ancient Baia was once the most opulent and fashionable resort area of the Roman Empire, the place where Sulla, Pompey...

Asti

Asti is best known outside Italy for its wines—excellent reds as well as the famous sparkling white spumante. The town itself has some impressive reminders...

Tropea

Ringed by cliffs and wonderful sandy beaches, the Tropea Promontory is still just beginning to be discovered by foreign tourists. The main town of Tropea...

Taranto

Taranto (stress the first syllable) was an important port even in Greek times, and it's still Italy's largest naval base. It lies toward the back...

Gallipoli

The fishing port of Gallipoli, on the eastern tip of the Golfo di Taranto, is divided between a new town, on the mainland, and the...

Misurina

Nestled on the shores of Lake Misurina, among the Dolomites, Misurina's high altitude, low air humidity, and total absence of dust mites and air pollution...

Mantua

Mantua (Mantova in Italian) stands tallest among the ancient walled cities of the Po Plain; it may not be flashy or dramatic, but its beauty...

Noto

If Siracusa's Baroque beauties whet your appetite for that over-the-top style, head to Noto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lying about 40 minutes away on...

Lerici

Lerici, part of the Riviera di Levante, is on the spectacular Bay of La Spezia, otherwise known as the Gulf of Poets, and is famous...

Bressanone (Brixen)

Bressanone is an important artistic center and was the seat of prince-bishops for centuries. Like their counterparts in Trento, these medieval administrators had the delicate...

Enna

Deep in Sicily's interior, the fortress city of Enna (altitude 2,844 feet) commands exceptional views of the surrounding rolling plains, and, in the distance, Mt...

Montepulciano

Perched on a hilltop, Montepulciano is made up of a pyramid of redbrick buildings set within a circle of cypress trees. At an altitude of...

Agrigento

Agrigento owes its fame almost exclusively to its ancient Greek temples—though it was also the birthplace of playwright Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936). Along the coast, around...

Ostuni

This sun-bleached medieval town lies on three hills not far from the coast. From a distance, Ostuni is a jumble of blazing white houses and...

Trani

Trani has a harbor filled with fishing boats and a quaint old town with cobblestone streets, gleaming medieval churches, and palazzi built from local limestone...

Marostica

26 km (16 miles) northeast of Vicenza, 93 km (58 miles) northwest of Venice.From the 14th-century Castello Inferiore, where the town council still meets, an...

Cividale del Friuli

Cividale is the most important place for taking in the impressive and beautiful art of the Lombards, a Germanic people who entered Italy in 568...

Alberobello

With more than 1,000 trulli along its steep, narrow streets, Alberobello has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is one of the more...

Monterosso al Mare

It's the combined draw of beautiful beaches, rugged cliffs, crystal-clear turquoise waters, and plentiful small hotels and restaurants that make Monterosso al Mare into the...

Cetara

Tourists tend to take a pass on the village of Cetara. A quiet fishing village below orange groves on Monte Falerzo, it was held in...

Castelgandolfo

This little town is the pope's summer retreat. It was the Barberini Pope Urban VIII who first headed here, eager to escape the malarial miasmas...

Bormio

At the foot of Stelvio Pass, Bormio is the most famous ski resort on the western side of the Dolomites, with 38 km (24 miles)...

Tivoli

In ancient times, just about anybody who was anybody had a villa in Tivoli, including Crassus, Trajan, Hadrian, Horace, and Catullus. Tivoli fell into obscurity...

Atrani

In some respects this stage-set of a medieval town is a secret treasure: set in a narrow valley between two cliffs, this is the smallest...

Praiano

Praiano has less wealth and sophistication than its more famous neighbors and more olive and lemon trees than tourists. From afar, it looks as alluring...

Pienza

Pienza owes its appearance to Pope Pius II (1405–64), who had grand plans to transform his hometown of Corsignano—its former name—into a compact model Renaissance...

Reggio Calabria

This raw city is one of Italy's busiest ports, where you can find not only container ships and cranes but also a wonderful lungomare (promenade)...

Breuil-Cervinia/The Matterhorn

Sitting in a huge natural basin at the foot of the Matterhorn, this town, once a high Alpine pasture, grew to become one of Europe's...

Finale Ligure

Lovely Finale Ligure is actually made up of three small villages: Finalmarina, Finalpia, and Finalborgo, and makes a wonderful base for exploring the Riviera di...

Rovereto

A 15th-century Venetian castle dominates Rovereto's compact medieval centro storico, with one of Italy's finest contemporary art museums just steps away. The Trento Museum Pass...

Paestum

For history buffs, a visit to Campania is not complete without seeing the ancient ruins of Paestum. A visit to the ruins to stroll past...

Vieste

This large whitewashed town jutting off the tip of the spur of Italy's boot is an attractive place to wander around. Although curvy mountain roads...

Olbia

Amid the resorts of Sardinia's northeastern coast, Olbia, a town of about 60,000, is a lively little seaport and port of call for mainland ferries...

Crotone

One of the most important Magna Graecia colonies in Italy, Crotone was a major cultural center in the 5th century BC, when it was the...

Gavi

...

Panzano

The magnificent views of the valleys of the Pesa and Greve rivers easily make Panzano one of the prettiest stops in Chianti. The triangular Piazza...

Pavia

Pavia was once Milan's chief regional rival. The city dates from at least the Roman era and was the capital of the Lombard kings for...

Aquileia

This sleepy little town is refreshingly free of the tourists that you might expect at such a culturally historic place. In the time of Emperor...

Sant'Antioco

...

Cortona

Made popular by Frances Mayes's book Under the Tuscan Sun and film of the same name, Cortona is no longer the destination of just a...

Vernazza

With its narrow streets and small squares, Vernazza is arguably the most charming of the five Cinque Terre towns, and therefore, usually the most crowded...

Castellina in Chianti

Castellina in Chianti—or simply Castellina—is on a ridge above three valleys: the Val di Pesa, Val d'Arbia, and Val d'Elsa. No matter what direction you...

Naturno (Naturns)

As the name suggests, Naturno is a great location for a nature-based vacation; you can access a number of hiking trails to explore the area...

Mattinata

The town of Mattinata is a good center for hikes in the Foresta Umbra and for visiting the Santuario di San Michele. It also has...

Diamante

A lively and attractive little resort on Calabria's north Tyrrhenian Coast, Diamante styles itself as "the town of murals and peperoncini." The old town center...

Sant'Agnello

Back in the 18th and 19th centuries, the tiny hamlet of Sant'Agnello was an address of choice. To escape Sorrento's crowds, Bourbon princes and exiled...

Marina del Cantone

As the largest (pebble) beach on the Sorrentine Peninsula, Marina del Cantone attracts weekend sun worshippers and foodies drawn by the seaside restaurants here. To...

Otranto

In one of the first great Gothic novels, Horace Walpole's 1764 The Castle of Otranto, the English writer immortalized this city and its mysterious medieval...

Sassari

With a population of about 130,000, Sassari, the island’s second-largest city, is an important university town and administrative center, notable for its history of intellectualism...

Sant'Agata sui Due Golfi

Because of its panoramic vistas, Sant'Agata was an end-of-the-line pilgrimage site for beauty lovers through the centuries, especially before the Amalfi Drive opened up the...

Piazza Armerina

A quick look around the fanciful town of Piazza Armerina is rewarding; it has a provincial warmth, and the crumbling yellow-stone architecture with Sicily's trademark...

Marsala

Marsala is readily associated with its world-famous, richly colored eponymous fortified wine, and your main reason for stopping will likely be to visit some of...

Castelmola

Although many believe that Taormina has the most spectacular views, tiny Castelmola—floating 1,800 feet above sea level—literally takes the word "scenic" to a whole new...

Ostia Antica

Founded around the 4th century BC, Ostia served as Rome's port city for several centuries until the Tiber changed course, leaving the town high and...

Polignano a Mare

This well-preserved, whitewashed old town, perched on limestone cliffs overlooking the Adriatic, makes an atmospheric base for exploring the surrounding area. Film crews and adrenaline...

Messina

Messina's ancient history recounts a series of disasters, but the city once vied with Palermo in a bid to become the capital, developing a fine...

Sestri Levante

Halfway between the Cinque Terre and Portofino lies this lovely seaside resort. The old village is on a peninsula with the beautiful Baia del Silenzio...

Giardini Botanici Hanbury

...

Maratea

The high, twisty road into the Maratea region affords breathtaking glimpses of the turquoise sea and a gigantic statue of Cristo Redentore (reminiscent of the...

Corniglia

The buildings, narrow lanes, and stairways of Corniglia are strung together amid vineyards high on the cliffs. On a clear day views of the entire...

Riomaggiore

At the eastern end of the Cinque Terre, Riomaggiore is built into a river gorge (thus the name, which means "major river") and is easily...

