Itineraries
Trip ideas
Imperial Capri
The emperors Augustus and Tiberius made an important contribution to the history of the island of Capri. This itinerary is a journey through time, exploring what remains of the imperial villas. The history of Roman Capri starts in 29 B.C., year in which Octavian, the future emperor Augustus, first visited the island. Legend has it that a dying plant was miraculously brought...
Venice: city of art and culture
The city of Venice has for centuries been synonymous with great art, music and festivals. The city however has not only a wealth of historical culture and tradition, as exemplified in the Carnival and the Fenice Opera House, but also strong links with the contemporary world in, for example, the Peggy Guggenheim Museum and the Biennale Festivals. Sited in the Palazzo Venier...
The sea beyond the strait of Messina
From Reggio Calabria and the Italian mainland, a short journey by ferry and we arrive in Sicily, in Messina, city where one of the greatest artists of the 15th century was born, Antonio di Giovanni de Antonio, better known as Antonello da Messina. His magnificent San Giorgio Polyptic is housed in Messina's Peloritano Museum, the same museum in which Caravaggio's...
Fortini e sentieri
Guarding the Gulf of Naples, Capri has always been strategically valuable. There are many fortresses, lookout posts and castles on the island. Three ancient lookout posts on the western coast, above the coves of Anacapri, were fortified by Hudson Lowe during the British occupation of the island between 1806 and 1808, (this was the time of the Napoleonic Wars when the British...
The islands of the Gulf of Naples
Both Ischia and Procida belong to the group of volcanic islands in the Bay of Naples known as the Phlegrean islands. Ischia, the largest of all the islands within the Gulf, is characterised by scenery of an extraordinary beauty, largely unaltered by the presence of man. With its abundance of thermal springs and volcanic mud, the island is a spa goer's paradise. The...
The Golden Mile
The black giant rises up in the distance, completely dominating the landscape. The artistic and natural wonders to be found along the coast beneath Vesuvius are guaranteed to astound the visitor: the best way to explore the area is, without doubt, to follow the ancient Via Regia di Portici, also known as the Strada del "Miglio d'Oro" or "Golden Mile"...
The Riviera of Molise
Although Italy's almost landlocked Molise region has only a tiny section of coast, each and every one of its 35 kms of shoreline is home to quite magnificent sandy white beaches. We start our journey at Petacciato Marina, and the Torre Ramitelli, where to admire one of the symbols of this coastline: the "trabucchi". These unique constructions, suspended above the...
Rome: an ancient city striding in to the future
Rome: archaeological city par excellence, strewn with the traces of a glorious past. Our journey across the imperial city starts at the northern most gate, the Porta del Popolo, from where we head towards the Via del Corso, past the old river port of Ripetta and the elegant Villa Medici as far as Piazza del Popolo and the Egyptian obelisk brought to Rome during the reign of...
Santa Croce, heart of Florence
We start our tour of Florence's Santa Croce district on the city's Ponte Vecchio, the famous bridge lined with jewellers shops which traverses the river Arno. In 1565 Cosimo I commissioned Giorgio Vasari to find a way of uniting the Palazzo Vecchio with Palazzo Pitti, buildings situated on opposite sides of the river. Thus, the Corridorio Vasariano was created: an elevated...
On the mountains of the Gran Sasso
Before entering the National Park of the Gran Sasso, we stop off at Castelli, where to admire an art form which has prospered in this area since the 15th century when the Benedictine monks conscientiously worked the mixture of water and clay so as to transform it in to exquisite pieces of ceramic. Approximately 1km from the town of Castelli, visitors have the opportunity to...
Val Gardena, a skier's paradise
Surrounded by the mountains of Sassolungo and Sella, nestling amidst woods of quite extraordinary beauty, lies the Val Gardena, one of the most-loved tourist destinations of Italy's Trentino. Those choosing the mountains of Val Gardena for their holiday, whether for a leisurely summer vacation or invigorating winter break, have the opportunity to partake in all sorts of...
San Giovanni and the magic of Florence
A tour of Florence, a city home to a quite incredible number of the world's most important works of art and architecture, is the prefect introduction to the cultural and artistic foundations of modern day Italy. Our tour of the Tuscan capital commences at the city's S.Maria Novella railway station, from where we head to the nearby Piazza San Govanni and Florence Cathedral,...
From the Patriarchates to the Renaissance
The name Grado comes from the Latin gradus, meaning port. The Romans founded this city on the sea, and equipped it with an impressive military outpost. Today, the ancient castrum corresponds to the lively town center, which conserves the Venetian urban plan formed by narrow waterways and small squares. The Basilica of Sant'Eufemia, which served as the cathedral of the...
The Karst, uniting nature's boundaries
Our exploration of Italy's Karst area (Carso in Italian) begins in Piazza Oberdan, in Trieste. From here we take the funicular railway in the direction of Sistiana. After half an hour travelling across a breathtaking landscape, we arrive at Villa Opicina from where to enjoy the 5 km walk along the panoramic pathway known as the Napoleonica. Returning to Villa Opicina, we...
The Brenta Dolomites
The road which cuts through the heart of the Brenta Dolomites commences at Tione di Trento and terminates in Madonna di Campiglio, the elite mountain resort which for centuries has been the chosen retreat of both Italian and international celebrities. The journey is brief but punctuated with a great number of places to visit, all immersed in a landscape of breathtaking...
Milan, shopping and art
Milan is one of Europe's most fascinating and exciting cities and hosts two massive international trade fares but much from its past has been preserved. The old centre resembles a spider's web, at the heart of which is the monumental cathedral, The "Duomo, the second biggest in Italy after St. Peter's in Rome. Started in 1386, the building was not, in fact, completed...
