A list of must see places in Italy
1) ROME!! Where else in the world can you find so much history still living among contemporary society. I imagine my favorite site to be the Coliseum, but I am also just writhing with curiosity about Vatican City... its whole own little world.
2) Cinque Terre. Five little coastal cities you can hike between.It's absolutely beautiful and centered on nature, not art, not history, not culture... just the pure beauty of the mountains and the sea...plus the hike is athletic and fun!
3) Amalfi coast, Its near Naples and includes the Isle of Capri. There are scattered ruins, but more beautiful are the coastal caves and small islands. You can hop a boat to anytime... one island being Pompey!
4) Lucca, an absolutely amazing little Italian town. It’s
beautiful how the ancient roman walls are still preserving a close
community and quaint atmosphere just outside a sprawling urban city.
The wall is ideal for walking around, but more fun to bike.
5) Florence- the cultural hub of the renaissance cannot be missed.In Florence you can find the Uffizi Gallery with the statue of David, original paintings by Da Vinci, Lippi, Guinizelli, and more. Also in Florence is the Duomo with the first ever cathedral dome. Florence is the home city of great minds like Dante, Galileo, Petrarch, the Medici, etc. Simply cannot be missed!!
6) Chiante - Chiante is actually a region in the state of Tuscany, comprised of many small towns. It's known for its Chiante wine as well as its rolling hills and exquisite views. While a car would be ideal for exploring the countryside and trying out each towns local flavor of Chiante, horseback riding is often more accessible to the winding roads and much more fun.
7) Pisa - a perfect day trip, how can you come to Italy and not see the leaning tower.
8) Assisi - It’s the home of St Francis and much of it has been preserved to recall the type of life he advocated. Thus it is very pastoral and simple, but beautiful. It is in a different state than Tuscany, called Umbria, which is supposed to be gorgeous as well.
9)Venice – Go to the Piazza San Marco to be swept up among chickens and relive the "I love this woman" commercial, followed by a gondola ride and delicious but expensive dinner, Venice is a must.
10) Lake Como- Its in northern Italy on a very serene lake, somewhat sheltered from tourists and in the shadows of the Swiss Alps which you can take a cable car up!
*This Italian tour commentary was provided by Katie Martens and edited for use by Amanda Lee.