3 Italian Cities and Cinque Terre National Park to Explore plus Food in Milan
Italy, with the official name the Italian Republic, is a large country in Southern Europe. It is the most visited country in the world.
Together with Greece, it is acknowledged as the birthplace of Western culture. It is also the home of the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world.
There are so many interesting and historical places in Italy, it is difficult to figure which Italian cities to visit.
Top 10 Best Tourist Destinations In Italy
by MsMojo
Published on Youtube on Jan 28, 2016
Fanny Burney once said, “Traveling is the ruin of all happiness! There’s no looking at a building after seeing Italy.” Welcome to MsMojo and today we’re counting down our picks for the top 10 Italian Tourist Destinations.
Visit Italy and you’ll see high art and monuments everywhere throughout the country. The country is also famous worldwide for its delicious cuisine.
Also for luxury sports cars and motorcycles, as well as its many beautiful coasts, alpine lakes and mountains, the Alps and Apennines. It is also known for its trendy fashions and diverse regional cultures and dialects.
Nine of Italy’s most Famous Cities
Rome (Roma) — the capital of Italy and, in the past, of the Roman Empire until 285 AD
Bologna — one of the world’s great university cities filled with history, culture, technology and food
Florence (Firenze) — the Renaissance city known for its architecture and art that had a major impact throughout the world
Genoa (Genova) — an important medieval maritime republic; its port brings in tourism and trade, along with art and architecture
Milan (Milano) — one of the main fashion cities of the world and also Italy’s most important center of trade and business
Naples (Napoli) — one of the oldest cities of the Western world, with a historic city center that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Pisa — one the medieval maritime republics; it’s home of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Turin (Torino) — a well-known industrial city, home of FIAT, other automobiles and the aerospace industry.
Venice (Venezia) — one of the most beautiful cities in Italy, known for its history, art, and its world famous canals
Crimes and Tourist Scams
Like most big countries Crimes and Tourist Scams exist. Here are just a very few to be aware of.
Violent crime rates in Italy are low compared to most European countries. Just be reasonably careful and use common sense and you shouldn’t encounter personal safety risks even in the less affluent neighborhoods of large cities.
However, petty crime can be a problem for travelers if you are careless or don’t pay attention. Travelers should note that pickpockets often work in pairs or teams, sometimes in conjunction with street vendors.
Just take the usual precautions against pickpockets as you would anywhere else.
Venice (the grand canal). Photo by Radomil / CC BY-SA 3.0
A particular scam is when some plainclothes police will approach you asking to look for “drug money” or to see your passport.
This is a scam to take your money. You can scare them away by asking for their ID. Guardia di Finanza (the grey uniformed ones) do customs work.
Another scam involves being approached by a man asking you to help break a large bill – usually €20 or €50. Do not give him your money.
He is giving you a fake bill, but at first glance it might seem real.
Hidden Cameras Reveal How Pickpockets Snag Valuables
by ABC News
Published on Youtube on May 12, 2014
Shoppers may want to think twice before turning their backs on their purses in shopping carts.
A recent scam involves men approaching you, asking where you are from, and beginning to tie bracelets around your wrists. When they are done they will try to charge you upwards of €20 for each bracelet.
If anyone makes any attempt to reach for your hand, retract quickly. Should you get trapped, you can refuse to pay, but this may not be wise if there are not many people around.
Carry small bills or just change in your wallet or purse, so if you find yourself cornered to pay for the bracelet, you can convince them that €1 or €2 is all you have.
The best advice to avoid scams is to get away from anyone you have never seen before who starts talking to you.
1. Cinque Terre National Park
Characteristic Coastal Stretch of Cinque Terre. Photo by Idéfix / CC BY-SA 3.0
It is only 4,300 acres, but is the densest park with 5,000 permanent inhabitants among the five towns. In addition to the territory of the towns of Cinque Terre (Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso al Mare).
