Italy has it all. The big boot concentrates some of Europe ’s most beautiful landscapes, islands, beaches and lakes , mountains and rolling vine-covered hills, and adorns them all with more art and architecture than anywhere on the planet. You can go back every year and never see it all.
Because Italy has only been as a single country since 1871, each regions has developed its own distinct character, cuisine and wine. Whether you love art or archaeology, fashion or fast cars, or food, wine and la dolce vita , you’ll love Italy. Italy is a year-round destination.
Summers are hot and crowded (the Italians themselves go on holiday in August ) but that’s also the time for beaches, festivals and sitting out under the stars. Spring is a delightful time to visit, with numerous events, especially around Easter, while in autumn the colours are magnificent in the mountains and vineyards as the wine harvest takes place. Winter is stellar for skiing and snowsports, opera lovers, and visiting the cities and museums minus the crowds.
Italy’s capital, Rome , is one of the world’s great cities, the magnificent stage for a lion’s share of European history, a palimpsest where ancient, medieval, Renaissance and Baroque landmarks stand shoulder to shoulder. It is the only city that surrounds a sovereign country, Vatican City, yet alongside the grandeur of the Pantheon and St Peter’s, the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain, the Castel Sant’Angelo and Spanish Steps and 900 churches, ther.
