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Aosta’s Marché Vert Noël transforms Roman‑era streets and squares into a winter village dotted with timber chalets. You’ll find woollens, woodcarving and mountain flavours, along with hot chocolate and mulled…
Bressanone’s Christmas Market unfolds beneath the cathedral towers on Piazza Duomo, with wooden huts selling artisan gifts, tree decorations and regional delicacies. Expect choirs, brass bands and a leisurely, family‑friendly…
Arezzo’s ‘Città del Natale’ spreads festive cheer across the city with markets, light shows, a big wheel and weekend events. The headline Tyrolean‑style market in Piazza Grande brings wooden chalets…
Merano pairs alpine scenery with belle‑époque elegance, and its Christmas Market makes the most of both. Rows of cosy huts line the Passer river, with warming mulled wine, Südtiroler specialities…
Set across Piazza Fiera and Piazza Battisti, Trento’s Christmas Market is one of northern Italy’s most atmospheric. Wooden chalets brim with alpine crafts, locally cured meats and cheeses, and Trentino…
Italy’s coastline is celebrated for its beauty, history and variety, stretching thousands of kilometres from the dramatic cliffs of Liguria to the wide sandy shores of Sardinia. Hidden among these…
While I’ve been fortunate enough to travel extensively, Italy continues to hold a special place in my heart. Ever since tasting gazpacho (I know it’s Spanish) made with sun-ripened Ischian…
New EU travel rules for UK citizens will commence from 12 October 2025 under the Entry/Exit System (EES), which acts as a digital replacement for passport stamping, in one of…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise visit the Sicilian Capital Palermo to unearth much of its history and the nearby countryside. We had fond memories of our first visit to Sicily…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise review the Adler Spa Resort on their trip to Sicily in Italy and discover it to be a shining light for sustainability. On a lovely…
Travel Begins at 40 has produced its own brief round-up of the best festivals in August around the world from Colombia to Nevada and Utah to Notting Hill. Cultural Festivals…
Whether you call it the carnival, Mardi Gras or simply a fête, the approach of Lent brings with it a wonderful explosion of colour and exuberance. Travel Begins at 40…
Travel Begins at 40 rounds up the best festivals in February 2025 across the Globe, from Mongolia to Easter Island, so wherever you are you just can’t help celebrating the…
When you think of Italy perhaps it’s the centuries of culture or the wonderful cuisine that first springs to mind. Or perhaps the breath-taking scenery. But what of the many…
On her family Naples city break, Maria Boyle discovers you bypass the southern Italian city at your peril. “This is the most undiscovered city in Europe and also the coolest,”…
Roger Hermiston and Eileen Wise stay at Il Relais Castelvecchio while enjoying a Verona city break in Italy’s most pleasant city. With its majestic Roman amphitheatre hosting spectacular floodlit opera, its…
On her recent visit to Verona Italy, Judith Schrut found much, much more to love beyond those star-crossed lovers. I love, adore and have a massive soft spot for Italy…
Head for Italy’s ‘heel’ with Judith Schrut as she shares delights and highlights from her recent cycling trip in Puglia, deep in Italy’s sunny south. Whether you’re an Easy Rider…
Images from packed airports demonstrate the desire to wander has lost none of its lustre during the last couple of years. If you are looking to go on holiday next…
Sicily Italy, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, boasts a rich history, stunning landscapes and delicious cuisine. It’s no wonder that many travellers dream of visiting this beautiful Italian…
Travel Begins at 40 has scanned the globe to collate our tips on where to go in April from Argentina to Mozambique, and from Washington DC to Yangon. If March…
Fancy running a marathon in one of the most beautiful cities in the world? Then the Rome marathon could be the very race for you. Along with Berlin, London and…
Along with the Venice Carnival, the Viareggio Carnival or Carnevale di Viareggio is one of the largest carnivals in Italy. Held in the Tuscan…
Mark Bibby Jackson goes stargazing and trekking in Trentino in the Italian Alps, and visits the Forest of Violins as well as Trento Italy. It was 5.45 am when Arild…
The birthplace of the Renaissance with its rich artistic inheritance, together with its Greco-Roman and medieval architecture, not to mention its contemporary, buzzing bar and restaurant scene, Italy is a must to visit.
The richness of the culture in the major Italian cities, world famous for galleries, sculptures and opera houses, is unparalleled. Venture forth on your own using the excellent and cheap train network and explore such idyllic places as Umbria, Tuscany, the Italian Lakes and the Amalfi Coast. There is something about the quality of daylight on the understated painted houses that is unique to Italy. You could even visit Sicily with its many historic attractions and take a Camilleri novel with you and pretend that you are Inspector Montalbano.
Italian food is renowned the world over. As is common in every country, there are regional variations with hearty dishes in the Dolomites to sustain the hikers, steak Florentine (T-Bone to the uninitiated) in Florence and surrounding areas, Sienna perhaps? The stunning medieval town of Perugia is famous for its truffles. Further south, when in Naples you have to try the pizza margherita with buffalo mozzarella.
Milan Opera House is well known to all opera lovers, but a particularly enjoyable classic holiday is to stay on Lake Garda and then visit the opera held every summer in the amphitheatre in Verona. If this is too pricey, do not despair as many Italian waiters have operatic voices and visitors are often serenaded in restaurants.
