tourism-italia.com

The religious festival of Carnival or Carnivale as it is known in Italian, is taken rather seriously on the predominantly Catholic peninsula. This occasion of joy and celebration occurs some 40 days before Easter and is seen as a final oppurtunity to cut loose, celebrate and indulge oneself before Lent begins. The 40 days leading up to Easter in which Christians prepare for the crucifixion, death and ressurection of Christ by making personal sacrifices themselves. The event is celebrated in many cities, the most well know of which is Venice.

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With its canals and iconic architecture, Venice has been the setting for thousands of romantic breaks over the years. Used as a backdrop in countless movies, books and other works of art, Venice is a superb city for people looking to experience the finer things in life, and anyone in search of a romantic break will find much here to enjoy. Whether a couple is interested in life’s cultural attractions, or is simply looking for a taste of ‘La Dolce Vita’, Venice should provide them with more than enough to stay busy. (more…)

For travellers who are keen on the beautiful scenery of Europe as well as the adventure and challenge of a hike, the Cinque Terre in Italy in an ideal choice of holiday destination. Located on the coast of Italy, the Cinque Terre or ‘The Five Lands’, makes up part of the Italian Riviera and the Cinque Terra National Park. The hilly region consists of five villages as denoted in its title, which are Corniglia, Manarola, Monterosso al Mare, Riomaggiore and Vernazza. Deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site, visitors can be assured that Cinque Terre will remain charmingly beautiful due to its protected status. Conservation efforts ensure that Cinque Terre is not marred by the same gaudy commercialisation that other popular tourist areas often suffer. (more…)

Soaked in culture and laden with attractions, Italy is the perfect choice for a magical winter getaway.

Italy is truly one of the most beautifully scenic of all the countries across the globe, and in the winter months the beauty is majorly exaggerated. Winter is an advisable time to visit Italy because the tourist crowds begin to die down, meaning you can enjoy your stay without the hustle and bustle of queuing for days out. If you are contemplating a journey to Italy in winter, take note of the recommended places to venture and why it would appeal to you. (more…)

Summer is fast approaching and warm, sunny holidays are on everybody’s mind. There are fantastic holiday parks in Italy that offer all the sun, sand and water anyone could want as well as fantastic food, beautiful scenery and amazing historical sites.

Eurocamp has holiday camping parks in Tuscany and Rome, at the Italian lakes and on the Italian Adriatic. You could spend a few days in each enjoying the mountains, seaside, gorgeous scenery and ancient ruins. (more…)

If you’re considering going to Naples anytime soon, there are new tour guides in the city to help ensure you don’t get robbed. Whether you will want their help is another matter, as these tour guides are actually former convicts. The powers-that-be (the EU and Campania local government) believe that their new tour guides will be able to help tourists ensure that they are not pick pocketed in the Mafia influenced area. Around 70 former convicts have been recruited, each wearing a fluorescent jacket and carrying an ID card (just so you can make sure that they are a former convict and not a current one!). But the local tourism commission is not entirely convinced by the “people skills” of the former convicts. Apparently some tourists have already complained about the manners of their new guides. And the former convicts recently went on strike when a guide was taken away by the police after having an argument with a traffic warden. But as Pietro Ioia, from an association for released prisoners, points out, “Campania needs to give them work before the Camorra (local Mafia) does”. I suppose that this is a good idea, as long as you don’t expect too many niceties, as who knows crime better than an ex-convict?

I was having a slow day today, watching some tv etc. when I had a random thought: Has George Clooney helped tourism in Italy? As many people know, and is often reported in the press, George Clooney has an amazing villa at Lake Como. Now my thought process went like this…. If the fact that George Clooney lives at Lake Como is reported so often in the press, does that mean that more people know where and how beautiful Lake Como is? And does that make more people want to visit there and maybe actually visit? I have no evidence or data to back my theory but I just wanted to put it out there.

Anyway on Accommodation Lake Como Italy you can do just like George Clooney and sleep at Lake Como

If you have not heard, since July 1st the Uffizi Gallery and the Accademia Gallery in Florence have had extended opening hours. Now as I’m a big fan of the Arts, I would recommend everyone to take advantage of this offer. The galleries are now open until 10pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays but the extended hours end on September 31st 2008. The Giovanni da Milano exhibition at the Accademia Gallery is also open later until 10 pm on Thursdays with special free entrance. The galleries are open everyday except Monday, if you fancy going another day. So if you want to go and have a look, you had better hurry up!

According to an article in yesterdays Los Angeles Times, there is a humongous gap between the most popular tourist attractions in Italy and the least. The lowest-ranking museum was the National Royal Palace Museum in Pisa, with only 299 visitors in a year! Considering the Leaning Tower of Pisa is in the same town, it is a great travesty that the museum can not capitalise on its fame. There needs to be less shuttling in of tourists and instead they should be allowed to walk around and enjoy the other attractions that Pisa has to offer. I would not be surprised if there were many more museums and tourist attractions suffering a similar fate all over Italy. But how can we change the way that travel firms operate their businesses? Maybe if more people knew that the National Royal Palace Museum was in Pisa, then they would want to visit it. However, I doubt many people are aware that there is anything in Pisa but the Leaning Tower.

Three more Italian sites have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List after a meeting in Canada. This means that Mantova, Sabbioneta and the Retica Railway have now been added to the list of 43 sites which are protected in Italy. Another 19 sites worldwide were also added, including the Temple of Preah Vihear in Cambodia and Stari Grad Plain in Croatia. I’m sure there are many more sites in Italy which need to be protected, but at least it’s a step in the right direction!