Aosta Valley
According to topschoolsintheusa, the delightful Aosta Valley region, which borders France and Switzerland, is home to Europe’s highest mountains – Mont Blanc, Monte Rosa, Cervino (Matterhorn) and Gran Paradiso. The Gran Paradiso National Park is a popular excursion area for hikers and mountaineers. The Aosta Valley is known for several excellent ski resorts such as Courmayeur and Breuil-Cervinia, its vineyards and Fontina cheese. The castles and ruins of numerous castles and fortifications testify to the strategic importance of this region in earlier times as a gateway to the routes across the Alps. In Aosta, the most important city in the region, there are many well-preserved buildings from Roman times and from the Middle Ages. The imposing Roman city walls have been almost completely preserved.
Uffizi Gallery in Florence
The Uffizi has one of the most important collections of paintings in the world. Paintings with predominantly biblical themes and icons represent the transitional period towards the end of the Middle Ages. Art lovers will also find paintings by Italian masters from the Renaissance to the early 18th century. Botticelli’s “Birth of Venus”, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Annunciation”, Michelangelo’s “Holy Family”, Titian’s “Urbino Venus” and Caravaggio’s “Young Bacchus” are on display in the Uffizi Gallery. One of the most interesting paintings is Caravaggio’s “Medusa”.
desire for the sea
The 7500 km long coast of Italy fulfills every holiday wish. The Tuscan coast is suitable for family holidays because of its flat sandy beaches, but it also attracts sailors. The Italian Riviera is sun and sand by day and party and fun by night. The Amalfi Coast is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of its unique and Mediterranean landscape. The coast of Molise lures with beautiful and well-equipped beaches and a picturesque hinterland. The Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria meets all requirements. Italian islands like Sardinia and Ustica are paradises for divers. Windsurfers are also drawn to Sardinia and, among other things, to the Adriatic and Tuscany coasts. Attractive coastal destinations are also fishing villages and seaside resorts such as Camogli, Portofino, Tropea, Maratea, Santa Maria di Leuca, Taormina and of course Venice,
Trentino Alto Adige
The mountainous region of Trentino-Alto Adige on the Austrian border extends on both sides of the Isarco Valley. To the east lie the impressive Dolomites, which have been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Attractions of the region are mountains, ski areas, gorges and valleys, caves, numerous nature parks such as the Drei Zinnen nature park, palaces and castles, mountain villages and Alpine towns such as Trento and Bolzano. Winter sports enthusiasts, cyclists, mountain bikers, paragliders, hikers and climbers will find a paradise here. Monte Cevedale is the highest mountain in Trentino. The valleys of Etschtal, Eisacktal, Vinschgau and Pustertal in South Tyrol are popular tourist destinations. The best-known winter sports centers include Madonna di Campiglio, Val Gardena with Selva di Val Gardena, Ortisei, Sankt Christina,
Italian Lakes in Lombardy
The lakes of Como, Garda, Lugano and Maggiore make Lombardy one of the most popular holiday areas in Italy. The great lakes of the north lie in valleys that descend from the Alps to the plains. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy and probably the most impressive. The extremely pleasant climate, the enchanting landscape with moraine hills, vineyards, castles, villas and idyllic villages as well as the ideal conditions for water sports attract countless visitors from all over the world year after year. Lake Como and its surroundings are also beautiful. In the midst of attractive subtropical vegetation there are numerous pretty holiday resorts. Most of Lake Lugano is in Switzerland. The most popular holiday resorts on Lake Maggiore are Pallanza, Stresa, Arona and Intra.
Venice
The lagoon city of Venice, 4 km from the mainland, is situated on 118 islands in the Gulf of Venice in the northern Adriatic. Venice and its lagoons are part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The most famous sights and probably the greatest architectural masterpieces of the city are the Doge’s Palace, St. Mark’s Square and the Bridge of Sighs. Away from the main waterways, narrow canals lead to small squares with beautiful Gothic churches. Other sights include the Gran Teatro La Fenice – one of the most famous opera houses in the world -, the bell tower of St. Mark’s Basilica, the Accademia delle Belle Arti (large collection of Venetian paintings from the 14th-18th centuries), the Palazzo Rezzioni (museum of applied Art and furniture of the 18th century), the Casa Goldini and the Correr City Museum.
sienna
A hilltop town, Siena flourished before the Renaissance. Strolling through Siena’s streets is like stepping back in time through the Middle Ages: narrow streets without sidewalks, cobblestone streets, old houses in Romanesque and Gothic style standing side by side. Cars have no place here, motorcyclists are only allowed to drive to a limited extent. The old town is part of the UNESCO cultural heritage. The massive campanile (bell tower) of the Palazzo Pubblico overlooks the Piazza del Campo (arguably Italy’s best-preserved Gothic piazza) at the heart of the city. This is where the Palio horse races take place in summer. Siena, the birthplace of St. Catherine, is also an important center of religious life. Italian language courses are offered in the summer at the 700-year-old university.
Piedmont
Piedmont is in the fertile Upper Po Valley. In the north is the beautiful Lake Maggiore with the Borromean Islands. Worth seeing are the valleys Susatal, Valsesia and the Eschental. Foodies come to Piedmont for the truffles and the wine. One of the most famous red wines in Italy, the Barolo, and also the popular Asti Spumante sparkling wine come from here. The administrative seat of Piedmont, Turin, is nicknamed La Parigi d’Italia (the Paris of Italy) because of its cityscape. The Municipal Museum of Ancient Art is housed in the baroque palace Palazzo Madama. The Shroud of Turin can be seen in the Cathedral of San Giovanni. The castles and residences of the Dukes of Savoy are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Vesuvius and Pompeii
The Vesuvius volcano is located in the Vesuvius National Park near Naples. A road leads almost to the top of Vesuvius. The last 100 m have to be covered on foot, on a dirt track made of pumice stone. From the visitor’s platform, which is located directly on the caldera, there is not only a breathtaking view of the steaming crater, but also a wonderful, wide view of the Gulf of Naples. Nearby are the remains of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Pompeii and Herculaneum, destroyed by an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD.
