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Italy - Places to see and things to do.

Italy is one of the most romantic countries in the world and thus a favorite place for many tourists. It is situated on the Italian Peninsula in the southern part of Europe and has two large islands, Sardinia and Sicily. Italy is neighboring Switzerland and France, Slovenia and Austria. The country is surrounded by the Sardinian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea, as well as the Ionian, the Sicilian and the Adriatic Seas. It has two independent states within its territory, that of San Marino and Vatican City and one exclave outside its boundaries, in Switzerland. A democratic republic, Italy is a well-developed country and one of the founding members of the European Union. Home to many European cultures, Italy was the birthplace of the Renaissance period which changed Europe. Its capital is Rome, which is considered the very core of the Western civilization and is appointed for the seat of the Catholic Church and the residence of the Pope. One of the best visited countries in the world, Italy has a superb collection of cultural and historic sights, most of which included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. The other reasons that make so many people come here are the great and diverse nature featuring high mountains, numerous lakes and long coasts, the delicious cuisine and the world-class fashion.

The official language in the country is Italian, which is spoken by the majority of the people. English is widely understood in the large cities. Spanish and Romanian are also understtod and spoken as they are very close to the Italian. The population of Italy enumerates approximately fifty-seven million people. The national currency is the euro. Credit cards are acceptable but usually in the cities and not in the villages. VAT of 20 per cent is imposed on almost all goods. Italy is best to be visited during the spring and the autumn months, as in July and August the temperatures could be quite high. In August almost all Italians go on holiday, so this is bad period for visits. Italy is divided into four large regions. Northern Italy, which is the most densely, populated area and the most developed one, with cities like Verona and Venice, Milan and Bologna. It has breathtakingly beautiful landscapes like the Dolomites Mountains and the Italian Alps, as well as the Lake Como. Central Italy, which is a very green zone and a centre of art and history, with cities like Florence, Pisa, Siena and Lucca. Southern Italy is a place to relax, eat fantastic locally made ice-cream and explore various sights, which could be found in Naples and Pompeii. The fourth region features the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, but also Capri and Ischia, Elba and Procida, Aeolian and Aegadian Islands, Pantelleria and Tremiti. Italy has many large and small towns and villages, but the most famous cities as tourist destinations are nine and these include the capital Rome, the university town of Bologna, the Renaissance centre Florence, the port town of Genoa, the fashion capital Milan, the home of the best pizza Naples, the town of the Leaning Tower Pisa, the industrial city Torino and the romantic destination Venice. The rest of the tourist destinations include the islands of Ischia and Capri, the Vatican City and Lago di Garda, as well as the Italian Alps.

Italy can be entered in various ways. The fastest means of transport to the country is by plane. The national airline in Italy is Alitalia, though the country is serviced by almost all known air carriers and many low-cost airlines. The largest airports are in Milan, Rome, Bologna, Naples, Pisa, Venice and Turin. The railway network to Italy from the rest of Europe is very efficient. Railway connections are available from Austria, France, Croatia, Switzerland, Germany, Slovenia and Spain, Hungary and the Czech Republic. The bus service in Italy is well organized and bus tickets could be bought from all corner shops. The tickets could be used at any time as they are validated the moment the machine stamps them on entering the vehicle. Tourists will be better off with daily tickets or tickets for several days. The major cities have City Cards that allow traveling with the local public transportation and visit to various museums and galleries, as well as discounts in many shops and restaurants. Visiting Italy by car will be a comfortable and interesting experience. The country has a well-developed highway system, with most of the highways being paid. Drivers should be careful with the speed limits as there are several automatic systems to check the speeding, plus Highway Patrol. The speed limits are 130 km/h on highways, 110 km/h on freeways, 90 km/h on single-lane roads and 50 km/h inside the cities. Hitchhiking culture is not strange to Italy but is mainly related to the hippies and is mostly practiced during the summer in the tourist areas. A pleasant way to reach Italy is by boat. The country is accessed by several ferries that start from Albania and Montenegro, Croatia and Greece. Most of these ferries arrive to Ancona and Venice, Brindisi and Bari. Some ferries connected the Italian ports of Naples and Sicily to the harbors in North Africa.