Canazei

Of the year-round resort towns in the Val di Fassa, Canazei is the most popular. The mountains around this small town are threaded with hiking...

Caltagirone

Built over three hills, this charming Baroque town is a center of Sicily's ceramics industry. Here you can find majolica balustrades, tiled windowsills, and the...

Camigliatello

Lined with chalets, Camigliatello is one of the Sila Massif's major resort towns. Most of the Sila isn't mountainous at all; rather, it's an extensive...

Caldaro (Kaltern)

This vineyard village, with clear views of castles high up in the surrounding mountains, represents the centuries of division that forged the unique character of...

Sestriere

In the early 1930s, before skiing became a more egalitarian sport, the patriarch of the FIAT automobile dynasty had this resort built to cater to...

Ticinese

...

Manarola

The enchanting pastel houses of Manarola spill down a steep hill overlooking a spectacular turquoise swimming cove and a bustling harbor. The whole town is...

Palestrina

Except to students of ancient history and music lovers, Palestrina is little known outside Italy. Its most famous native son, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, born...

Monreale

Only a short drive from Palermo, the sleepy town of Monreale is well worth the effort just to see the spectacular gold mosaics inside the...

Costa Verde

...

Scicli

Overshadowed by its larger neighbors, Modica and Ragusa, Scicli is a Baroque beauty in its own right and one of the eight villages designated by...

Castrovillari

Stress the first i when you pronounce the name of this provincial Calabrian city, nestled in the deep valley beneath 7,375-foot Mt. Pollino. The town...

Castel del Monte

The isolated Norman Castel del Monte dominates the surrounding countryside from the top of a 1,778-foot-high hill. The nearest town is Andria, 17 km (10½...

Ceglie Messapica

With its 14th-century Piazza Vecchia, tattered Baroque balconies, and lordly medieval castles, the little whitewashed town of Ceglie Messapica is the epitome of everyone’s notion...

Selinunte

Numerous Greek temple ruins perch on a plateau overlooking an expanse of the Mediterranean at Selinunte (or Selinus). The town is named after a local...

Nemi

A bronze statue of Diana the Huntress greets you at the entrance to Nemi, the smallest and prettiest village of the Castelli Romani. It's perched...

Martina Franca

Martina Franca is a beguiling town with a dazzling mixture of medieval and Baroque architecture in the light-color local stone. Developed as a military stronghold...

Furore

Furore stretches for 8 km (5 miles) along the panoramic winding road climbing the Monti Lattari hills toward Agerola. Its nickname as the paese che...

Ariccia

Ariccia is a gem of Baroque town planning. When Fabio Chigi, scion of the superwealthy banking family, became Pope Alexander VII, he commissioned Gian Lorenzo...

Imperia

Imperia actually consists of two towns: Porto Maurizio, a medieval town built on a promontory, and Oneglia, now an industrial center for oil refining and...

Albisola Marina

...

Elba

Elba is the Tuscan archipelago's largest island, but it resembles nearby verdant Corsica more than it does its rocky Italian sisters, thanks to a network...

La Spezia

La Spezia is sometimes thought of as nothing but a large, industrialized naval port en route to the Cinque Terre and Portovenere; it does possess...

Nervi

The identity of this stately late-19th-century resort, famous for its 1½-km-long (1-mile-long) seaside Passeggiata Anita Garibaldi, its palm-lined roads, and its 300 acres of parks...

Levanto

Nestled at the end of a valley of pine forests, olive groves, vineyards, and medieval villages lies this sunny seaside town, an alternative and usually...

Caprarola

The wealthy and powerful Farnese family took over this sleepy village in the 1500s and had the architect Vignola design a huge palace and gardens...

Sacra di San Michele

Perhaps best known as inspiration for the setting of Umberto Eco's novel The Name of the Rose, this abbey was built on Monte Pirchiriano in...

Marina di Praia

Just east of Praiano, the scenic hamlet of Marina di Praia is nestled by the sea at the bottom of a dramatic chasm. This is...

Cumae

Perhaps the oldest Greek colony on mainland Italy, Cumae overshadowed the Phlegrean Fields and Neapolis in the 7th and 6th centuries BC, because it was...

Montecatini Terme

Immortalized in Fellini's film 8½, Montecatini Terme is one of Italy's premier terme (spas). Known for their curative powers—and, at least once upon a time...

Albenga

Albenga has a medieval core, with narrow streets laid out by the ancient Romans. A network of alleys is punctuated by centuries-old towers surrounding the...

Rivoli

The Savoy court was based in Rivoli in the Middle Ages, and the town retains several remnants from that richly dramatic period...

Santa Teresa di Gallura

At the northern tip of Sardinia, Santa Teresa Gallura retains the relaxed, carefree air of a former fishing village. Nearby beaches rival those farther down...

Tharros

Spread across a thin tongue of land that dangles off the Sinis Peninsula, the archaeological site of Tharros ranks as one of Sardinia’s most important...

Castelsardo

The seaside citadel of Castelsardo is surmounted by an impressive fortress, which now contains a museum highlighting the basketware for which the town is famous...

La Maddalena

From the port of Palau you can visit the archipelago of La Maddalena, seven granite islands embellished with aromatic scrub and wind-bent pines. The most...

Barga

Barga is a lovely little city (one of Italy’s smallest under that classification) with a finely preserved medieval core. It produced textiles—mostly silk—during the Renaissance...

Chiavari

Chiavari is a fishing town (rather than village) of considerable character, with narrow, twisting streets and a good harbor. Chiavari's citizens were intrepid explorers, and...

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana might be the best base for exploring the Garfagnana, because it's central with respect to the other towns. During the Renaissance the...

Lago di Carezza

This small village borders a scenic lake that demands a stop...

Passo dello Stelvio

...

Segesta

Segesta is the site of one of Sicily's most impressive temples, constructed on the side of a barren windswept hill overlooking a valley of giant...

Bagnaia

The village of Bagnaia is the site of the 16th-century cardinal Alessandro Montalto's summer retreat, which is quite an extravaganza...

Bard

This small medieval town clings to a rocky crag that almost completely blocks the entrance to the Valle d'Aosta from Piedmont. Recognized for its strategic...

Alassio

Although Alassio is no longer a sleepy fishing village, the centro still possesses some old-world charm, colorful buildings, a great beachfront promenade, and white-sand beaches...

Barumini

It's definitely worth a detour to the quiet village of Barumini to visit the extraordinary stone village-fortress of Su Nuraxi...

Buonconvento

Buonconvento dates back to the 12th century, though it was surrounded by defensive walls in the later Middle Ages. Though the name means "happy place"...

Carrara

Carrara, from which the famous white marble takes its name, lies in a beautiful valley midway up a spectacular mountain in the Apuane Alps. The...

Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni has been famous since Roman times for the mildly sulfurous waters that come bubbling up into the large rectangular pool that forms the...

Venaria Reale

This immense palace was built in the 16th century as a hunting lodge...

Monte Argentario

Connected to the mainland only by two thin strips of land and a causeway, Monte Argentario feels like an island. The north and south isthmuses...

Montelupo

This small town, which straddles the Arno, and its surrounding villages, have been producing ceramics for centuries. A ceramics museum proudly displays the work of...

Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima is a charming medieval hill town with a rich mining and industrial heritage—pyrite, iron, and copper were found in these parts. After a...

Aliano

This remote village off the SS598 in the center of Basilicata's empty interior was the site of Carlo Levi's internment during 1936 and 1937. After...

Bagni di Lucca

Pretty Bagni di Lucca was a fashionable spa town in the early 19th century—in part because of its thermal waters. The Romantic poet Percy Bysshe...

Empoli

Empoli, roughly halfway between Florence and Pisa, is a small town with a long history. References to the city first appear in documents from the...

Oplontis (Torre Annunziata)

Surrounded by the fairly drab 1960s urban landscape of Torre Annunziata, Oplontis justifies its reputation as one of the more mysterious archaeological sites to be...

Saluzzo

The russet-brick town of Saluzzo—a flourishing medieval center and later seat of a Renaissance ducal court—is a well-preserved gem with narrow, winding streets, frescoed houses...

Giglio

...

Livorno

Livorno is a gritty city with a long and interesting history. In the early Middle Ages it alternately belonged to Pisa and Genoa. In 1421...

Fonni

In the heart of the Barbagia region, Fonni is the highest town on the island. This mountainous district, including Monte Spada and the Bruncu Spina...

Monteriggioni

Tiny Monteriggioni makes a nice stop on the way north to Colle di Val d'Elsa, San Gimignano, or Volterra. It's hard to imagine that this...

Chianciano Terme

People from around the world come to the città del fegato sano (city of the healthy liver) to experience the curative waters. The area's innumerable...