The Cinque Terre National Park encompasses parts of the communes of Levanto (Punta Mesco) and La Spezia (Campiglia Sunsets). Cinque Terre was included as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997.
The area is a gorgeous coastal area in the Italian region of Liguria. The area, which means “five lands” in English, dramatically overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. It is even made more beautiful by the surrounding mountainous landscape.
Together with a protected marine area, the region possesses an environment and cultural characteristics worth preserving.
Cinque Terre is a tourist destination that draws people from all over the world. Just in the month of August some 3.5- 5 million visitors visit the area.
There is great concern for environmental effects of such large numbers of visitors. However,ut tourism is essential, since farming and fishing have been long replaced by tourism as the area’s chief economy.
The greatest draw for Cinque Terre tourists are the hiking trails. The collection of five cliff-side towns on the Ligurian Coast are linked by the series of trails.
On the trails one can experience breathtaking scenery among authentic traditional settlements. These actual settlements, the villages, highlight the heritage and culture of these picturesque Italian villages.
2. 5 Inexpensive Places to Visit in Milan
The Amalfi Coast seen from Ravello in Campania. This is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Italy.
Its urban area is the 5th largest in the EU with an estimated population of about 5,264,000.
It has been suggested that the Milan metropolitan region is part of the so-called Blue Banana, the area of Europe with the highest population and industrial density.
Milan sits at the center of Italy’s largest urban and metropolitan area. It is financially the most important city in Italy.
Having been greatly destroyed by Second World War bomb raids, the city has rebuilt itself into a thriving cosmopolitan business capital.
Milan is a major world fashion and design capital. Its museums, theaters and landmarks (including the Milan Cathedral, the fifth largest cathedral in the world.
Santa Maria delle Grazie, decorated with Leonardo da Vinci paintings, a UNESCO World Heritage Site) attracts over 6 million annual visitors.
The town also features beautiful architecture, many cafes and restaurants, and shops catering to tourists.
For a tourist, what makes Milan an interesting city compared to other places is that the city is more about enjoying worldly pleasures.
Milan is a paradise for shopping, opera, nightlife, and football. The city remains the marketplace for Italian fashion – fashion aficionados and supermodels.
International paparazzi descend upon the city twice a year for its spring and autumn fairs.
Italy in 2013 had more than 47.7 million tourists. Italy is the 5th highest tourist earner, and fifth most visited country in the world.
Same year France with 84.7 million visitors was first, United States with 69.8 million second, Spain with 60.7 million was third while China was fourth with 55.3 million.
Most people visit Italy mainly for its rich art, cuisine, history, fashion and culture. Also they visit because of its beautiful coastline and beaches. Also for its mountains, and so many priceless ancient monuments.
Italy also contains more World Heritage Sites than any other country in the world. Click here to read more.
2a. 7 Delicious Foods to Try While Visiting Milan
Things change fast in Milan as quickly as fashion trends. But it still remains one of the strongest cities of traditional Italian cooking.
Homemade cooking is still very much praised and appreciated. There are trattorias, enoteche (wine bars) and restaurants everywhere that offer traditional Milanese and Italian dishes to eat.
The city’s traditional cooking is based on filling dishes like osso buco (braised veal shanks) and risotto alla milanese (chicken-broth risotto made with saffron).
When you’re there and visit the different historical monuments the city has to offer you will eventually get hungry. Here are seven delicious foods in Milan.
They should give you the nourishment and satisfaction you need. Plus you’ll get a taste of the real deal, authentic Italian food.
Lunch is generally served between 12:30 and 2:30 pm and dinner from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Dinner, and occasionally lunch, are usually preceded by the aperitivo—a glass of sparkling wine or a Campari soda in a sophisticated hotel bar.
Avoid the restaurants around the Duomo, they are often tourist-only spots, with low quality food at inflated prices. Be aware that most restaurants charge an extra “serving tax” or “table rent.”
Also avoid restaurants or cafes around the central station, where it has been reported that hidden serving tax can be up to €5 per person with cheap quality food. Click here to read more.
3. Scenic Sorrento Italy
View from Piazza Tasso.
Sorrento’s sea cliffs with their great views and luxury hotels have attracted notable people, including Enrico Caruso and Luciano Pavarotti.
The city is famous for the production of limoncello, a digestif made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar.
Sorrento Italy is truly a playground for tourists. Here, you will find exquisite architecture and a thriving café and restaurant culture.
To many travelers, Sorrento makes the ideal base to discovering the Amalfi Coast and the Bay of Naples. It is close to other notable Italian attractions like the infamous Mount Vesuvius, which you can see from the town and the famous Pompeii.
While in the city you can catch a bus that takes you on a spectacular but rather scary ride through the Amalfi Coast. You will pass through villages built along the cliffs.
They have some of the most beautiful churches and architecture in the area. While you’re there you can take a ferry to the Isle of Capri.
If you want to go first class you can hire a private charter boat and take a day trip to Capri and along the Sorrento Coast.
There is no shortage of luxury there since you can shop like you are on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. If you just want to take it easy you can take a walk through tree lined walkways to the Nature Park. You could also take a trip to the emerging tourist destination island of Ischia.
Marina Grande, Sorrento. Photo by Cutiekatie / CC BY-SA 3.0
Out of all the towns on the Amalfi Coast, Sorrento has the most number of hotels and other accommodation choices.
Hiking the Trails
One of the best ways to discover the scenic marvels over the bays of Naples and Salerno is by hiking along the trails of the peninsula.
You can discover the many scenic marvels of this natural balcony over the two bays. The peninsula is surrounded by the Lattari Mountains which hug the Sorrentine coast and the Amalfi coast.
These mountains are rich with plateaus, peninsula, sheer cliffs, and deep gorges. There are many trails in the country side with various lengths and difficulties.
So you’re sure to find trails to accommodate your skill level. You will find hiking and trekking guidebooks in the local bookshops.
There are also expert hiking guides or tour operators that organize guided hikes and bike tours of varying difficulty and costs. Click here to read more.
4. Historical Bologna Italy
Piazza Maggiore, with San Petronio Basilica and the City Hall. Photo by Luca Volpi / CC BY-SA 3.0
But the Italian city in the Parmigiano-Reggiano offers visitors more than the taste of delicious pasta and Bolognese sauce.
Because of its long dramatic history and young population, visitors to Bologna experience a lively youthful vibe amidst old yet exquisite and well-preserved architecture.
The dominant structural hues you find in the city are yellows, oranges and terracotta red. This is the main reason why the city earned the nickname “La Rosa” (the red).
Bologna is famous for its cuisine (la cucina Bolognese). People also view it as a progressive and well-administered city. It is considered second only to Venice in beauty by many Italians.
The city has one of the largest and best preserved historic centers among all Italian cities.
Its architecture is noted for its range of terracotta reds, burnt oranges, and warm yellows. So the name of Bologna la rossa (Bologna the red) is very fitting.
The extensive town center, characterized by miles of attractive covered walkways, known as “porticos,” is one of the best-preserved in Europe.
Visiting Bologna is at its best from March/April to October, when it is warm and there is much outdoor sipping and dining.
Alternately you could just sit and relax in squares such as Piazza Santo Stefano and Piazza Maggiore. Come July and August, however, it can be very hot and sticky.
In August, as is the case in much of Italy in the summer, many shops and restaurants are closed for the summer vacation.
A view of Naples Italy, showing Mt. Vesuvius.
Winter can be cold, but Bologna is beautiful the two weeks before Christmas. January and February often feature cloudless blue skies, but the clear weather is often the coldest.
In those two months you will need a coat, scarf, hat and gloves.
Little English is spoken by Bologna residents, so take the time to learn a bit of Italian.
Learn some common phrases, and it will serve you well. Click here to read more.
About the Author
By a Southern California quizzard, Charles L Harmon
