Lake Garda in Northern Italy is the largest lake in the country and one of the most popular. Its turquoise waters are ringed with mountains, beaches and ancient cobbled towns, lying halfway between Venice and Milan. The northern part of the lake is quiet and serene, while the southern section boasts a theme park and sandy beaches, so Lake Garda holidays offer something for every kind of traveller.

1. Explore ancient towns, castles, and hot springs.

Holiday resorts share waterfront with ancient towns all around Lake Garda. Start off with the picturesque cobblestone lanes of Sirmione, a fortified Roman spa town in the south. It is situated on a peninsula in the centre of the lake, offering unrivalled views and photo opportunities. After a morning visit to the healing sulphur springs, explore the 13^th century Scaliger Castle and stop into the many restaurants and bars for a bite to eat. If you have more time, catch a ferry to explore the islands in the lake and spend a day at the popular Gardaland theme park as well.

2. Eat well.

The best part of holidays to Italy is surely the food and wine. The shores of Lake Garda are famous for their produce, particularly wine, olives and lemons. Catch a ferry to the colourful hillside resort of Limone, which is named for the yellow fruit. Stroll the waterfront promenade and stop into a café for a meal of fresh fish from the lake, or a hearty polenta dish cooked with local olive oil and a glass of Bardolino red wine which is grown in the area. Finish off with a tipple of limoncino for a totally local experience.

3. Get outdoors!

Lake Garda is a fantastic place to be active and get outside. The northern part of the lake is perfect for windsurfing and sailing due to the steady breeze coming out of the mountains, and there are many watersport centres that offer lessons and rentals. Explore miles of trails on foot or with a mountain bike, and you can even go rock climbing.  For families, peddle boats are available to rent in marked areas with lifeguards.

4. Take in the view.

The best view of the area is from the village of Malcesine in the northern section of the lake. Take the cable car 1750 meters up Montebaldo, a peak in the Italian Alps, for stunning views of Lake Garda below and the Dolomites behind. After taking pictures drop into the mountain-top restaurant or rent a mountain bike to explore the area.

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One Great Reason to Visit

One great reason to visit this travel destination is to find that Lake Garda offers something for every kind traveller!

Exploring Lake Garda

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• Wikipedia
• Guide to Lake Garda

The Villa Borghese is made up of 148 acres of landscaped gardens and building housing some of Rome’s most famous artworks including the Galleria Borghese. It is the second largest public park in Rome and on weekends and public holidays it fills with both locals and visitors who come to enjoy its tranquil environment.

The history dates back to 1605 when work began to convert the vineyard by Cardinal Scipione Borghese, nephew of Pope Paul V and patron of Bernini, into the most extensive gardens built in Rome. Further development of the garden took place during the early nineteenth century.

Highlights of the park other than the galleria include a large lake which is home to both swans, ducks and geese and is dedicated to Aesculapius. Boat hire is available here and you can row by the Temple of Esculapius. You can also visit the Piazza di Siena, an international equestrian site which was also the home to the 1960 Rome Olympic Equestrian games.

Gardens of Italy [Hardcover] – by Ann Laras

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One Great Reason to Visit the Villa Borghese Gardens

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for the peaceful setting which contrasts so well against the chaos of central Rome.

Villa Borghese Gardens

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The beautiful and stunning Amalfi Coast, Italy was visited recently by Roger. He has shared this fabulous photo of the town of Amalfi itself, clinging to the cliff-face. I have not met a person who has visited the Amalfi Coast who hasn’t fallen in love with it and long to return…me being one! It offers amazing coastal scenery, quaint villages, history and great wining and dining opportunities – all perfect for a romantic travel destination!

Photo courtesy of Australian reader Roger Pugsley.

Isola Bella

Situated in northern Italy and not far from the Swiss border, Lake Maggiore or more commonly known by the locals at Lago Maggiore, has much to offer as a spectacular travel destination. The lake and surrounding area make it a popular summer destination, attracting visitors from all over.

A number of islands are dotted throughout the lake, with Isola Bella being one of the more significant. The island forms part of the Borromean Islands and has been occupied since well before 1632 by inhabitants of a tiny fishing village. However, during 1632 the construction of the monumental Baroque ‘Palazzo Borromeo’ commenced by Count Carlo III. The Palace contains priceless furniture, tapestries and art collections. The terraced gardens are an excellent example of a seventeenth century “Italian garden”. Isola Bella is easily accessed from the lakeside town of Stresa.

Rick Steves’ Italy 2010 with map

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One Great Reason to Visit Lake Maggiore

One great reason to visit this travel destination is for the utterly romantic location of Isola Bella and the Palazzo Borromeo.

Lake Maggiore – Italy

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Wild Boar on the Menu!

This guest post is by Angela Pearse. Angela is an Auckland-based travel writer who loves Italian travel destinations. Angela has supplied a number of posts for Travel Tips Plus of both Italy and Japan.

Greve in Chianti lies slightly off the well-beaten tourist track between Florence and Siena in the region of Tuscany. Originally just called Greve it was renamed in 1972 after inclusion in the Chianti wine district.

The heart of this market town is the triangular piazza which features a 13th century church and a bronze torso in remembrance of Giovanni da Verrazzano, a local explorer who discovered New York’s harbour. The piazza also houses an impressive collection of specialty shops which sell local products including meat, wine, olive oil and cheese.

The Chianti region is renowned for its wines and extra virgin olive oil while restaurant menus commonly feature wild game such as rabbit, pigeon, venison and wild boar. Both black and white truffles are also a Chianti delicacy.

Rick Steves’ Italy 2010 with map

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One Great Reason to Visit Greve in Chianti

One great reason to visit Greve in Chianti is to sample prosciutto (and a glass or two of Chianti) in one of the oldest and renowned butcher shops in Italy, Macelleria Falorni.

