Travel Guide Italy

Despite the fact that Italy eliminated Germany from the 2006 Soccer World championship, it is still one of the most popular travel destinations of Germans.  The reason – Italy stands for the essence of life enjoyment.

The Motherland of the Dolce Vita allures visitors with gorgeous beaches on the Adriatic Sea, the Riviera, or on its Islands such as Sardinia and Capri; its shopping possibilities in the fashion capitals Milan and Rome leave nothing left to desire, and doesn’t just invite vacationers for a relaxing cup of cappuccino on many a street corner. 

A change from shopping and beaches is offered by the many museums, archaeological excavation sites (amongst them cultural highlights of Italy from the late mid-evil times and the Renaissance).

The selection of travel destinations in northern Italy alone is enormous:  Verona, Bologna, Ferrara, Ravenna, Vicenza, Parma, Mantua, Bergamo, and, of course, Venice.

A must see for every visitor to Italy is Tuscany.  With its snow-covered mountains, rich, green countryside, fantastic rolling hills, sandy beaches and numerous coastal islands it allures visitors from all over the world. 

Florence and Rome are two of Italy’s leading art cities today.  As many artworks as are found in close proximity here, are found in no other region of the country.  However, other cities of Tuscany harbor world-famous artworks and buildings: the Dome of Siena, the Frescoes of Piero della Francesca in Arezzo, and the Geschlechtertuerme in San Gimignano, just to name a few.

Sports and nature are combined perfectly in Italy.  The hillsides and mountains of the Dolomites are great for hiking and bicycling.  The Italian Alps offer vacationers nearly perfect skiing conditions and have been the choice site for the Olympic Winter Games several times.  The regions of Piemonte and Val d’Aosta are home to some of the highest mountains and most beautiful ski areas of Europe.

The numerous mountain streams and spectacular lakes of northern Italy, such as the Lago Maggiore, the Lago di Como, and the Windsurfing Mecca Lago di Garda offer pretty much any sport requiring even a drop of water. 

The coastal area Cinque Terre, located between Genoa and La Spezia is a paradise for hikers.  And Elba is not only the place to which Napoleon was sent for exile, but also one of the most charming islands in the Mediterranean Sea.

An Italy vacation may also be spend under the sign of wine.  Countless Wine Routes invite vacationers to explore the picturesque vineyards and visit the traditional wineries.  The prosecco route in Venetia, the Marsala route in Sicily, the Bardolio route on Lake Garda, or the Tuscanian Strada del Vino Nobile die Montepuciano should not be missed, even by the not wine-knowledgeable.