Situated in northern Italy and not far from the Swiss border, Lake Maggiore or more commonly known by the locals at Lago Maggiore, has much to offer as a spectacular travel destination. The lake and surrounding area make it a popular summer destination, attracting visitors from all over.
A number of islands are dotted throughout the lake, with Isola Bella being one of the more significant. The island forms part of the Borromean Islands and has been occupied since well before 1632 by inhabitants of a tiny fishing village. However, during 1632 the construction of the monumental Baroque ‘Palazzo Borromeo’ commenced by Count Carlo III. The Palace contains priceless furniture, tapestries and art collections. The terraced gardens are an excellent example of a seventeenth century “Italian garden”. Isola Bella is easily accessed from the lakeside town of Stresa.
This guest post is by Angela Pearse. Angela is an Auckland-based travel writer who loves Italian travel destinations. Angela has supplied a number of posts for Travel Tips Plus of both Italy and Japan.
Greve in Chianti lies slightly off the well-beaten tourist track between Florence and Siena in the region of Tuscany. Originally just called Greve it was renamed in 1972 after inclusion in the Chianti wine district.
The heart of this market town is the triangular piazza which features a 13th century church and a bronze torso in remembrance of Giovanni da Verrazzano, a local explorer who discovered New York’s harbour. The piazza also houses an impressive collection of specialty shops which sell local products including meat, wine, olive oil and cheese.
The Chianti region is renowned for its wines and extra virgin olive oil while restaurant menus commonly feature wild game such as rabbit, pigeon, venison and wild boar. Both black and white truffles are also a Chianti delicacy.
One great reason to visit Greve in Chianti is to sample prosciutto (and a glass or two of Chianti) in one of the oldest and renowned butcher shops in Italy, Macelleria Falorni.
This guest post is by Angela Pearse. Angela is an Auckland-based travel writer who loves Italian travel destinations.
Ravello is a medieval hill-top town situated 1,500 feet above the Amalfi Coast in the region of Campania, Italy. It has a history of celebrity and artistic visitors: Wagner, Greta Garbo, Virginia Woolf, E.M Forster, Winston Churchill, to name a few.
Apart from the breath-taking views across the Gulf of Salerno, one of the main attractions is 13th century Villa Rufolo, whose terraced gardens inspired Wagner to write his final opera. Each July a classical music festival is held there in his honour. Villa Cimbrone is the other draw card, renowned for its six hectare gardens and the stunning Terrace of Infinity, a balcony with alabaster statues suspended over the ocean.
Positano is situated on the Amalfi Coast between Sorrento and Amalfi and has a population of around 4,000. This post has been authored by Angela Pearse. Angela is an Auckland-based travel writer who loves Italy.
Positano is renowned for its picturesque houses set impossibly high up into the cliff face, spiraling roads, superb cuisine, antique shops and art galleries. When Coco Chanel pronounced tans fashionable in the 1930’s, large numbers of trend setters flocked to the town in search of sun and romance. Today Positano still attracts the rich and famous due to the large number of luxury accommodations; it has four 5 star hotels, and fourteen 4 star hotels.
Though the most popular pastime is sunbathing, many hiking trails exist in the hills behind Positano. The most notable is the ‘Sentiero degli Dei’ (Path of the Gods) which starts in the small hamlet of Nocelle 1,500 feet above the coastline and descends by way of 1,700 steps to the township below.
The Traveler IQ challenge ranks geographic knowledge of cities such as: Punta Cana, Willemstad or Columbia by comparing results against 5,473,834 other travelers.
Entries (RSS)