Rome (Roma)

Both for its history as the capital of Europe and for its present day role as one of the most vibrant cities, Rome heads the list for most tourists traveling to Italy.

Relics of its ancient glories – Colosseum, the Forum, Pantheon, Appian Way, and the Palatine Hill – vie with the vast riches of the Vatican as the top attractions.

Venice (Venezia)

Who could fail to love a city whose streets are made of water, whose buses are boats, and where the songs of gondoliers linger in the air?

It is a magic city, and its major attraction to tourists is the city itself.

Florence (Firenze)

The showcase of the Italian Renaissance, Florence can at times seem like one giant art museum. The Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, is a landmark of world architecture, topped by its gravity-defying massive dome.

Lake Como

Lake Como has been the favorite summer retreat of the rich and famous since ancient Romans fled Milan’s summer heat to cool off in villas along its steep shores.

Amalfi Coast and Capri Island

The high, precipitous Amalfi Peninsula juts sharply into the Mediterranean just south of Naples, forming the southern rim of Naples Bay.

It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful setting for the towns that spill down its slopes.

The Cinque Terre

The five towns that cling to the steep, rocky Mediterranean coast north of La Spezia were almost impossible to reach by land until the railway connected them by tunneling through the headlands that separate them.

Tuscany Hill Towns

The undulating landscape of Tuscany is crowned by stone towns whose foundations go back to the Etruscans. Each sits on a hill, and many still have castles & towers.

Siena

At its height in the 13th and 14th centuries, Siena rivaled Florence for its arts and culture, and it still has a wealth of art and architectural treasures.

The highlight is the Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, whose inlaid marble facade and striped bell tower stand among Siena’s mostly red brick buildings.

Pisa and Lucca

These two nearby towns are worth visiting while you’re in Tuscany, the first for the exceptional Campo dei Miracoli complex and the other for its endearing charms.

Verona

This former Roman stronghold is embraced by a deep curve in the Adige River.

Dominating its heart is the remarkable well-preserved first-century Roman arena, scene of the world-renowned summer opera festival.

Pompeii

In AD 79, Mt. Vesuvius erupted violently and suddenly, engulfing the thriving Pompeii and encasing it for more than a millennium in 6m of ash and pumice-stone.

Sicily

The island of Sicily has earned seven places on the UNESCO Heritage Site list, 3 for its ancient sites, 2o for natural wonders, and 2 for architectural treasures.

Ravenna

Unlike any other city in Italy,

Ravenna’s artistic origins are almost entirely Byzantine, and here you’ll find Western Europe’s finest collection of Byzantine mosaics…

Turin

One of the great industrial cities of the north, Turin, unlike Milan, is relatively small and compact, its highlights easy to explore on foot.

Sardinia

This enigmatic Mediterranean island seems worlds apart from Italy, and is itself a land of stark contrasts. Best known for its glamorous Costa Smeralda, the jet-set paradise of luxury enclaves set against emerald waters, Sardinia has a lot more to offer the adventurous tourist, or even the sun-loving beach seeker.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR