Category: Italy

Italy travel planning tips and photos

A quaint tour of Soave, Italy

Soave, Italy - Beautiful Soave Castle seen on the hill from the village below. Soave, Italy was a small village that we knew nothing about when we visited Italy. We simply saw it from the freeway and decided to stop…and we were glad we did it. It is definitely a very old small village with an impressive castle and beautiful views of the surrounding country side. Soave, Italy is a delightful day trip from Verona or Lake Garda. The stairs leading to the castle provide beautiful views all around the area and the surrounding hills are simply beautiful with grape vines stretching in all directions. Read more about visiting Soave.

3 Best Things to Do in Padua Italy (with map)

Padova (or Padua) was one of the tourist attractions that we were not prepared for. Being impressed and tired after visiting Venice for two days, we did not research Padova very well, so we came ill prepared for what the city had to offer. Padova, Italy is a large city with beautiful tourist attractions which makes for a great day trip from Venice if you have an extra day. Padova, has three large areas with attractions, each within 15 minutes walking distance from each other. Read on about my walking tour of Padova, Italy.

3 Beautiful Things to Do in Burano Italy (with map)

Burano is another well known island in the Venice archipelago. Burano is well known for its fine lace industry that dates back several hundreds of years. It is a popular tourist attraction in Venice but it is not very crowded even at the beginning of August when we visited. Let’s walk together and explore my favorite things to do in Burano.

3 Beautiful Things to Do in Murano Italy (with map)

Since we have already visited the main island of Venice Italy we felt really bad about being near Venice and not visiting more. So we decided that we would visit Venice again for the second day but this time we wanted to visit the two islands that are well known but not visited as much as the main island.  So on our second day to Venice we decided to visit the island of Murano and the island of Burano.

A beautiful walking tour of Venice, Italy

Before visiting Venice for the first time, I have read a lot and seen lots of pictures. I understood that Venice is fundamentally different than everything else simply because instead of roads they have water canals. Yeah,  I got it…or so I thought. However, when I arrived in the central station in Venice, things were different…very different! Why am I saying that?

A Charming Walking Tour of Verona (with Map)

Verona, Italy - Street actors dressed in medieval clothes are passing through Piazza Bra in front of beautiful buildings and restaurants We arrived in Verona, Italy after a few hours drive from Milan. We were ready to stretch our legs, but most of all we were eager to experience this symbol of Italian charm and romance. We kept using the promise of Italian ice cream as a bribe for our kids as we started exploring this beautiful medieval city. Read on to experience my charming walking tour of Verona, Italy.

11 Favorite Cute & Quaint Country Cottages

Houghton, England - Beautiful fairy tale country cottage For all of us who live in urban areas, we dream about living in a cozy country cottage surrounded by flowers and grape vines. Even though I can’t live in one of these beautiful cottages, in my travels I have found a few of them that look very idyllic. Read on to see my favorite cute and quaint country cottages from all over the world.

The best way to visit Cinque Terre

Cinque Terre is part of the Italian Riviera and it is also a national park. The National Park Cinque Terre, Italy consists of five small villages located on a steep mountain side in the Italian province of Liguria. Beacause of its popularity and difficult access, Cinque Terre is somewhat difficult to visit and enjoy. Cinque Terre can be visited by car, by train or by boat. Read on about the best way to visit Cinque Terre.

Is Cinque Terre Overrated?

Cinque Terre Riomaggiore thumbnailCinque Terre, Italy is a very popular tourist place in Italy. Like with every popular tourist place, every careful traveler needs to be a little cautious and discern beyond the whole tourist hype. I live in Southern California and I am used with scenic coastal views and landscapes. So is Cinque Terre just a pretty place by the sea? I think Cinque Terre is unique in its blend of scenic views, climate, history and most of all Italian charm. Read on to answer this questoin: is Cinque Terre overrated ?

6 Charming Things to Do in Treviso Italy (with map)

Old building in TrevisoTreviso is a city in the region of Veneto in Northern Italy. Because Treviso is so close to Venice it gets bypassed by tourists because Venice is such a hot tourist attraction. This makes Treviso a quiet town to visit with plenty of historical buildings and attractions. We definitely enjoyed walking through its narrow streets and admiring the many old buildings scattered all over the town. Come along with me on a walking tour of Treviso.