Chiusi

Chiusi was once one of the most powerful of the ancient cities of the Etruscan League, and it's now a valuable source of information about...

Castelnuovo Berardenga

The southernmost village in Chianti has a compact center with hilly, curving streets. A plethora of piazzas invite wandering...

San Pietro

...

Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi is a playground for wealthy Italians and equally well-heeled visitors. Its wide, sandy beaches—strands are 6 km (4 miles) long—have the Alpi...

Castello Fenis

The tiny town of Fénis owes its origins to the presence of the medieval castle that once provided shelter for the local peasants who lived...

Asciano

Founded by the Etruscans around the 5th century BC, Asciano is now a sleepy little town surrounded by 13th-century walls. The tiny centro storico (historic...

Rende

Rende is a pleasing stop on the way to or from Cosenza. Leave your car in the parking lot at the base of a long...

Bardonecchia

...

Locri

...

Abbazia di Monte Oliveto Maggiore

...

Avigliana

...

Peschici

Peschici is a pleasant resort on Gargano's north shore, a cascade of whitewashed houses and streets with a beautiful view over a sweeping cove. Some...

Abetone

Abetone is one of the most-visited vacation spots in the Apennine Mountains, where Tuscans, Emilia-Romagnans, and others come to ski. Set above two valleys, the...

Grotte di Castellana

...

Foggia

...

Pizzo

...

Santo Stefano di Camastra

...

San Giovanni Rotondo

...

Gaiole in Chianti

A market town since 1200, Gaiole is now a central destination for touring southern Chianti. A stream runs through its center, and flowers adorn many...

Golfo Aranci

At the mouth of the Gulf of Olbia, Golfo Aranci is a small-scale resort and arrival point for ferries from the mainland. Tour the town...

Settignano

When Florence is overcrowded and hot, this village, a 20-minute car or bus trip east of Florence, is particularly appealing. It was the birthplace of...

Giara di Gesturi

On the 45-square-km (28-square-mile) basalt plateau of Giara di Gesturi live some of the island's more exotic wildlife, including a species of wild dwarf horse...

Vercelli

...

Taggia

...

Cervo

Cervo is the quintessential sleepy Ligurian coastal village, nicely polished for the tourists who come to explore its narrow byways and street staircases. It's a...

Savona

...

Dobbiaco (Toblach)

...

Parco dell'Orecchiella

...

Novara

...

Caltanissetta

...

St. Vincent

...

Casale Monferrato

...

Passignano

Other than its Romanesque abbey and the few houses clustered around it, there is very little to actually see in this tiny hamlet. But the...

Caccamo

...

Stilo

Grandly positioned on the side of the rugged Monte Consolino, the village of Stilo is listed as one of Italy's most beautiful borghi (historic villages)...

Chiusa (Klausen)

...

Sicily

The island of Sicily has an abundance of history. Some of the world's best-preserved Byzantine mosaics stand adjacent to magnificent Greek temples and Roman amphitheaters...

Tuscany

Midway down the Italian peninsula, Tuscany (Toscana in Italian) is distinguished by rolling hills, snowcapped mountains, dramatic cypress trees, and miles of coastline on the...

The Dolomites

The Dolomites, those inimitable craggy peaks Le Corbusier called "the most beautiful work of architecture ever seen," are never so arresting as at dusk, when...

Capri, Ischia, and Procida

The islands off Naples are so different from each other that you wonder how they can possibly be in the same bay—indeed, some would say...

The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

Much of the pleasure of exploring the arc around Venice—stretching from Verona to Trieste, encompassing the Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia regions—comes from discovering the variations...

The Amalfi Coast

Easily one of the most picturesque places on earth, this Italian Eden—situated about two-thirds down the boot on the Tyrrhenian coast—boasts colorful cliffside villages, rolling...

Emilia–Romagna

The Italian Riviera

Nestled between the south of France and the Tuscan border lies the region of Liguria, with verdant and lush mountains to the north and east...

Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Venture off the traffic-filled highways and explore the countryside of Italy’s boot, made up of the three separate regions—Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria—each one with its...

Lombardy and the Lakes

Lombardy is one of Italy's most dynamic regions, offering everything from world-class ski slopes to luxurious summer lake resorts, and Milan is the pulse of...

Sardinia

The second-largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia remains unique and enigmatic with its rugged coastline and white-sand beaches, dramatic granite cliffs, and mountainous inland tracts...

Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Northwest Italy's Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta regions come with a large dose of mountain splendor, bourgeois refinement, culinary achievement, and scenic beauty. Two of Europe's...

Pisa, Lucca, and Northwest Tuscany

Lucca and Pisa are the most-visited cities of northwest Tuscany, and with good reason: Lucca has a charming historic center within its 16th-century walls, and...

Mount Etna and Eastern Sicily

Sicily is a land of dramatic juxtapositions, and nowhere is that more evident than its eastern coast. From white sandy beaches on the northeastern tip...

Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula

As a hub for visiting must-see sites—Pompeii and Naples to the north, Capri to the west, and the Amalfi Coast and Paestum to the south—the...

The Tyrrhenian Coast

The suggestive coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea on Sicily's northern end is dotted with a mixture of pebble beaches and white sandy beaches interspersed by...

Central Sicily and the Mediterranean Coast

Despite being home to two of the most famous sights in Sicily—the Greek temples of Agrigento and the Roman mosaics of Piazza Armerina—this is an...

Chianti, Siena, and Central Tuscany

Country roads wind around cypress trees on hilltops that often appear to catch and hold onto the clouds. Planted vineyards, fields, and orchards turn those...

The Bay of Naples

If you're lucky enough to travel to Naples by water, a peacock's tail of splendor unfolds before you as you enter the vast Golfo di...

Palermo and Western Sicily

Palermo and western Sicily have a character very distinct from Sicily’s other regions, a difference attributable to its strong North African imprint deriving from the...

Ischia

Although Capri leaves you breathless with its charm and beauty, Ischia (pronounced "EES-kee-ah, "with the stress on the first syllable), also called the Isola Verde...

Side Trips from Rome

Less well known than neighboring Tuscany, Lazio, the region that encompasses Rome, is often bypassed by foreign visitors. This is a pity, since the area...

Emilia

The Via Emilia runs through Emilia's heart in a straight shot from medieval Piacenza, 67 km (42 miles) southeast of Milan, through Bologna, and ultimately...

The Aeolian Islands

Off Sicily's northeastern coast lies an archipelago of seven spectacular islands of volcanic origin. The Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie) tempt with superb snorkeling and lazy...

Lake Como

If you're after palatial villas, rose-laden belvederes, hanging wisteria and bougainvillea, lanterns casting a glow over lakeshore restaurants, and majestic Alpine vistas, then Lake Como...

Lake Garda

Lake Garda has had a perennial attraction for travelers and writers alike; even the essayist Michel de Montaigne (1533–92), whose 15 months of travel journals...

Siracusa and the Southeast

If you want to experience Sicily at its most beautiful then head to the southeastern portion of the island, where you can explore stunning baroque-style...

Cinque Terre

"Charming" and "breathtaking" are adjectives that get a workout when you're traveling in Italy, but it's rare that both apply to a single location. The...

Arezzo, Cortona, and Eastern Tuscany

Closer to Italy's rugged Apennines than any other part of the region, eastern Tuscany hides its secrets in the valleys of the upper Arno and...

Lake Maggiore

Magnificently scenic, Lake Maggiore has a unique geographical position: its mountainous western shore is in Piedmont, its lower eastern shore is in Lombardy, and its...

Romagna

Anywhere in Emilia-Romagna, the story goes, a weary, lost traveler will be invited into a family's home and offered a drink. But the Romagnesi claim...

The Barolo Region

The Langhe district may not get as much attention as other wine-producing regions in Italy, but the payoff for a visit can be just as...

Sicily

The island of Sicily has an abundance of history. Some of the world's best-preserved Byzantine mosaics stand adjacent to magnificent Greek temples and Roman amphitheaters...

Tuscany

Midway down the Italian peninsula, Tuscany (Toscana in Italian) is distinguished by rolling hills, snowcapped mountains, dramatic cypress trees, and miles of coastline on the...

The Dolomites

The Dolomites, those inimitable craggy peaks Le Corbusier called "the most beautiful work of architecture ever seen," are never so arresting as at dusk, when...

Capri, Ischia, and Procida

The islands off Naples are so different from each other that you wonder how they can possibly be in the same bay—indeed, some would say...

The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

Much of the pleasure of exploring the arc around Venice—stretching from Verona to Trieste, encompassing the Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia regions—comes from discovering the variations...

The Amalfi Coast

Easily one of the most picturesque places on earth, this Italian Eden—situated about two-thirds down the boot on the Tyrrhenian coast—boasts colorful cliffside villages, rolling...

