Lonely Planet Italy (Travel Guide)

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During the Corsa degli Zingari, hundreds of hardy runners hurtle barefoot around stony mountain paths near the small Abruzzo town of Pacentro. But it’s all worth it to see something clever, unexpected or beautiful in a hidden corner of Milan, from a former factory to an ancient cloister.

mile Sentiero Azzurro, an old mule path, is the Cinque Terre’s showcase hike: narrow and precipitous but offering spectacular coastal scenery. Well, I just double checked my Naples and the Amalfi Coast LP guide book as well as my Italy one - lo and behold - plenty of hotel recommendations.Between 6:30am and 10pm, one to three trains an hour trundle along the coast between Genoa and La Spezia, stopping at each of Cinque Terre's villages. The Italian Riviera is not short of rugged coastline or romantic towns and villages, but the five fishing communities of the Cinque Terre are its most iconic highlight. It’s not uncommon to wake up on a spring or summer morning and find everything outside dusted in sand, particularly in Italy’s south.

The Renaissance was a lucrative period for builders as palaces sprang up across the country, from Vicenza and Mantua to Ferrara, Urbino (pictured) and Florence. Italy: Rome, Turin, the Cinque Terre, Genoa, Milan, Venice, Verona, Bologna, Parma, Florence, Pisa, Naples, Bari, Sicily, Sardinia and more! There’s exhilarating year-round sport to be enjoyed, or you can keep it relaxed and take to the country’s back roads to luxuriate in the superlative scenery that unfurls before you at every turn.Hidden in this mountainous land, Foresta Umbra, an ancient forest of centuries-old beech trees, offers a variety of hiking opportunities.

In February and March, the ski slopes in the Valle d’Aosta are stunning and there’s no shortage of opportunities for organising ski trips. Many hilltop towns put on evocative medieval festivities during the year, often to celebrate a patron saint or commemorate a historic event. scusa (skoo-za) or more formally, scusi (skoo-zi), is ‘excuse me’ when you want to attract attention. Osteria Francescana The Modena restaurant of superstar chef Massimo Bottura promises gourmet fireworks. On top of the peninsula sits Monte Sant'Angelo, a Unesco World Heritage Site and a famous pilgrimage site to St Michael the Archangel sanctuary, built inside an old karst cave.

Many businesses are family-owned, having been passed down through the generations, while others have grown from modest origins to become global brands known for their classic designs and quality workmanship. For fans of water sports, there are thrills and spills to be had diving in limpid azure waters, white-water river rafting and kayaking to far-flung marine grottos. Eurochocolate Perugia’s medieval centre sets the stage for the city’s October homage to all things chocolate. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu.