Five ideas for guided tours in Italy

• Rome

  The capital of Italy is easily visited on foot. All the monuments, museums, gardens, squares and tourist areas are very close to each other. Thus, it is easy to organize your visits, you can reach the different places quietly. Rome is an absolutely beautiful city and you will have to come back several times to appreciate all its jewels. Let’s mention at random the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, the Pantheon, Piazza Navonna and the mythical Trevi Fountain. Then enter the smallest state in the world, the Vatican City, with its grandiose monuments such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Sistine Chapel and the impressive St. Peter’s Square.

• The five towns of Cinque Terre

  Located in the Liguria region of northwestern Italy, the Cinque Terre is a real postcard picture. Along the Mediterranean coastline, the 5 villages are revealed on the cliffs and along beautiful coves. There is Monterosso al mare at the northern end with its fine sandy beach, Vernazza and its small fishing port and its colorful houses. Corniglia, a little off the coast, can be reached by a large staircase of 350 steps, Manorala, the oldest village and finally at the eastern end Riomaggiore. The 5 villages can be reached in 3 ways, either by a small train that connects them, or by the sea offering breathtaking views, or by a path where each route takes from 30 minutes to 2 hours of walking.

• Lake Maggiore and the Borromean Islands

  Located at the foot of the Alps between Switzerland and Piedmont and Lombardy, Lake Maggiore is 65 km long between Sesto Calende and Magadino and up to 5 km wide. On each side of the lake there are beautiful wooded hills, mountains and gardens, and all along its shores beautiful villages. In the center of the lake, the 5 islands of Borromeo. Three of them can be visited by ferry from the town of Stresa: the Isola Madre, the Isola Pescatori and the Isola Bella. All of them have beautiful palaces and gardens. From Stresa you can take a cable car to Mount Mottarone at 1,491 meters. You will have the most beautiful view of the Po Valley. You can also enjoy the beautiful walks that can be done from the well laid out paths.

• Lake Como

  Lake Como, only an hour’s drive from Milan, is a very famous place where many of the jet-set like to spend their vacations. But this place has long been appreciated by artists of all kinds. The musicians Giuseppe Verdi and Gioacchino Rossini as well as the writer Gustave Flaubert liked to stay here. Its nature is preserved between magnificent gardens and charming villages. The best known point to visit the lake is the city of Como. From there, a cable car will take you up to the heights, to Brunate. You will discover breathtaking panoramic views and walks through the marked trails. The most pleasant walk is on the “Greenway Lago di Como” which runs for 10 km along the shore between the villages of Colonno and Cadenabia with beautiful passages through small picturesque villages.

• The Dolomites

  This mountain range in the very north of Italy near the Austrian border has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The steep mountains with their monumental peaks and turrets provide an extraordinary view and are considered to be the most beautiful mountain landscapes in the world. The Dolomites offer travelers a fantastic hiking or biking experience, the choice is endless. In winter, it is a skier’s paradise, with the most famous starting point being the Tre Croci pass to reach the Lago di Sorapis, passing through the forest and along the cliffs.