Italy

Italy- it definitely deserves its nickname- the Bel Paese (the Beautiful Country). It is not without a reason that many people are in love with this amazing country. Known as the birthplace of the Western culture, it hosts not only art and monuments, beautiful coastline, lakes and mountains. It is famous for its cuisine, wines, fashion and so much more. Every region, every island and town has its own sprint and is one of a kind.

A couple of years ago I was not that impressed by Italy. I could not understand other people who were saying that they can go back to Italy over and over again. Maybe it was because of age or simply because I haven’t been to enough places. It was a trip to Pisa two years which changes my mind- I really fell in love with it. Since then we had made more than 5 trips to Italy and with every next one we are getting more and more obsessed with it. As every place has its own charm and spirit, we will split the impressions in several posts.

Lili’s good-to-know tips when travelling to Italy:

You cannot see everything from Italy in just one go. Every region, every town has its own charm and deserves your attention
The trains in Italy are very reliable and a good way of transportation. Here is the link to Trenitalia where you can book your tickets
Parking and driving in general can be a challenge in most Italian towns
In most towns the restaurants close in the afternoon or they do not serve pizza. Better have this in mind in order to manage your expectations

What to expect in this section dedicated to Italy?

As I mentioned above, a good way to explore Italy is splitting it into weekend trips (for more ideas about weekend escapes, follow the link). Here are the towns/ regions for which you can read more detailed posts:

Sicily– an amazing island with a volcano, very suitable for summer holidays
Puglia– the charming southern region of Italy, mostly famous for the cute Alberobello, but not only. Locorotondo, Ostuni and Polignano a mare are other beautiful towns in the region. Two articles describe the main places of interest in the region- Alberobello and Lcorotondo and Ostuni, Polignano a mare and Bari.
Bologna– the students’ town offering good options for summer vacation nearby and also a visit to a new country- San Marino
Rome– the eternal city, one of the most visited towns in the world
Pisa– the place of the famous tilted tower, but also the closest airport to the charming Cinque terre