Lonely Planet Italy (Travel Guide)

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As an unapologetic history buff, I’m continually enthralled by the wildly rich history here. From the ancient Celts who built stone circles 3000 years ago to the Yugoslavia era that shaped most of the 20th century, I’m gripped by the country’s past – as I watch it stride into the newly Schengen-zoned, Euro-using future. Most Tuscan tours begin in the Unesco-listed city of Florence, a cinematic feast of Renaissance palazzi (palaces), medieval-frescoed chapels and art museums brimming with Botticelli and Michelangelo masterpieces.

River banks offer the perfect conditions for cycling. Rome, known for its infamous traffic, has a 32km-long path for cyclists, running along the Tiber river through the city center. Tuscany is slowly completing its Ciclovia dell’Arno, which will follow the region’s largest river East to West across 270km, and the VENTO project – aiming to connect Venice with Turin via a 705km path along the Po river – has been in the works for more than a decade. This island just across the water from Burano is where Venice began. The first island of the lagoon to be settled, and then a bustling early medieval boomtown, today Torcello is a haunting place of around a dozen inhabitants, and one big draw: the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, the vast church which dominated the north lagoon for centuries. Still visible from the airport, its interior sparkles with Byzantine-style mosaics from the 11th century. It’s pure magic. Forget Titian and Tiepolo – for many, Tintoretto is Venice’s greatest artist of all time. His finest paintings fill two floors of the vast Scuola Grande di San Rocco, one of Venice’s many scuole (lay confraternities that did charity work in the community), including the ceiling. They were decorated by Tintoretto to celebrate the end of the 1576 plague, which wiped out a third of the city. Comprehensive selection of maps throughout and beautiful full-colour photography to inspire you as you plan your unforgettable journeyIt’s also a brilliant example of a modern museum: the information panels, redone in 2022, contextualize the art and teach you about Venetian life, from the poor conditions for house staff to arranged marriages and the banning of homosexuality.

Italy’s prized island collection hovers around the 450 mark, meaning il bel paese ("the beautiful country") has a beach-laced island with your name on it. Myriad islands dot the Mediterranean, Ionian, Adriatic and Tyrrhenian Seas. Venice alone is made up of 17 islands, and Sicily and Sardinia – the country’s biggest and busiest islands – offer an enticing mix of outdoor thrills and living history. Everyone who visits Venice wants to see the Rialto Bridge, the flouncy white crossing over the Grand Canal made of gleaming Istrian stone. Yet what the bridge leads to is arguably just as interesting. There’s been a market on the western side of the bridge for over 1000 years – while it’s not the trading hub of centuries past, there’s still a lively fish market and a fruit and veg area too. Planning tip: Some of the churches have limited opening hours. When you get your pass, ask for the map of the churches – it also lists opening hours. 14. See Venice’s birthplace on Torcello Peaceful Cannaregio is worth a stroll for its tranquil canals lined with grand palazzos, and for the church of Madonna dell’Orto. This big barn of a place was Tintoretto’s neighborhood church – today he’s buried here, along with his artist children Domenico and Marietta, and its walls are covered with his paintings, as well as works by Titian, Palma il Giovane, and Cima da Conegliano.

Just over an hour's drive east of Rome, the little-known region of Abruzzo is a world apart from the big city, with wild, empty valleys and unspoiled mountain landscapes. From the capital take the A24 autostrada to Fonte Cerreto, from where it's a twisting climb up to Campo Imperatore, a highland plain overlooked by the Apennines' highest peak, Corno Grande (2,912m/9,553ft). Although all the Cinque Terre villages can be reached by car, you’ll need nerves of steel for the narrow, twisting cliff-edge roads. If you’re traveling with a car, leaving it in the nearby town of La Spezia is a smart move. There are secure parking facilities at the train station. Arriving in Cinque Terre by boat Insider scoop on the best festivals, secret hangouts, hidden locations, tantalising local food scene, and photo-worthy views It is important to know where you can and cannot drive. Roads in Italy are split into three main categories: roads referred to as strada normale are those that run through urban centers and have a speed limit ranging between 30 and 70km/h. All vehicles can drive here. Shop for swordfish heads and sweet ricotta pastries at Naples’ oldest market, ogle street art in the Centro Storico, admire Mt Vesuvius views from the Lungomare seafront, explore subterranean catacombs, then follow the lead of locals and join the after-dark passegiatta (promenade) on Via Chiaia. Whatever you do, count on drama 24/7. 4. Soak up the timeless beauty of Sicily