Martha has traveled extensively in Italy for more than 30 years and she currently has a home in the Lunigiana region, an off the tourist track part of northern Tuscany, where she spends about half the year, using it as a base to explore Italy and getting to know the local food and culture. Follow her writing on Martha's Italy. Martha's travels have included every region of Italy. She enjoys attending traditional festivals, visiting historic sites, exploring undiscovered towns, and sampling the regional cuisine. Her first Italian experiences were on the island of Sardinia, where, as a member of the staff, she helped plan the logistics for an archaeological project, cooked traditional Italian cuisine for the crew, and managed the dig house for five summers. She also participated in a summer archaeological survey on the Salento Peninsula of Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot, walking fields and stopping to interview locals about possible artifacts in the area. Martha wrote the Italy Travel site on About.com for 10 years. She has also written about Italy for the Grand Wine Tour, HomeAway UK blog and Qatar Airlines Inflight Magazine. She wrote two mobile apps, Puglia and Italy Travel Tips, with Sutro Media.
While much of Puglia is best explored by car, the 200 kilometer section of Puglia’s coast from Trani to Lecce can easily be visited by train as you will see in this coast train trip itinerary. Many of the cities and towns along the sea have medieval historic centers and Romanesque monuments. Most coast towns have beaches that can be...
Chocolate for eating as we know it today originated in Piedmont and the region is still known for high-quality chocolate. In this guest article, you’ll learn where to go to satisfy your chocolate sweet tooth. Alba, Asti, Barolo, Borgo San Dalmazzo, Castellazzo Bormida, Cherasco, Torino and Vicoforte are just a few of the places to find chocolate to die for...
Here are the top things to see on Lake Como, a popular vacation destination since Roman times, if you have only 48 hours. Lake Como is dotted with pretty villages and stately villas. The lake is set in a scenic location in northern Italy, surrounded by mountains and hills offering good places to hike. In summer, swimming, and water activities...
Ascoli Piceno is a stunning medieval town by a river in Le Marche, just outside _Gran Sasso National Park_ in the neighboring Abruzzo region. Its main square is known as one of the most beautiful in Italy and the historic Caffe Meletti, on the square is famous for its Anisetta liquor. Ascoli Piceno makes a good base for visiting several...
The Roman ruins of Ostia Antica, Rome’s ancient port, are easily accessible as a day trip from Rome and make a good alternative to going to Pompeii. Ostia Antica’s ruins, while extensive, are smaller and more easily navigated than those at Pompeii and much easier (and less costly) to get to from Rome. At Ostia Antica you’ll get a good look at what...
Parma is known for Parmesan cheese and prosciutto di Parma and Modena is known for balsamic vinegar and Ferraris. However both of these Emilia-Romagna cities should also be visited for their interesting historic centers and beautiful Romanesque cathedrals. A Day in Parma A short walk from the train station, Parma’s compact historic center is easy to explore on foot. Walk...
The west coast of Calabria, on the Tyrrhenian Sea, is known for its pristine white-sand beaches sitting below rocky cliffs. Adding to the charm, the coast is dotted with seaside villages and medieval castles. Scilla’s cliffs, above the Strait of Messina, are famous as being the home of the six-headed monster in The Odyssey. Local legends say mermaids live in...
Make the most of your 2 days in Matera, the top place to go in southern Italy’s Basilicata region. Matera is known for its picturesque sassi districts, large settlements of cave houses and Rupestrian churches dug into the soft tufa rock in a ravine. One of Italy’s most evocative ghost towns, Craco, is also in this area. Visiting Matera Matera was once...
Villages and scenery in the Gran Sasso National Park, in the Abruzzo region of central Italy, are stunningly beautiful. This 48 hour itinerary takes you to the picturesque medieval hill town of Santo Stefano di Sessanio and the abandoned Rocca Calascio, then to caverns with a waterfall inside and Roman ruins. This part of the Abruzzo region is best explored...