Emilia–Romagna

The Italian Riviera

Nestled between the south of France and the Tuscan border lies the region of Liguria, with verdant and lush mountains to the north and east...

Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Venture off the traffic-filled highways and explore the countryside of Italy’s boot, made up of the three separate regions—Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria—each one with its...

Lombardy and the Lakes

Lombardy is one of Italy's most dynamic regions, offering everything from world-class ski slopes to luxurious summer lake resorts, and Milan is the pulse of...

Sardinia

The second-largest island in the Mediterranean, Sardinia remains unique and enigmatic with its rugged coastline and white-sand beaches, dramatic granite cliffs, and mountainous inland tracts...

Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Northwest Italy's Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta regions come with a large dose of mountain splendor, bourgeois refinement, culinary achievement, and scenic beauty. Two of Europe's...

Pisa, Lucca, and Northwest Tuscany

Lucca and Pisa are the most-visited cities of northwest Tuscany, and with good reason: Lucca has a charming historic center within its 16th-century walls, and...

Mount Etna and Eastern Sicily

Sicily is a land of dramatic juxtapositions, and nowhere is that more evident than its eastern coast. From white sandy beaches on the northeastern tip...

Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula

As a hub for visiting must-see sites—Pompeii and Naples to the north, Capri to the west, and the Amalfi Coast and Paestum to the south—the...

The Tyrrhenian Coast

The suggestive coastline of the Tyrrhenian Sea on Sicily's northern end is dotted with a mixture of pebble beaches and white sandy beaches interspersed by...

Central Sicily and the Mediterranean Coast

Despite being home to two of the most famous sights in Sicily—the Greek temples of Agrigento and the Roman mosaics of Piazza Armerina—this is an...

Chianti, Siena, and Central Tuscany

Country roads wind around cypress trees on hilltops that often appear to catch and hold onto the clouds. Planted vineyards, fields, and orchards turn those...

The Bay of Naples

If you're lucky enough to travel to Naples by water, a peacock's tail of splendor unfolds before you as you enter the vast Golfo di...

Palermo and Western Sicily

Palermo and western Sicily have a character very distinct from Sicily’s other regions, a difference attributable to its strong North African imprint deriving from the...

Ischia

Although Capri leaves you breathless with its charm and beauty, Ischia (pronounced "EES-kee-ah, "with the stress on the first syllable), also called the Isola Verde...

Side Trips from Rome

Less well known than neighboring Tuscany, Lazio, the region that encompasses Rome, is often bypassed by foreign visitors. This is a pity, since the area...

Emilia

The Via Emilia runs through Emilia's heart in a straight shot from medieval Piacenza, 67 km (42 miles) southeast of Milan, through Bologna, and ultimately...

The Aeolian Islands

Off Sicily's northeastern coast lies an archipelago of seven spectacular islands of volcanic origin. The Aeolian Islands (Isole Eolie) tempt with superb snorkeling and lazy...

Lake Como

If you're after palatial villas, rose-laden belvederes, hanging wisteria and bougainvillea, lanterns casting a glow over lakeshore restaurants, and majestic Alpine vistas, then Lake Como...

Lake Garda

Lake Garda has had a perennial attraction for travelers and writers alike; even the essayist Michel de Montaigne (1533–92), whose 15 months of travel journals...

Siracusa and the Southeast

If you want to experience Sicily at its most beautiful then head to the southeastern portion of the island, where you can explore stunning baroque-style...

Cinque Terre

"Charming" and "breathtaking" are adjectives that get a workout when you're traveling in Italy, but it's rare that both apply to a single location. The...

Arezzo, Cortona, and Eastern Tuscany

Closer to Italy's rugged Apennines than any other part of the region, eastern Tuscany hides its secrets in the valleys of the upper Arno and...

Lake Maggiore

Magnificently scenic, Lake Maggiore has a unique geographical position: its mountainous western shore is in Piedmont, its lower eastern shore is in Lombardy, and its...

Romagna

Anywhere in Emilia-Romagna, the story goes, a weary, lost traveler will be invited into a family's home and offered a drink. But the Romagnesi claim...

The Barolo Region

The Langhe district may not get as much attention as other wine-producing regions in Italy, but the payoff for a visit can be just as...

Cogne and the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso

...

Cogne and the Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso

...

Capri

Fantastic grottoes, soaring conical peaks, caverns great and small, plus villas of the emperors and thousands of legends brush Capri with an air of whispered...

