Europe Travel Guides

Activities

If the museums, galleries and espresso are not enough to occupy your time in Italy, there are plenty of options for the active adrenaline addict. The Italian Alps offer well-marked trails and strategically placed refuges for long-distance hiking. There are plenty of excellent ski resorts in the Italian Alps - particularly in the Dolomites, which have the most dramatic scenery. Windsurfing and sailing are extremely popular, and at most beach resorts it's possible to rent boats and equipment. Cycling is a great way to see the country.

Points of interest

Leaning Tower of Pisa

Welcome to the world's greatest architectural cockup. Its creator, Bonanno Pisan, was in trouble three tiers in when the tower began to list badly to the south. Things got worse at the rate of about 1mm a year, but at least it gave Galileo a chance to throw rocks from the bell tower to test his theory of gravity. Today it's 4.1m (13.5ft) off the perpendicular.

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Colosseum

Although its size conjures up the Empire that ruled through intimidation, brutality and down-turned thumbs, the Colosseum has been a little humbled. The Christian-eating lions have been reduced to stray kitty cats (who will eat anything regardless of religious affiliation), and weeds sprout among the 50,000 seats.

Vespasian began its construction in AD72 in the grounds of Nero's private Domus arena. It was inaugurated by his son Titus in AD80, and thereafter, inaugural games lasted for 100 days and nights, during which some 5000 animals were slaughtered.

With the fall of the Empire, the Colosseum was abandoned and became overgrown with exotic plants; seeds had inadvertently been transported with the wild beasts that appeared in the arena (including crocodiles, bears, tigers, elephants and hippos.) In the Middle Ages the Colosseum became a fortress, occupied by two of the city's warrior families.

Damaged several times by earthquake, it was later used as a quarry for travertine and marble for Palazzo Venezia and other buildings. Despite this, it has lost none of its stature and remains an evocative place to explore.

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Basilica di San Francesco

This basilica saw heavy damage and four deaths during a series of earthquakes in 1997. Years of painstaking restoration - including piecing together frescoes from crumbled bits, some not much larger than a grain of sand - will probably go on until at least 2010.

The basilica was built on a hill known as Colle d'Inferno (Hell Hill). People were executed at the gallows here until the 13th century. St Francis asked his followers to bury him here in keeping with Jesus, who had died on the cross among criminals and outcasts. The area is now known as Paradise Hill.

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Grand Canal

Venice's Grand Canal is the artery along which courses the city's lifeblood. To ply its length time and again, on each occasion making new discoveries, is a pleasure only the most insensitive souls could tire of.

The 3.5km canal supports an everchanging parade of vaporetti, transport barges, water taxis, private speedboats, gondolas, police patrol boats, water ambulances and so on. The floating pageant is backed on either side by more than 100 palazzi (mansions) dating from the 12th to the 18th centuries.

Jump on the No 1 all-stops vaporetto at Piazzale Roma. Past Rio di San Marcuola, Palazzo Vendramin-Calergi is on the left. To the right, just after the San Stae stop, is Ca' Pesaro, which houses the Galleria d'Arte Moderna and Museo d'Arte Orientale.

Shortly after is the Ca' d'Oro, beyond which the boat turns towards the 16th-century Ponte di Rialto and the Rialto produce markets. It sweeps past more fine mansions to the wooden Ponte dell'Accademia, the stop for the art gallery of the same name, and on past the grand Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute before reaching San Marco.

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Pompeii

Victim of the world's most famous volcano disaster, 2.3 million visitors annually make Pompeii's magnificent ruins seem as crowded as the ancient streets must once have been. Ever since Pliny the Younger described the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79, the city has been the stuff of books, scholarly and frivolous, and a perfect subject for the big screen.

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Mt Etna

Dominating the landscape in eastern Sicily, Mt Etna (3350m/12730ft) is Europe's largest live volcano and one of the world's most active. Eruptions occur frequently, and visitors should be aware that excursions are at the mercy of volcanic activity. People are no longer allowed to climb to the craters.

The volcano's most devastating eruptions occurred in 1669 and lasted 122 days. A huge river of lava poured down its southern slope, engulfing a good part of Catania and dramatically altering the landscape.

Since 1987 the volcano and its slopes have been part of a national park, the Parco dell'Etna, a territory which encompasses a fascinatingly varied natural environment, from the severe, almost surreal summit to the deserts of lava and alpine forests.

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Valley of the Temples

Via dei Templi runs through the middle of the archaeological park, dividing it into two sections, with the most spectacular temples to the right. The Temple of Hercules is the oldest of the five temples contained within the park, all of which are atmospherically illuminated at night. There is also a museum in the complex which houses a collection of artefacts.

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Cenacolo Vinciano

One of the world's most famous art images, Leonardo da Vinci's wonderful mural depicting the Last Supper decorates a wall of the Cenacolo Vinciano, the refectory adjoining Chiesa di Santa Maria delle Grazie. Painted between 1495 and 1498, the work captures the moment when Jesus uttered the words 'One of you will betray me'. It has been extensively restored.

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Cappella degli Scrovegni

Art lovers visit Padua just to see the lively Giotto frescoes in this chapel. These fine examples of the master's art are on the cusp between the two-dimensional art of his contemporaries and the remarkable explosion of new creativity that was still decades away. Booking ahead is necessary, and the admission ticket is also valid for the adjacent museum.

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The Uffizi

To enter the Uffizi, which qualifies as the world's oldest gallery, is to be thrust head reeling, heart pumping and mouth watering into the core of the Italian Renaissance and the greatest concentration of Florentine and Italian art on the planet.

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Associazione Italiana Alberghi per la Gioventù (AIG)

Ostelli per la gioventù (youth hostels) are run by the Associazione Italiana Alberghi per la Gioventù (AIG), which is affiliated to Hostelling International (HI; www.iyhf.org). A valid HI card is required in all associated youth hostels in Italy. You can get this in your home country or at the youth hostel in Rome.

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Cambridge School

The Cambridge School is a major employer of English teachers.

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Cuendet & Cie Spa

One of the major accommodation companies in Italy with villas in Tuscany, Umbria, the Veneto, Rome, Marche, the Amalfi Coast, Puglia, Sicily and Sardinia.

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Australian Embassy

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National Tourist Office

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Consorzio Cooperative Integrate (COIN)

Based in Rome, COIN is the best reference point for disabled travellers. It provides information on Rome (including transport and access) and is happy to share its contacts throughout Italy. It publishes a mulitilingual guide, Roma Accessibile, which lists facilities at museums, shops and theatres. It's available by mail order and from some tourist offices.

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Youth Info Centre

Finds local employment for travellers.

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Associazione Italiana Assistenza Spastici

The Associazione Italiana Assistenza Spastici operates an information service for disabled travellers called the Sportello Vacanze Disabili.

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ARCI-GAY & ARCI-Lesbica

National organisations for gay men and lesbians.

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US Embassy

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Attractions

Sicily

The island of Sicily is a place of contrasts, from the crumbling grandeur of its capital, Palermo, to the Greek ruins at Syracuse, volatile Mt Etna and the Aeolian Islands. It's home to touristy Lipari, jet-set Panarea, rugged Vulcano and spectacularly spouting Stromboli.

Squatting strategically in the Mediterranean, and its largest island, Sicily has attracted waves of invaders and colonisers, leaving a historical detritus that includes Greek temples, Roman ruins, Norman churches and castles, and Arab and Byzantine domes.

Sicilians remain strongly tied to the land, despite the summer heat, which can be utterly scorching. Luckily, the beaches are superb. Other sights include the magnificent 12th-century cathedral at Monreale and the touristy but unmissable Taormina, with its Greek theatre, panoramic public gardens, palazzo, cathedral and beaches.

Florence

The cultural and historical impact of Florence (or Firenze) is overwhelming. Close up, however, the city is one of Italy's most atmospheric and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval centre that contributed so much to the artistic and political development of Europe.

Its striking buildings, formidable galleries and treasure-crammed churches attest to the Florentine love of display. Even long after it had set on the political and economic horizon, Florence upheld its elegant appearance: its skyline, all russet rooftops and lofty domes, is indeed picturesque.

The glory of Florence is rooted in its past. The Medicis commanded the city's fortunes for centuries and, as patrons, they encouraged the Renaissance's influence on the city. They left an indelible mark on the city: their family crest of six balls still adorns many public buildings and their support of many artforms is evident in the city's streets.

Rome

It's hard to say what you'll find most breathtaking about the Eternal City - the arrogant opulence of the Vatican, the timelessness of the Forum, the top speed of a Fiat Bambino, the gory resonance of the Colosseum, trying to cross a major intersection, or the bill for your caffe latte.

Make like the locals and souse your senses in the glut of pleasures the city has to offer, from the grandiose thrill of feeling centuries of turbulent history under your feet to the small but potent intoxication of eating chestnut gelati on a hot day.

Rome means history. There's layers of the stuff - Etruscan tombs, Republican meeting rooms, imperial temples, early Christian churches, medieval bell towers, Renaissance palaces and baroque basilicas. In this city a phenomenal concentration of history, legend and monuments coexists with an equally phenomenal concentration of people busily going about their everyday life. So get your cultural fill but be sure to leave time for more hedonistic concerns: eat till you can eat no more and get drunk on wine, architecture and sunshine.

San Gimignano

Only 14 of the original 72 towers remain, but this wonderfully preserved medieval city in Tuscany is still known as San Gimignano of the Fine Towers. The towers reflect a period of quarrlesome one-upmanship in Italian history.

Crenellated palazzos and soaring towers circle the town's major piazzas, with Torre Grossa the tallest tower at 54m (177ft). A Romanesque cathedral, ruined fortress, frescoed church and a fabulous museum featuring art from the Sienese and Florentine schools round off this special city's charms.

Sardinia

Sardinia has some fascinating medieval sections and beautiful beaches. There's also the magnificent and relatively unspoiled Costa Verde coastline, the beaches and grottoes around the tourist enclave of Alghero, and the trekking and traditional culture offered in Nuoro Province.

Sardinia has been colonised and invaded by the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Pisans, Genoese and Spaniards. Through these ravages, the locals (known as the Sardi) have retained their identity and singularity, remaining strangely insular people.

The landscape is rugged and the remaining wildlife distinctive, from albino donkeys to griffon vultures. Cagliari, the capital, is surprisingly attractive and filled with delectable eateries and traditional craft shops.

Milan

The now and the next are invented daily in Milan, Europe's creative capital. Until Milan led the way, who knew that happy hour could last four hours, that clothing and household appliances could be made out of basketry, and that coffee could make a delicious pasta sauce?

This city is all about worldly pleasures. Shopping is of quasi-religious significance. Theatre and cinema flourish in this fashionable milieu, as does a hopping club scene and a slew of tempting restaurants. Apart from a few gems, the city is not renowned for its looks; it's lifestyle that counts.

Thinking big comes with the territory here: when Leonardo DaVinci suggested canals might come in handy to haul stone for a cathedral, Milan made it happen - and today the Duomo remains a spectacular monument to the staying power of a really grand notion.

Decadence seems practical in a city where people work hard enough really to need nights at the opera and the soccer stadium, and days devouring gelato in the park and sipping prosecco (Italian bubbly) at the spa. There's no point begrudging Milanese such pleasures, because they're perfectly willing to let you join in. No need to bother about what to wear - Milan will take care of that. Just come as you are, and get ready for big ideas.

Amalfi Coast

Stretching for 50km (31mi) along a promontory from Sorrento to Salerno is some of Europe's most beautiful coastline. The road hugs the tight bends and curves of the cliffy coast, overlooking intensely blue waters and passing postcard villages that cling to the cliff walls like matchbox houses.

First in line out of Sorrento is sublime Positano: tiered arcades of rose- and honey-coloured houses hover precariously over an iridescent sea, tucked away are great cafes and hotels.