Castello: the magic of Venice’s largest district
For those wishing to experience an authentic slice of Venice, the city's Castello district is the ideal place where to start. Castello is situated on the eastern side of the city, bordering the districts of Cannaregio and San Marco. Bereft of the ostentatiously ornamental palaces which characterise many of Venice's streets, Castello is, rather, home to a great number of...
St Mark’s, the wonder of Venice
The city's smallest district, San Marco is home to Venice's most important political and religious institutions. St Mark's Square, which tells the tale of some 15 centuries of man's artistic endeavours, is surrounded by a wealth of imposing monuments and elegant palazzi. A splendid open air drawing room, the square is the chosen venue for all the most important events held...
Lake Como and its villas
Breathtaking, inspiring terrain and an apparently unending string of palatial villas typify Lake Como. Begin the tour of the lake by taking the old "Strada Regina", stopping first at Cernobbio. Here the splendid Villa Erba, the childhood home of the film director, Visconti, stands, facing the lake, amidst vast grounds. A medieval town, Cernobbio is a favourite...
Florence and the treasures of Chianti
Florence: a treasure chest brimming with artistic masterpieces. Symbol of the Tuscan capital and the spiritual heart of the city, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore with its majestic dome designed by Brunelleschi dominates the historic center. Next to the cathedral there is the bell tower, realised by the great 14th century painter Giotto, and considered by many to be...
The Crete Senesi and the Argentario
Long avenues of cypress trees, centuries old olive groves, and great expanses of vines which cover the hills and valleys with a soft carpet of intense color. We are in the heart of Tuscany, in the midst of a marvellous landscape where the historic city of Siena rises up supreme. Built on three hills, the Cathedral and Santa Maria dominate the cityscape. The things to see are...
From Rapallo to Sestri Levante
The bay of San Michele di Pagana lies tucked behind a bend in the panoramic coastal road which from Santa Margherita leads to Rapallo. The village's Prelo beach is sheltered by Pagana point, a woody promontory on which to find one of the few Saracen Towers to have survived the passage of time intact. Embedded in a green crown of the hills, Rapallo is situated just 2kms from...
Arab Settlements and Doric Temples in Sicily
Palermo is a city which almost inevitably gives the tourist wandering through its ancient streets the impression of being immersed in a film set. The vibrant market of Vucciria is the symbol of old Palermo, where the air is filled with the intoxicating scents of the Mediterranean. Passing through the doors of the city's cathedral or those of the church of San Giovanni degli...
The Logudoro area: from Sassari to Berchidda
In order to reach Olbia, from Sassari we take the SS131, road which winds its way through the part of Northern Sardinia known as the Logudoro, a territory still miraculously untouched by mass tourism. Here the land is exceptionally fertile thanks to the volcanic soil and the waters of the artificial lake Coghnias, a large expanse of water resulting from the damming of the...
Art, nature, and jazz
Perugia is the cultural and historical heart of Umbria which for the last 30 years has played an increasingly important role on the international music scene as host city for the "Umbria Jazz" festival. Miles Davis, Satn Gets, Dizzy Gillespie, Keith Jarrett, and Sting are just some of the performers to have graced the stage of this world famous music review....
A Journey along Sardinia’s celebrated Emerald Coast
Destination: Emerald Coast. An itinerary which winds its way along one of Italy's most beautiful coastlines, through a landscape of immense natural beauty, which has been elected favourite summer playground of the rich and famous. The first part of our journey takes us to one of the region's most important archaeological sites, the massive prehistoric stone alter of Mount...
From Positano to Vietri: a succession of sinuous curves
The Amalfi Coast is a unique place, where time seems to assume a quite different dimension. A stretch of coast dotted with thirteen towns, each of which, for centuries, has attracted a steady flow of the most illustrious visitors: from venerated artists and politicians to the most glamorous members of the international jet-set. Travelling along the SS163 highway,...
Wind and fire: the vital essences of the Aeolian Islands
Known as "the home of the winds", the islands of the Aeolian Archipelago now have few permanent inhabitants but are a favourite haunt in season of many tourists, drawn here by the myriad beaches and azure waters. Listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, the islands are all volcanoes, each of a different age and having unique characteristics. All, except two, are...
The art and mountains of the Susa Valley
As you leave Turin on the SS25 road you enter the Susa Valley. The road traces the whole length of the valley, gradually climbing up through the mountain. After 15 kilometres you come to the monastery and hospital complex of St. Antonio di Raverso, founded in 1186 and enlarged during the 13th and 14th centuries. You can see frescos by Giacomo Jaquerio and an early polyptic...
Romanesque Art of Puglia
Puglia is the region of Southern Italy which boasts the greatest number of buildings from the Romanesque period: a time when a succession of magnificent churches and cathedrals were erected from the north to the south of the region, cathedrals such as those of Trani and Otranto and Sanctuaries such as that of San Michele Arcangelo in Monte S. Angelo. "La...
Featured Hotels
Grand Hotel Excelsior Vittoria
5 stars - Sorrento. The long history of the Excelsior Vittoria is reflected in the unique fin-de-siècle style of...
La Minerva
4 stars - Capri. Small charming hotel in a central, quiet and panoramic position. Recently renovated.
Special offers
Airport Transfer Package
The Inn at the Roman Forum - Roma
Airport Transfer Package benefits to be added on your room cost special pick up and drop off...
Week in July-September
Hotel Alfonso a Mare - Praiano - Furore
Special offer Standard room Half board: Euro 80 per person Bed & Breakfast: Euro 60 per person
"Shopping and relax" package
Grand Hotel Quisisana - Capri
Enjoy shopping at fabulous Capri boutiques while taking care of yourself with good food and...
