Travel Destination: Italy

Hello Dear Steemians, I will be doing a travel tour guide for Italy. Things you should know and places you could travel to within Italy to have a wonderful experience during vacation or just visiting.

When it comes to choosing the right destination for your next overseas vacation, there are various options that you can choose from. However, if you want a vacation experience that has everything from rich culture and history to great food and exciting attractions, one of the best places to consider is Italy .

Located in Southern Europe, this boot-shaped country is one of the world’s most popular travel destinations for a number of reasons that include art treasures, charming towns, stunning landscapes, passionate people and top-class cuisine. It’s a place where you can see some of the most iconic sites in the world – the leaning Tower of Pisa, the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, to name but a few.

There are many wonderful parts of Italy that you can visit, from the bustling capital of Rome to the beautiful lakes and the Italian Riviera. So, if you are planning a trip to Italy you will have no shortage of stunning destinations to choose from. This means that you can look forward to the perfect vacation experience.

Italy offers a magnificently rich array of sumptuous natural scenery and numerous opportunities to get out into nature. Cinque Terre, Sardinia, and the Dolomites all boast incredible landscapes and fantastic hiking routes.
You could spend your time in this culturally rich land learning about the lives of the Romans, discovering the destruction caused by Mount Vesuvius at Pompeii, or simply lazing alongside one of the many Italian lakes and languishing in the opulence of the Amalfi coast. Italy offers so much to see and do that it would take a lifetime to explore.

Why Do So Many People Choose Italy As A Desired Vacation Destination?

Well, there are many reasons why Italy is the perfect choice for a memorable and fabulous holiday. Some of the key reasons include:

• Fascinating Culture:
  

When you visit Italy, you can immerse yourself in
the fascinating culture that can be found in this beautiful country. This can vary based on which part of the country you visit. Regardless of the region chosen, you can enjoy spending time as the Italians do, indulging in delicious cuisine, shopping for the latest fashions, enjoying the numerous festivals and entertainment options, exploring the beautiful landscapes and architecture, and tasting some of the world’s finest wine, all of which make for a truly memorable experience.

• Rich History:

Italy is a place with an incredibly rich and fascinating history, so you will certainly have plenty to explore. From cathedrals and basilicas to arenas, forums, and piazzas, every region has something fascinating to offer. Italy is a wonderful place for exploration and education.

• Sumptuous Cuisine:

Italy is among the top countries in the world when it comes to cuisine, so if you consider yourself something of a foodie you will not be disappointed. From authentic Italian pasta and pizza to delicious soups, breads, and desserts, you will be in foodie heaven when you visit this country.

• Diverse Environments:

Italy is a place with a wide variety of diverse environments, so finding the perfect place for your vacation won’t be difficult. You can explore bustling cities such as the capital of Rome, relax in breathtaking areas such as Lake Garda and Lake Como, visit any of the numerous wine regions, and even spend time frolicking on the pristine beaches.

• Great Attractions:

When it comes to sites and attractions, you will find plenty to keep you busy and entertained while abroad in Italy. The country has a huge variety of attractions that are fun, exciting, educational, and more. Whether you want to spend time exploring natural beauty or you’d rather explore historic sites and attractions, you can look forward to a full and fascinating itinerary in Italy.

With so much to see and look forward to, it is little wonder that Italy has become such a popular vacation destination for people worldwide.

Here’s A Look At The Best Places To Visit In Italy:

• ROME

There is really no other city quite like Rome in the world. While Rome wants to be a modern 21 st century city, it is desperately trying to keep it historical ruins and monuments from crumbling. The city is really one large archaeological dig that continues to discover its 2,800 years of history. And preserving its past continues to be a monumental task for this city of 2.8 million people. To be able to walk through the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, where the likes of Romulus, Julius Caesar, and Nero once ruled, is a walk back in time.

In Rome, classical ruins and early Christian places of worship stand next to – or lie beneath – Renaissance Palazzos and Baroque fountains. But there are also great neighborhood trattorias, quirky shops and a buzzing aperitivo scene.

The city’s mild Mediterranean climate is another persuasive draw for visitors from the cool north, but the main draw will always be the pulsating energy of a place which lives life as a form of theatre.

• VENICE

One of the best places to visit in Italy, Venice is a unique city in that is built upon a lagoon surrounded by the Adriatic Sea. Located in northeastern Italy, Venice is an archipelago of 118 islands all connected by hundreds of beautiful bridges and scenic canals. Of the canals, the Grand Canal is most famous and divides the city into two sections. Picturesque waterways and historic architecture make Venice one of the most romantic cities in the world.

Venice is often crowded but well worth visiting to see its magnificent landmarks like Saint Mark’s Square and Basilica, Doge’s Palace and Rialto Bridge. One of the most popular things to do is to take a gondola ride along one of its many canals.