Amalfi is next, its former status as a supreme naval power that rivalled Pisa and Genoa is evident from its arsenal and imposing duomo.

Ravello sits like a balcony overlooking the bay. Its duomo has an interesting pulpit with six lions carved at its base, and several villas and their beautiful gardens add to its attractions.

Salerno has seen it all, from Etruscan to Roman and medieval times. Unfortunately, the city was extensively damaged during WWII, as it was one of the Allies' major landing sites.

Naples

Naples ( Napoli if you live there) is raucous, polluted, anarchic, deafening, crumbling and aristocratic. It's also a lot of fun. Superbly positioned on a bay, Naples screams with energy, pulsating with noisy street markets and colourful characters.

'Naples is an ill-built, ill-paved, ill-lighted, ill-drained, ill-watched, ill-governed and ill-ventilated city', whinged Cook's Tourist's Handbook in 1884. Italy's third-largest city has made big strides forward since then but Cook's observations retain more than a grain of truth.

The old centre bristles with ancient churches, a medieval university and countless eateries and cafes. It also has a reputation for organised crime and swarms of people buzzing around on Vespas with no regard for traffic rules. But the city forges on, powered by the sheer zest and vitality of its inhabitants. Even Cook's begrudgingly admitted that, despite its faults, Naples might be 'the loveliest spot in Europe'.

Venice

Venezia, La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic, city of canals and palaces...or tawdry sewer alive with crowds and charlatans? Venice's nature is dual: water and land, long history and doubtful future, airy delicacy and dim melancholy. If this precious place does sink, the world will be the poorer.

For a thousand years the city was one of the most enduring mercantile sea powers on the face of the earth. Today the brilliance and influence have long since faded, leaving a town of tarnished glories, out of time and out of place, so achingly beautiful it's hard not to look for the back of the set.

If you get caught up in the never-ending flow of visitors tramping the narrow main thoroughfares Venice can be the epitome of hell. Step off the main drag, however, and you'll discover the subdued, worn charm of the real Venice, where baroque backstreet churches are framed by lines of washing flapping in the breeze.

Siena

Siena had been a bustling economic centre based on its textiles, saffron and wine in the 12th century. At this time many buildings were created in Sienese Gothic style, giving this town its distinctive style. Visitors enjoy the cafe-lined square Il Campo and the imposing St Dominic's Church.

Ramparts - just one of the many vestiges of the city's medieval prime - still crown the hills that surround gentle Siena. Its many reddish-brown buildings gave the world 'burnt sienna,' and a thriving cultural scene was dubbed the Sienese school in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Disease and autocrats from the Viscontis to the Medicis brought urban growth and cultural finesse to a screaming halt, the rot setting in with the plague of 1348, which killed 65,000 of the city's 100,000 people. Fortunately, Italy's finest medieval square - the Piazza del Campo - was finished just in time, with the graceful town hall and emblemic tower nearby. Siena's duomo is a stunner, with black and white stripes of marble on the facade. Palazzos, piazzas, art collections, museums and churches are scattered throughout the easily walkable old town, making Siena a great destination for visitors who like to see things from the pavement up.

Events

Religious, cultural and historical events pepper the Italian calendar. The pre-Easter Carnevale is closely associated with Venice; Holy Week Easter processions are especially flamboyant at Taranto, Chieti and in Sicily; and Florence explodes a cart full of fireworks on Easter Sunday. Festivals honouring patron saints are also particularly colourful events; for example the Festas di San Nicola in Bari and San Gennaro in Naples, the Snake-charmer's Procession in Abruzzo (May) and the Festa di Sant'Antonio in Padua (June). Events betraying more than a hint of history include the Race of the Candles and Palio of the Crossbow in Gubbio (May), the Sardinian Cavalcade (May), the Regata of the Four Ancient Maritime Republics (which rotates between Pisa, Venice, Amalfi and Genoa, and is held in June), Il Palio in Siena (July & August) and Venice's Historic Regatta (September).

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