Lipari

The largest and most developed of the Aeolians, Lipari welcomes you with distinctive pastel-color houses. Fields of spiky agaves dot the northernmost tip of the...

Stromboli

This northernmost of the Aeolians consists entirely of the cone of an active volcano. The view from the sea—especially at night, as an endless stream...

Salina

The second largest of the Aeolians, Salina is also the most fertile, which accounts for its excellent Malvasia dessert wine. Salina is the archipelago’s lushest...

Panarea

Panarea is the second smallest of the islands but has some of the most dramatic scenery, including wild caves carved out of the rock and...

Filicudi

Just a dot in the sea, Filicudi is famous for its unusual volcanic rock formations, the enchanting Grotta del Bue Marino (Grotto of the Sea...

Alicudi

...

Capri

Fantastic grottoes, soaring conical peaks, caverns great and small, plus villas of the emperors and thousands of legends brush Capri with an air of whispered...

Lipari

The largest and most developed of the Aeolians, Lipari welcomes you with distinctive pastel-color houses. Fields of spiky agaves dot the northernmost tip of the...

Stromboli

This northernmost of the Aeolians consists entirely of the cone of an active volcano. The view from the sea—especially at night, as an endless stream...

Salina

The second largest of the Aeolians, Salina is also the most fertile, which accounts for its excellent Malvasia dessert wine. Salina is the archipelago’s lushest...

Panarea

Panarea is the second smallest of the islands but has some of the most dramatic scenery, including wild caves carved out of the rock and...

Filicudi

Just a dot in the sea, Filicudi is famous for its unusual volcanic rock formations, the enchanting Grotta del Bue Marino (Grotto of the Sea...

Alicudi

...

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Capri, Ischia, and Procida

Cinque Terre

Emilia–Romagna

Florence

Lombardy and the Lakes

Milan

Naples

Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Rome

Sardinia

Sicily

Side Trips from Rome

Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula

The Amalfi Coast

The Bay of Naples

The Dolomites

The Italian Riviera

The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

Tuscany

Capri, Ischia, and Procida

Florence

Naples

Rome

Side Trips from Rome

The Bay of Naples

The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

Cinque Terre

Lombardy and the Lakes

Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Sardinia

Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula

The Dolomites

Tuscany

Emilia–Romagna

Milan

Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Sicily

The Amalfi Coast

The Italian Riviera

Capri, Ischia, and Procida

Emilia–Romagna

Lombardy and the Lakes

Naples

Puglia, Basilicata, and Calabria

Sardinia

Side Trips from Rome

The Amalfi Coast

The Dolomites

The Veneto and Friuli–Venezia Giulia

Cinque Terre

Florence

Milan

Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta

Rome

Sicily

Sorrento and the Sorrentine Peninsula

The Bay of Naples

The Italian Riviera

Tuscany

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Apeksha Bhateja

Beaches

These 3 Italian Beaches Share One Extremely Unique Feature

Nathaniel Mellor

News

Italy Prepares for a Possible Volcanic Eruption After Earthquake Rattles Naples

Scott Laird

Arts & Culture

The 10 Best Under-the-Radar Museums in Rome

Laura Itzkowitz

Beaches

The So-Obvious-It’s-Not-Obvious Hack for Visiting the Amalfi Coast on a Budget

Katie Sammis

News

The 8 Most Outrageous Things American Tourists Have Done in Italy

Kristine Hansen

News

Tourists Beware: Italy Will Now Fine You up to $65,000 for Doing This

Apeksha Bhateja

Beaches

Gorgeous, Scenic, and TOTALLY OVERRATED—Here’s Why You Should Skip the Amalfi Coast This Summer

Eva Sandoval

Deals

Yes, You Can Enjoy Rome for Under $200 a Day (Including Hotel Costs)

Jenny Adams

Arts & Culture

This VIP Tour Gave Me the Keys to the Vatican

Eva Morreale

Booze

There’s an Italian Town Where Witches Waged War Over Wine

Jennifer Billock

Arts & Culture

This Trippy Museum in Italy Is Turning a Small Town Into a Tourist Destination

Joel Balsam

Books

Can’t Get to Italy this Summer? Whisk Yourself Away With 10 Italian Cookbooks

Brandon Schultz

Weddings & Honeymoons

The Ultimate LGBTQ+ Honeymoon Guide to Rome

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Family

How the Pandemic Helped Me Fall Back in Love With Milan

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