It’s not easy to believe that long ago, instead of the lush green Lessinia Regional Park we see today, the area was covered with a warm sea rich in tropical flora and fauna.Today, the 100 kilometer square protected area is an eco and adventure travelers’ dream with tons of adventure activities available all year […]
Florence, Italy
A 16th-century man from Florence, Bernardo Buontalenti, an architect and painter with a passion for cooking, is believed to have invented ice cream, which was then exported all over Europe with the famous “crema fiorentina” and “gelato Buontalenti”. So it is no wonder that Florence hosted the 1st Anuual Firenze Gelato Festival! The festival was […]
Poppy Fields of Italy
The sight of a field of bright, blood-red poppies exploding in mass under the Italian sun is truly one to behold and one I won’t soon forget. The poppy fields of Italy are truly a spectacular sight to see! An ancient Roman legend explains, rather romantically, how the poppy adopted the name ‘Corn’ Poppy. According […]
Bergamo: An Architectural Tour of the Two-Tiered City
Bergamo is a two-tiered city made up of the Citta Alta (upper city) and Citta Bassa (lower city), with the two parts connected by a funicular or by a winding footpath along the city’s defensive walls. Citta Alta is surrounded by 17th century cyclopic defensive walls, fortified by the Venetian Republic. Piazza Vecchia is the […]
Seeing the Shroud of Turin in Torino, Italy
Torino, site of the 2006 Winter Olympics, is located on the left bank of the Po River. Aside from being a city of porticos, Torino is also well known as the home of the Shroud of Turin. The Shroud of Turin is a centuries old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man; […]
Valle d’Aosta, Italy
Upon crossing under Mont Blanc through the Mont Blanc Tunnel from France into Italy, you enter the region known as Valle d’Aosta. In 1031-1032 Humbert I of Savoy, the founder of the House of Savoy, received the title Count of Aosta from the Emperor Conrad II of the Franconian line and built himself a commanding […]
3 Must Visit Towns on Lake Como
In 1818 Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote to Thomas Love Peacock: “This lake exceeds anything I ever beheld in beauty, with the exception of the arbutus islands of Killarney. It is long and narrow, and has the appearance of a mighty river winding among the mountains and the forests”. Undoubtedly romantic and beautiful, there’s a reason […]
Conegliano
Conegliano is a town in the Veneto region of Italy and home to the oldest and most prestigious wine school in Italy. The region is well know for its wines, such as Prosecco, Cartizze, and Raboso and other wines which go well together with the regional specialties: rabbit, grilled meat, chicory, polenta, and some cheeses […]
Miles of Cross Country Ski Trails at Dobbiaco
Lago Dobbiaco is nestled in the picturesque Dolomites on the Italy/Austria border. Dobbiaco, Toblach in German, is a city in the Trentino-Alto Adige region of Italy. Every year, Dobbiaco hosts an annual Balloon Festival. We missed it by a weekend, but there were still a few balloons in the air. Cross country ski trails abound […]
Festa della Zucca
The Festa della Zucca is held every year in Venzone, Italy. The historical town center transforms into a Medieval town with fire eaters and dancing. The streets are lit by torches and candles, and are peopled by nobles, knights and ladies, innkeepers and tavern keepers, shopkeepers and merchants.The shops are decorated with pumpkins and gastronomic […]