Valle d’Aosta, in the northwest, is Italy’s smallest and least populated region. It’s a mountainous region dotted with picturesque mountain villages, small rural churches, castles, and even Roman ruins. There’s lots of Baroque art and architecture, too. While most of the region is best explored by car, the city of Aosta can be reached by train. The Valle d’Aosta is...
Umbria is the only Italian region that does not have a border either on the sea or another country. Known as Italy’s green heart, Umbria has a lot of natural beauty, with lakes and waterfalls. Umbria’s hills are dotted with pretty medieval hill towns. Although you can reach several of the top towns by train, Umbria is a great region...
Tuscany is one of Italy’s largest regions and most popular destinations for visitors. The Renaissance city of Florence is the heart of Tuscany. From Florence you can easily visit some Tuscany towns on day trips. Tuscany is also known for its wines and thermal spa towns such as Saturnia and Montecatini Terme. Even though central Tuscany is very popular, it’s...
Trentino Alto-Adige, also known as South Tyrol, is Italy’s most northern region. On the border of Austria, it only became part of Italy in 1919, so there’s still much Austrian influence. In the northern part of the region many people still speak German. With its German and Austrian influence, this is a top Italian region for Christmas markets. The cuisine...
Liguria is a long, narrow region on Italy’s northwest coast. The Ligurian coastline, also called the Italian Riviera, is dotted with some of Italy’s most famous seaside towns and villages. Inland the region is mountainous and sees few visitors but is interesting to explore by car. Because of its mild climate and many greenhouses, vegetables and flowers are grown on...
Sicily, in southern Italy, is the largest island in the Mediterranean. It is connected to mainland Italy by ferry but also has 3 airports. Sicily has many great beaches along its coastline, mountains and a volcano, and ruins and monuments from its past. Because of its diverse history there are remnants of Phoenician settlements, Punic cities, Roman amphitheaters, Greek temples,...
Rome, the Eternal City, is Italy’s most popular city for visitors. It offers an amazing amount of things to see and do. Rome’s most notable sites are the Colosseum and Roman Forum, the Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, and the fountains in Piazza Navona. However all over the city you’ll discover ancient monuments, Renaissance squares and fountains, and beautiful churches filled with...
Puglia, or Apulia, is the southeastern region of Italy known as the heel of the boot. Puglia is a destination where you can relax, eat well, and really enjoy the slow-paced southern Italian life. You may sometimes feel like you’ve taken a step back in time as you experience the life style and hospitality that this region offers. Puglia is...
Piedmont, or Piemonte, has mountains on three sides, with many good ski resorts. The region is home to the Slow Food movement so it’s a great place for eating, especially in fall during truffle season. Many of Italy’s top wines are produced in Piedmont and the region is famous for its fall truffles and chocolate. Piedmont Highlights * Torino, or Turin,...
The Lombardy region of northern Italy is known for its popular lakes and the city of Milan, the fashion city of Italy. Milan’s Malpensa airport is one of Italy’s main international airports so many travelers from outside Europe arrive in Milan. The provinces surrounding the cities of Mantova, Cremona, Brescia, and Bergamo made up a 2017 European Region of Gastronomy,...
Le Marche, sometimes called the Marches in English, is one of Italy’s regions that’s less visited by tourists. It’s a beautiful region in central Italy whose varied landscape goes from seaside to hills and mountains and is dotted with pretty villages and several stately towns. Cities along the coast are served by train but inland towns are more difficult to...
Being inside the Sistine Chapel with only 12 people on an after-hours visit with the Roman Guy.
Central Italy’s Le Marche region and the interior of the island of Sardinia.
That depends on where I’m going. If I’m visiting cities and big towns, I love taking the train, sitting back and enjoying the scenery. For visiting small towns and the countryside, a road trip by car is definitely the best option, not being on a schedule and stopping wherever something looks interesting.
Just about any place I go in Italy I can find something interesting to see or do.