Mountains, lakes, artistic cities, medieval villages, coastlines, and a culinary tradition known worldwide: Italy continues to win over even British travelers. Reporting on some of the most beloved destinations is the Daily Mail (one of the best-known popular daily newspapers in the United Kingdom), which offers a selection of Italian places capable of surprising even those who think they already know the Bel Paese.
The Italian destinations most loved by the British, between art and landscapes
Among the recommended destinations is the Veneto, to be discovered beyond the famous Venice. Padua houses the Cappella degli Scrovegni, with Giotto’s extraordinary frescoes, while Verona blends Roman ruins with an elegant atmosphere. Completing the itinerary are Vicenza and the Prosecco Hills, where landscapes and cellars become part of the experience. For a seaside break, the suggestion is Jesolo, with its long stretches of sandy beach along the Adriatic.
Sicily offers an extraordinarily varied heritage, from the beaches of the Zingaro Nature Reserve to the Greek remains of Syracuse and Agrigento, passing through the mosaics of the Villa Romana del Casale. Palermo, with its architecture and its vibrancy, represents a fundamental stop, while Etna adds a dramatic element to the landscape. To venture away from the most crowded areas, Daily Mail invites exploring the inland between Enna and the Baroque Noto.
Rome and Florence remain focal points for art lovers. In the capital, beyond the Colosseum and the Roman Forum, attention goes to the Appian Way, Palazzo Barberini, and Villa Borghese. In Florence, alongside the Uffizi, the Accademia, and the panoramic view from the roof of the Duomo, lesser-visited museums are suggested, such as the Bargello, Orsanmichele, and Casa Buonarroti.
From the sea to the mountains, the Italian destinations to discover away from the crowds
Tuscany offers one of the country’s most iconic landscapes. Beginning the journey in Siena, the route then moves to the Crete Senesi and the Val d’Orcia, with its rolling hills, cypress avenues, and the villages of Montalcino, San Quirico, and Pienza. Montepulciano also enters the itinerary, thanks to its hillside cellars.
For the coast, the recommendation points to Puglia, especially the Salento. Porto Cesareo, Nardò, and Gallipoli offer a blend of sandy beaches, quaint villages, and Baroque architecture. Among the suggested additions there is Matera, in Basilicata, with its distinctive dwellings carved into the rock.
The journey continues to Pompeii and Herculaneum, two extraordinary testaments to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, both about 30 minutes from Naples, a picturesque seaside city and the homeland of the delicious Neapolitan pizza. Also worth a visit are the Roman villas of Oplontis and Castellammare di Stabia.
While for alpine scenery, the standout locations include Lake Como with its splendid villas, Lake Garda for an active holiday (including a stop in Sirmione for Roman remains and in Valpolicella for a flavorful break) and Lake Iseo, small and tranquil. Then there are the Dolomites, to be enjoyed even in summer through hikes, scenic roads, high-altitude refuges, and cable cars, ideally with a base in Alta Badia. The best panoramas in Italy are the ones you can savor from the Seiser Alm plateau above Ortisei, while the most spectacular area lies between Cortina d’Ampezzo and Ortisei.
There are also cities and places not to be missed, such as:
- Bologna, Italy’s gastronomic capital with its 40 kilometers of porticoes and medieval towers;
- Modena and Parma;
- Ravenna with its mosaics;
- the Liguria coast from La Spezia to Levanto, the Cinque Terre and the towns of Portovenere and Lerici;
- the Aeolian Islands with Salina, Panarea, Stromboli and a base at Lipari;
- the Umbria region featuring Spello, Perugia, Montefalco, Assisi, the Roman town of Carsulae and the Dunarobba forest;
- the Marche from the Conero Riviera with the Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle in Urbino, passing through Fano, Pesaro, Treia, and Ascoli Piceno.