Often referred to as the Eternal City, Rome is the capital of Italy and has so many attractions that are hard to be enumerated. The city of the seven hills is thought to have been founded by Romulus and Remus, mythical twin brothers that were raised by a mother wolf. Set on the Tiber River between the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Apennine Mountains, Rome was once the centre of the Roman Empire. Today, Rome is a vibrant metropolitan city that has population of 3.3 million people. An interesting fact is that in mid May for a period of seven to ten days most of the landmarks in Rome are open to visitors free of charge. The list of the must-sees in Rome is very long, so a careful planning of your stay is advisable. Here are some of the places that have to be seen. The Coliseum is one of the symbols of Italy. There is a ticket which allows entry to the Coliseum and the Palatine Hill across it which has the ruins of several large villas that used to belong to very rich Roman families. The Roman Forum is also situated closely and features hallowed ruins of the most powerful government seat in the world. The nearby Circus Maximus features the contours of an ancient stadium where Caligula died. The other sights include the fort Fori Imperiali and the Catacombs that are outside Rome, on the Appian Way. The Pantheon is an ancient temple located in the heart of Rome, which has a large dome with a hole in the centre and is still a functioning church. Walking through Rome is like walking through a huge open-air museum. It has however many specialized museums that are worth to be visited as well and without which the trip to Rome would not be complete. These museums include The Capitoline Museum where the Etruscan bronze she-wolf statue is located, the Palazzo Massimo which has a rich collection of ancient Rome sculptures, Galleria Borghese which hosts some of Bernini works, Villa Guilia Museum that has a collection of Etruscan art and of course the Vatican Museums. Rome has also plenty of Catholic Churches which are characterized with richness of the décor, electric candles and strict rules about the dress code which excludes uncovered knees and shoulders. The churches that have to be visited while in Rome include St. Pietro which is part of the Vatican City and Pope\s residence. It is often said that this is the most beautiful church on earth, Santa Maria del Popoli which has several paintings from Caravaggio, Santa Maria Maggiore which is set on the top of the Esquiline Hill and has gold decoration, San Luigi dei Francesi which is set between Piazza Navona and the Pantheon, the marvelous Sant Agnese in Agone on Piazza Navona, San Clemente where one could hear the underground river that flows below the city, Santa Maria in Trastevere which is one of the oldest churches in the city, San Pietro in Vincoli where are displayed the chains that held St. Peter and a statue of Moses created by Michelangelo, etc. Rome is famous for its many public squares and fountains, which are pleasant areas for relaxation, meeting friends and dining out. These squares are Piazza di Trevi where is located one of the most beautiful sights in Rome ever, Fontana di Trevi; Piazza di Spagna where are the famous Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona which hosts some of the most delightful Bernini fountains, Piazza del Popolo which has twin churches, Piazza Barberini with the Triton Fountain, Piazza Venezia next to the Capitole Hill, etc. The historical buildings in Rome include Palazzo Venezia which is in the very centre of the city, Palazzo della Sapienza which is close to Navona square, Palazzo Taverna which is located close to Castel Sant Angelo, Villa Farnesina which is a Renaissance house in Trastevere, etc. The other places that could be seen in Rome include Castel Sant Angelo, which is close to the Vatican City, Trastevere area which has plenty of restaurants and clubs, etc.

Bologna is a beautiful historical city, which is one of the tourist destinations when in Italy. It is famous for its rich architecture and excellent cuisine. The city is ideal for one-day trips, if the main destination is Florence or Venice. The town centre of the city is one of the best preserved ones in Europe, and here is set one of the oldest universities on the continent. As a true Italian destination, Bologna has many museums and art galleries, like the Archeological Museum, the Jewish Museum, the Gallery of modern Art and the National Picture Gallery. Sightseeing in Bologna is easy thanks to the guided bus tours available and the walking tours. Such tours are organized around Piazza Maggiore, Via Rizzoli, Fontana di Nettuno, University Quarter and Corte deGalluzzi. Interesting to be seen are the Tower of the Asinelli and the Tower of the Garisenda, as well as Palazzo Comunale. Bologna has many lovely park areas and private gardens like Margherita Gardens, Prco Montagnola, Botanical Gardens and Villa delle Rose. Bologna is the city that hosts many rock and alternative concerts, as well as electronic music parties. Every July here is also organized a film festival featuring silent and sound films.