A day in Greve in Chianti Tuscany Italy

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Terrace of Infinity, Ravello

This guest post is by Angela Pearse. Angela is an Auckland-based travel writer who loves Italian travel destinations.

Ravello is a medieval hill-top town situated 1,500 feet above the Amalfi Coast in the region of Campania, Italy. It has a history of celebrity and artistic visitors: Wagner, Greta Garbo, Virginia Woolf, E.M Forster, Winston Churchill, to name a few.

Apart from the breath-taking views across the Gulf of Salerno, one of the main attractions is 13th century Villa Rufolo, whose terraced gardens inspired Wagner to write his final opera. Each July a classical music festival is held there in his honour. Villa Cimbrone is the other draw card, renowned for its six hectare gardens and the stunning Terrace of Infinity, a balcony with alabaster statues suspended over the ocean.

The Wonders of the Amalfi Coast

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One Great Reason to Visit Ravello

One great reason to visit Ravello is for the clear, unsurpassed views from the Terrace of Infinity.

Ravello

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Positano

Positano is situated on the Amalfi Coast between Sorrento and Amalfi and has a population of around 4,000. This post has been authored by Angela Pearse. Angela is an Auckland-based travel writer who loves Italy.

Positano is renowned for its picturesque houses set impossibly high up into the cliff face, spiraling roads, superb cuisine, antique shops and art galleries. When Coco Chanel pronounced tans fashionable in the 1930’s, large numbers of trend setters flocked to the town in search of sun and romance. Today Positano still attracts the rich and famous due to the large number of luxury accommodations; it has four 5 star hotels, and fourteen 4 star hotels.

Though the most popular pastime is sunbathing, many hiking trails exist in the hills behind Positano. The most notable is the ‘Sentiero degli Dei’ (Path of the Gods) which starts in the small hamlet of Nocelle 1,500 feet above the coastline and descends by way of 1,700 steps to the township below.

The Wonders of the Amalfi Coast

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One Great Reason to Visit Positano

One great reason to visit are for the friendly locals who give tourists of all budgets a warm welcome.

Positano

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Sam Chandler of Collett’s Mountain Holidays has provided a guest Press Release to coincide with the recent UNESCO Listing of The Dolomites.Two weeks ago, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee named some new localities to the list of sites. One mountain range named by the committee is The Italian Dolomites in northern Italy.

Walking in The Dolomites

“The site of The Italian Dolomites comprises a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, numbering 18 peaks which rise to above 3,000 metres and cover 141,903 ha. It features some of the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys. A serial property of nine areas that present a diversity of spectacular landscapes of international significance for geomorphology marked by steeples, pinnacles and rock walls, the site also contains glacial landforms and karst systems. It is characterized by dynamic processes with frequent landslides, floods and avalanches. The property also features one of the best examples of the preservation of Mesozoic carbonate platform systems, with fossil records.The Dolomites are named for the rock dolomite, which in turn was named for a geologist, Déodat de Dolomieu.” UNESCO

This is great news for The Italian Dolomites and all the National Parks that form it. To further the protection and interest in the mountains, Italy has set up a Dolomites UNESCO Foundation which swung into action when The Dolomites were named as a World Heritage Site on 30 June 2009. The Dolomites UNESCO Foundation has been created as an overarching organization to pursue the aims ensuring the long-term conservation of the Dolomites while allowing its earth science potential and tourism-boosting assets to be used to the full.

Collett’s Mountain Holidays is the UK’s holiday specialist for the breathtaking Italian Dolomites & South Tyrol, a paradise of idyllic valleys and mesmerising mountains that lie between Innsbruck and Venice. Set up in 1998 Collett’s has been offering tailored walking holidays, Via Ferrata, Skiing and Snowshoeing for 11 years.

In summer Collett’s offer Walking Holidays, Via Ferrata & Wildflower Walks that allow you to explore this natural splendour just as you wish – however ambitious or fit. In winter, we offer the perfect catered chalet skiing holiday and for anyone with an interest in snowshoeing and winter walking.

We offer six hosted alpine chalets, an exquisite hotel and self catering in three enchanting alpine villages, each with spectacular mountain backdrops, offering superb access to the walks and more.

Stay with us as long as you like, arriving and departing on whichever days suit you. Fly-Drive, Self-Drive or use our daily transfer service to and from Venice and Treviso.

In Italy, local prices are up to 50% less than in France & Austria – Many items including eating out is still inexpensive even with a strong Euro. Collett’s Mountain Holidays is bonded through ABTA & AITO, guaranteeing the protection of all payments.

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One Great Reason to Visit The Dolomites

One great reason to visit The Dolomites is for the spectacular scenery of the Italian Alps which Collett’s Mountain Holidays can offer.

Walking in The Dolomites With Collett’s

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Piazza del Comune, Montefalco, Italy

Montefalco is a medieval town found upon an outcrop north of Rome in the region of Umbria. The town is surrounded by ancient stone walls and found within a maze of cobbled laneways, medieval towers, historic buildings and churches from a number of periods, including romanesque, gothic and renaissance.

Sagrantino, is the local wine and is famous in Italy and abroad. It can be tasted in the town’s numerous wine bars or by visiting the outlying wineries around Montefalco. The extra virgin olive oil, too, is renowned.

Montefalco is an excellent base to explore the wider Umbrian region. It’s close to Perugia, Assisi, Spello, Spoleto, Norcia and Castelluccio. A little further away, but no more than 2 hours, you can reach Siena, Rome and Florence.

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One Great Reason to Visit Montefalco

One great reason to visit Montefalco is for the historical beauty and the appeal the old world town oozes.

Montefalco

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