Best places to visit in Italy: Sensational cities & sights

The best places to visit in Italy range from historic cities to charming coastal villages. A country of great diversity, Italy is famed for its mouth-watering cuisine and passionate culture. Of course, a trip to Italy will no doubt focus on its incredible artistic heritage, best experienced in the eternal city of Rome or fascinating Florence. Read on to discover the best cities to visit in Italy!

Rome

The Italian capital, Rome is a smorgasbord of monumental sights and relics of an eternal culture. Home to the Colosseum, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, Rome is a sightseers paradise. From the Trevi Fountain to the Parthenon, a trip to Rome invites you to trace thousands of years of history. Of course, the chance to lay eyes on the works of Da Vinci and Michelangelo draws art-lovers from around the globe. On the other hand, Rome is the spiritual home of the Roman Catholic Church and a visit to the Vatican City is an unmissable highlight. Stretching across seven hills, Rome is a city of many faces. From the ancient core to the grandiose Baroque-era architecture, there’s much to discover here.

Florence

A treasure trove of artistic delights, Florence is one of the best places to visit in Italy for culture-lovers. If you want to encounter some of the world’s most important masterpieces, Florence is a must-visit. Here you’ll find an innumerable amount of museums, galleries and palaces. Once a flourishing center of European trade, Florence was the cradle of the Italian Renaissance.

The Duomo Cathedral, Vecchio Bridge and Vecchio Palace are the premier sights in this Italian city. But many travel to Florence just to pay a visit to its world-renowned Uffizi Gallery. Located in the historic center, the gallery contains many priceless works of Renaissance art. These include Boticelli’s The Birth of Venus, Michelangelo’s The Holy Family as well as works by Leonardo Da Vinci, Titian and Raphael, to name just a few! Surely this rich artistic heritage makes Florence one of the best cities to visit in Italy.

Venice

The ‘City of Bridges’, nothing says romance like a trip to Venice. A city filled with winding waterways and canals, this unique destination is one of the most beautiful cities in Italy. Famously built across a group of more than 100 islands, Venice offers atmosphere and charm in abundance. From grand palaces and basilicas to dimly lit alleyways and hidden courtyards, this city is made for exploring. Although you might get a little lost along the way, that’s when the fun begins as you discover the local bars, elegant boutiques and mouth-watering eateries away from the tourist trail.

The most exciting sights here include the showstopping St Mark’s Basilica, the Rialto Bridge and the iconic Ducale Palace. Most tours of Venice begin in its elegant St. Mark’s Square, but venture off the beaten path and you’ll find all manner of loveable quirks in Italy’s most enigmatic city. Get around by water taxi or splurge on a gondola ride for the quintessential Venetian experience!

Naples

Venture south of Rome and you’ll come to Naples, in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius. Sometimes overlooked, Naples holds the key to an authentic Italian experience. The birthplace of pizza, Naples is a foodie paradise. Mouth-watering aromas greet you around every turn. As does the faded elegance of Naples’ grandiose Baroque-era architecture, a relic of its days as the capital of the Kingdom of Naples. Filled with sightseeing treasures, its historic center is protected by UNESCO. Undoubtedly, one of the liveliest, most vibrant and friendly cities in Italy, Naples is a must-visit if you want to delve deeper into the Neapolitan culture.

Of course, one of the best places to visit in Italy is just a stone’s throw away from the city: Pompeii. Frozen in time, the ruins of this Roman city are just another reason to visit Naples.

Amalfi Coast

A stretch of coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Amalfi Coast is a rainbow palette of hillside villages, fishing ports, turquoise bays and verdant forests. The most photogenic destination in Italy, here you can saunter in the footsteps of the jet-set, who’ve long adored this idyllic corner of Italy for its tranquil setting and stylish, cliff-hugging towns. Glamorous Positano, verdant Ravello, historic Amalfi and tranquil Sorrento are just a handful of the most popular places to visit on the Amalfi Coast.

A protected UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Amalfi Coast represents Mediterranean living at its most idyllic. Explore the region by boat to discover paradise covers and dazzling perspectives of cliff-hugging villages. Alternatively, explore the scenic coastal walking trails which connect the different towns. Undoubtedly, one of the best places to visit in Italy for a stylish, laid-back getaway.

Tuscany

A region in the west of the country, Tuscany is a haven of soul-stirring landscapes, rolling hills dotted with rustic farmhouses and Renaissance culture. The regional capital is Florence, known for its rich artistic heritage, but the verdant countryside, awash with vineyards and medieval villages, invite travelers to escape to a simpler time. In fact, Tuscany is one of the most visited regions in the country.

You cannot mention a trip to Tuscany without highlighting its mouth-watering cuisine. Tuscan food is delicious, rustic and worth traveling for. From humble farmhouse fare to the fanciful food of Florence’s upmarket eateries, Tuscany is famed for its fresh, quality produce. Producing brilliant varieties of Chianti, wine also plays an integral role in Tuscan culture. So, if you want to dive into the authentic flavours of Italian cuisine and experience a slower pace of life, Tuscany is one of the best places to visit in Italy.

Cinque Terre

A string of coastal villages, Cinque Terre is one of the best places to visit in Italy. Situated on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, Cinque Terre is composed of five colorful fishing villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. In fact, the area is protected within the Cinque Terre National Park. Expect breathtaking sea views and some of the most photogenic landscapes in the country. Furthermore, the well-preserved architecture and the isolated nature of these charming villages mean you can experience an authentic Italian fairytale if you visit Cinque Terre.

So, are you ready to explore Italy? Find your dream getaway and live the Dolce Vita with Exoticca’s tours of Italy:

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