Florence is one of the most beautiful Italian cities. It is located in Tuscany area and has population of 400 000 people. Florence is the city of art, music and architecture, as well as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. In Florence lived and worked artists such as Leonardo and Michelangelo, Dante and Machiavelli. In Florence there are many squares that offer great opportunities for relaxation and enjoying the pace of life and the atmosphere, watching the people go by. In order to get a good panoramic view over the city tourists usually go to the Fiotto Tower and the Cupolone of the Duomo. Santa Maria del Fiore is known as the Duomo di Firenze a delightful cathedral and symbol of the city. Giottos Tower is next to the Duomo and provides views over all four directions. Palazzo Vecchio is the old city palace in front of which lies a replica of the famous Michelangelo sculpture David. Here we should mention Ponte Vecchio which is the oldest bridge over Arno River. Good point about Florence is that all the major tourists sights are within easy walking distance from each other. The centre however is easy to approach with car, so the best way is to use the public transport or go by foot, motor-bikes re very popular as well. Florence has an incredible collection of churches and monasteries, galleries and museums, palaces and squares. Among the must-sees are the Uffizi Galleries, the Santo Spirito Church, the Duomo and the Ponte Vecchio. The Uffizi Gallery is one of the most famous art museums in the world, which has an amazing collection of Renaissance paintings. The National Museum of Bargello has lovely sculptures of Andrea and Jacopo Sansovino, Michelangelo, Donatello, etc. Genoa is a historical port city set in the northern part of Italy, which had significant role in the history of the country. Genoa has a well-preserved and very large historical centre with many streets and landmarks, the most important of which being the Cristoforo Colombo natal house on Piazza Dante, the fortification belt around the city, the Spianata Castelletto castle and the Old Harbour area which is close to the Aquarium. Interesting to be seen are also the Lanterna being the oldest lighthouse in Europe and symbol of Genoa, Corso Italia being the promenade in Genoa and the fishermen quarter Boccadasse.

Milan is the fashion capital in Italy and its most important city in financial terms. It has great shopping zones and vibrant nightlife and symbolizes the new Italy. It still has various museums, galleries and churches, but the accent of a trip to Milan should be on enjoying life and watching people and new trends in everything. The museums in Milan that have to be seen are Cebacolo Vinciano, Pinacoteca do Brera and Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, as well as the Leonardo da Vinci Museum of Science ad Technology, The Natural Science Museum and the Palazzo Reale. Contemporary art exhibitions are available at the Sforzesco Castle, and the Contemporary Arts Pavillion. The historical monuments of Milan are the Castello Sforzesco, La Scala Theatre and La Rotonda neoclassical complex and exhibition centre. The most appealing churches are The Duomo, which is the main cathedral of Milan, Saint Mary of the Graces where is located the Last Supper painting by Leonardo da Vinci, Saint Maurice and Saint Ambrose. Naples is the largest city in Southern Italy, which has rich artistic heritage and lovely historic centre. Its symbols are the pizza, the music and the Mount Vesuvius. The sites that are most visited in Naples are Catstel dellOvo at Porto Santa Lucia, Catselnuovo medieval castle, Duomo and its two chapels, the Napolitan National Gallery with its collection of Baroque and Renaissance paintings, Naples Archeological Museum, the Carthusian monastery di San Martino. Worth visiting are also Pizza del Gesu and Piazza S. Domenico Maggiore, the medieval church San Lorenzo Maggiore under the Napoli Sotterranea, the opera house Teatro San Carlo, the large park Parco Virgiliano and Acquario Villa Comunale. The beautiful town of Pisa is located in Tuscany area and is famous for its Leaning Tower, the cathedral Duomo di Pisa and the Baptistery, the Museo del Opera del Duomo and the Museo delle Sinopie. Every June Pisa organizes the Luminara festival, when all the sights along the Arno River are dimmed and 1000 candles are lit. In June is held yet another summer festival Game of Bridge which takes part in the two sides of the city. The most romantic city in the entire Italy is Venice. Set around a lagoon more than six hundred years ago, Venice comprises of different parts featuring various monuments.

Venice is the only pedestrian city in the world, perfect for walks and sightseeing. For quicker access to several of the sights and places are available water buses and water taxis, which are the best way to get around the city. For a romantic ride, the best variant is by gondola. One of the most famous sights in Venice is the San Marco Basilica and the piazza in front of it with the numerous doves, The Doges Palace and La Fenice Historic Theater, The Jewish Museum and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum, the Clock Tower and the Rialto Bridge, etc. But the most important thing to do when in Venice is to enjoy life, excellent food and wine and may be to fall in love.