Wonderland, Italy

Italy is a “jewel” in the European subcontinent. It has beautiful the Alps mountains, a mountainous rugged rocky, indented coastline in the west and southeast and softer, sandier shores in the east. The foothills of the Alpine Mountains push out and brush the waves that lap at the Italian Riviera. With their high and rocky cliffs, these rugged coasts are rich with gorgeous nooks, crannies and deep, deep sea-beds. Italy has approximately 4,660 miles of coastline and satisfies every type of tourist in search of fun, nature, rest and beauty and a magnificent history! The natural beauty of Italy will definitely leave anybody spellbound! It is definitely difficult to choose the top destinations of the country. So, we attempt to pick the most visited areas of Italy.

•Romantic Getaways, Venice and Tuscany
Tuscany is undoubtedly the most beautiful place in Italy. It is simply green, green, and green! It will transport you to Wonderland! Besides natural beauty, it holds great interest to the student of history as it is a major Renaissance city. It is famed for the art and craft. The major tourist attractions are as under:
The Gallery of Uffizi known for its amazing museums, treasures, palaces, and churches; amazing views of Siena and the Palio; the famous Leaning Tower of Pisa and Piazza dei Miracoli for their unique architecture; beautiful villages; and the scenic vineyards of Chianti.
Venice is the honeymooners’ paradise at any age. The Gondolas will take you through the canals of the floating city that we imagine in fairy tales. The key attractions of Venice are Piazza San Marco aka the Drawing Room of Europe by Napoleon, housing St Mark’s Basilica, Doge’s Palace, Torre dell’orologio clock tower, Scuola Grande di San Rocco, and the Grand Canal.

•Roman ruins of Pompei, Rome and Herculaneum
Pompei is an ancient town built around 80 BC at the foothills of Mount Vesuvius. It is replete with history and a sense of nostalgia and even romance!
Pompei is a walk down memory lane. It was discovered in 1748 and came to be famous for its preservation of the ruins of the Roman Empire. It is a world Heritage Site. The major tourist attractions are the Antiquarium museum that offers a lot of information about this fabled city, Forum Roman Town Square, Temple of Jupiter built on a raised three meter base, Teatro Grande, Teatro Piccolo, ancient Stabian Baths, and House of Menander.
Rome, powerful Rome, cannot be missed if you touch the land of Italia. Rome is the favourite spot for the hopelessly romantics! The art museums, art galleries and theaters take you through the history of western civilization and development of Christianity. The key tourist attractions are St Peter’s Basilica that is known to be the largest and grandest church in the world, Roman Empire’s famous Colosseum with a capacity to accommodate 55,000 spectators, Piazza Navona fountains built in the 17th century, Pantheon built by Emperor Hadrian in the memory of Pagan Gods, and Trevi Fountain.

•The beautiful Amalfi Coast, a World Heritage Site
The Amalfi Coast, is widely considered Italy’s most scenic stretch of coastline, a landscape of towering bluffs, pastel-hued villages terraced into hillsides, precipitous corniche roads, luxuriant gardens, and expansive vistas over turquoise waters and green-swathed mountains. UNESCO has deemed it as a World Heritage Site for an outstanding example of Mediterranean landscape. Amalfi coast enjoys the Mediterranean climate with warm summers and mild winters.Aside from its sheer beauty, the region is home to some superb restaurants and hotels. It is also one of Italy’s top spots for hiking, with well-marked trails. It is also famed for shooting Hollywood movies.
The key tourist attractions are Spectacular views from Ravello, an imposing and attractive cathedral of Duomo, Spiaggia di Arechi, and the 8th century Salerno castle.

•The Cinque Terre experience!
The Cinque Terre (pronounced CHEEN|kweh TEHR|reh) consists of five small villages (“cinque terre” means “five lands” in Italian) along Italy’s western coast. They are so close to one another that you can walk from the first to the fifth in a matter of hours, but there are five different towns and each does have its own personality. In each of the 5 towns, colorful houses and ancient vineyards cling to steep terraces, fishing boats bob in harbors and delicious Mediterranean sea food. Today the sleepy villages are a major tourist attraction especially among the American backpackers/budget travelers and German holiday makers. The primary attraction of the area is the hike along the cliffs from village to village. Part of its charm is the lack of visible corporate development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside.
Given its location on the Mediterranean, seafood is plentiful and you will get a chance to taste several local cuisines. This area is famous for pesto sauce which is an exotic accompaniment to pasta. Besides you will get to dig into the local bread, Focaccia, the savory and crunchy pancake, Farinata, and gelato made from local honey. The grapes of the Cinque Terre are used to produce locally made wines.
Key attractions are – Vernazza fishing village for its steep cliff, 12th Century Manarola fishing village for its Groppo and Ruins of Fortifications, Monterosso village for its churches and Monastery, Riomaggiore village for its craggy hills, Corniglia for its 382 stairs and The 12 km Blue Path

•Sicily, the most popular destination spot!
The ancient Greek ruins of Sicily attract an endless number of tourists the year round. Sicily is famed for amazing architectural achievements of the Norman Era, the Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Arabs, and Ostrogoths. The key tourist attractions are – Aeolian Islands, Agrigento archaeological site a.k.a the Valley of Temples, the famous cathedral Cefalu, the hilltop town Erice, Mount Etna, and Nebrodi Mountains.

•Naples, a city of colours.
Naples has an exciting range of colours that display on the buildings. It offers to the traveler stunning locations and a rich walk though culture and history. The major tourist attractions are- Capodimonte Museum for the famous Flagellation of the Christ by Caravaggio, the star-shaped Castel Sant’Elmo military fortress, the famous Lungomare amphitheater, National Archeological Museum, Naples Cathedral- II Duomo, the Naples Archdiocese seat, Palazzo Reale, Gothic Santa Chiara Church, and Piazza San Domenico Maggiore

•Fashion Destination, Milan and the Italian Lake District
Milan is Italy’s most cosmopolitan city and one that hosts the fashion shows which witness the influx of buyers, designers, and supermodels from all over the world! The key tourist attractions are -The famous Basilica Sant’Ambrogio dedicated to Milan’s patron saint, the Monumental Cemetery of some of the notable celebrities of the place, Piazza Mercanti administrative center of Milan, pieces of art at the Pinacoteca di Brera, and the 12th century Navigli Lombardi canal.
The Italian Lake District, is a famous tourist place since ancient times for its beautiful lakes, scenic locales and boutiques that are frequented by fashionistas. The key tourist attractions are- Lake Garda, Lake Como, Lake Iseo, Lake Maggiore, Lake Lugano, Lake Orta, Mediaeval castles, fishing villages, Renaissance Palazzi, and the craggy peaks of Dolomites.