Venice never loses its capacity to enchant. There's a reason why it's popular: the sheer loveliness of an exquisite city that seems miraculously built on water. Did I mention that it’s also colorful, full of life, has amazing churches and museums, great seafood, amazing shopping, and is just one of the most fun places you’ll ever visit.

• FLORENCE

Florence is just right in so many ways. The city is just the right size to make it one of the most walkable cities in Italy. The centerpiece of Florence is without a doubt the magnificent Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, otherwise known as the Duomo, and it should not be missed. This city is the rightful birthplace of the Renaissance and is loaded with wonderful art, architecture, and some of the finest museums in the world, the Uffizi and the Galleria dell’ Accademia. Florence truly is of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Florence is one of Europe’s great art cities. There's so much exquisite art and architecture, it’s difficult to know where to start. But Florence is also a living city with a vibrant restaurant and nightlife scene, and a lively cultural movida that goes beyond old masters to embrace opera, classical music and contemporary art.

Handsome, historic, full of quirky shops and quality crafts, and close to the vine-covered hills of Chianti, it’s one of Europe’s most civilised long weekend destinations.

• MILAN

Italy’s fashion and design capital, Milan has an international cosmopolitan outlook, a vibrant food and drink scene and scores of hotels to suit all budgets. Historical edifices sit cheek-by-jowl with modern skyscrapers, while a number of the city’s buildings have spectacular interior courtyards that remain largely undiscovered. But what largely draws visitors is the city’s excellent shopping – designer stores line the Quadrilatero D’Oro district, while outlets, high street shops and boutiques are found in all corners of the city.

Nearly destroyed from heavy bombing during WWII, Milan has since reconstructed and now shines as one of the wealthiest cities in Europe. Widely regarded as a mega fashion center teeming in designer shops, Milan also attracts many to its surviving world famous treasures like Leonardo da Vinci’s painting, The Last Supper, the La Scala Opera House, the Castello Sforzesco and one of the world’s largest Gothic cathedral.

Nonetheless, Milan sometimes appears less Italian compared to the country’s predominantly historic cities and more of a glamorous city with modern architecture.

• TUSCANY

Italy’s most famous region, Tuscany conjures images of beautiful rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees. The many pleasures of Tuscany include tasting wine in Chianti, simply relaxing in hill towns such as San Gimignano or exploring Renaissance art in Florence . The medieval city of Siena also holds excellent works of art while its historic center is one of the most popular places to visit in Italy. Elba, the largest of several Tuscan islands, offers great beaches while Pisa is world-famous for its Leaning Tower.

In so many other parts of the world, culture is an optional extra, something you do in your spare time. In Tuscany, it’s at the root of everything – though not in an elitist way. A Piero della Francesca fresco exudes the spirit of a region that has long spent its money on beauty and quality. But so does a bowl of ribollita soup, made with seasonal cavolo nero and served with a spiral of just-pressed olive oil.

Tuscany also combines fierce pride and care for detail with unpretentious, down-to-earth manners, and it has a collection of handsome art-filled, historic towns with more than enough to see, do, eat and drink to fill a long weekend.

• SCILLY

The largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily is an autonomous region of Italy that also includes several smaller isles. It is separated from the mainland region of Calabria by the 5 km (2 miles) Straits of Messina. Home to every great Mediterranean civilization, Sicily is rich in art and history; from Agrigento’s Valley of the Temples to Palermo’s Baroque churches. The island’s most striking geological feature is Mount Etna, Europe’s tallest active volcano.

Often overlooked by visitors for the more popular destinations farther north, Sicily is a world of its own and is a great reason to visit Italy. With an extraordinary combination of Greek temples, Norman churches, Roman mosaics, and classic Baroque towns, Sicily is a melting pot of cultures reflecting thousands of years of foreign occupation.

From the beautiful scenery of Taormina to the wonderfully preserved Temples of Agrigento and the magnificent Cathedral of Monreale, Sicily has so much to offer those who venture to the island.

• Cinque Terre

Meaning “Five Lands,” Cinque Terre comprises the five villages of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Monterosso and Corniglia. Located in Italy’s northwestern coastal region of Liguria, the villages of Cinque Terre feature some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes that include steep cliff sides and wine terraces dating back to hundreds of years.

Among its many gems, Cinque Terre boasts a centuries-old complex of hiking paths that offer some of Italy’s most stunning coastal views. The Blue Trail is a paved trail connecting all five of the villages and is suitable for all ages.

The pace here is laid back and that is how the locals prefer it. There are no resorts, only apartments, and small hotels. And if you love seafood, then you have certainly come to the right place. Tourism, fishing, and farming the terraced hillsides are the only industries here. If you want to see one of the most beautiful coastlines in the world, then add Cinque Terre to your list of must-see places.

These are just few of some really fantastic places to visit or spend your vacation in Italy.
I hope have convinced You to consider a trip to Italy, it's going to be an amazing experience rest assured.