Why Visit Italy – 17 Incredible Reasons To Visit

Why visit Italy you might ask? Know as the Bel Paese, Italy is not only known for food and wine around the world. But also for anything from world-famous cities, amazing beaches and art. And if you haven’t visited yet and roamed around mountains, hills, and small towns or relaxed on a white sandy beach, you are missing out!

Although when you think about Italy the first things that come to mind are pasta and pizza, there is so much more for you to discover, like local food and drinks that are particular to every region. You can discover one of the 55 Unesco World Heritage sites or walk through the longest coastline in Europe.

If you still need some convincing on your next travel destination, check out why visit Italy and what you can see! First time abroad? Check out these essential steps to take before you embark on your next adventure.

1 World Famous Cities

From North to South, you will find plenty of cities to see and that are a reason to visit Italy. Cities where you can get immersed in the amazing landscape, full of history and amazing artworks. You can visit Venice with its arched bridges and gondolas to get immersed in Roman times through the Colosseum and the Imperial Fora in Rome.

Walk through the Renaissance in Florence with the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Walk through Milan’s shopping district beside the Duomo and visit the Mole Antonelliana and Cinema Museum in Turin. Walk on the ‘Lungomare’ in Naples and visit Via San Gregorio Armenio for nativity souvenirs. Find yourself back in time while visiting Pompei or Ferrara or have a lascivious holiday seaside front in Positano, Capri or in the Cinque Terre. Hike and ski on the Dolomites and Alps, there’s a reason to visit for everyone.

2 Unesco World Heritage Sites

Why visit Italy again and again? With 55 Unesco World Heritage Sites, Italy is home to more heritage sites than any other European country. 50 cultural sites and 5 natural sites where to experience the wide diversity in art, architecture, food and culture of this country.

Between the natural sites, we find Mount Etna, the Aeolian Islands, the Dolomites and Monte San Giorgio. While between the cultural sites we find: the Trulli in Alberobello, Villa D’Este nearby Rome, Syracuse, Genoa, the Medici Villa in Tuscany, Aquileia, Villa Adriana, the Etruscan Necropolis.

As well as Portovenere and Cinque Terre, Mantova, the Walls of Bergamo, Urbino, Castel Del Monte, Su Nuraxi of Barumini, Val di Noto, Padua, Verona and Assisi to mention a few.

3 Longest Coastline In Europe

Italy boasts a coastline long almost 7500 km and is washed by five seas, the Mediterranean, Adriatic, Ionian, Tyrrhenian, and Ligurian. Almost all the regions have access to the sea except Umbria.

The coastline alone has some of the most beautiful beaches and towns in the whole country. From the Amalfi Coast to Sorrento, the Orosei in Sardinia and Elba. Sperlonga and Portofino, Cinque Terre and Manarola. Another reason to visit Italy for sure!

4 Breathtaking Beaches

If you are after exotic beaches or breathtaking crystal clear waters, Italy will be a treat for you! You can visit Spiaggia Rosa in Sardinia for a lush pink-hued sandy beach with crystal clear waters or staying the same region you can find pure white sand in Spiaggia Della Pelosa. Visit the Amalfi Coast not only for the charming coloured cottages but also for the azure blue waters. Or head to Capri for a more reserved experience.

Find the most exotic places in Puglia and Calabria, as well as on the beaches in Sicily like Marzamemi and the Vindicari Natural Reserve. Add to your travelling list Cinque Terre and Polignano a Mare, Scala Dei Turchi in Sicily and Baratti in Tuscany.

5 Charming Small Towns

Italy has plenty of quaint villages and small towns with only hundreds of inhabitants. There’s beauty in the big cities but another reason to visit Italy is to explore the charming little village over the water, the one on steep terraces on the coastlines, the one atop hills and mountains as well as the lakeside picturesque ones.

There’s something for everyone, from Lake Como to the Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre to name the most famous ones. But the one that takes your breath away are the less-known ones where you can truly savour village life.

6 Incredible Landscapes

Then why visit Italy if not for the amazing landscapes? The Bel Paese has everything from amazing crystal-clear and sandy beaches to snow-topped mountains like the Dolomites and the Alps. Breathtaking valleys, woods, sunny coastlines, and quaint villages facing picturesque lakes.

From Northern Italy to South Italy, you can be anywhere and still appreciate the slow life that people live, whether it’s on the coast or atop a mountain. Thanks to the diversity in landscapes, Italy attracts plenty of people for hiking, skiing, visiting and relaxing. You will find a lot of incredible landscapes and views in the squares too, center of town life. From Rome to any small village, you will find the heart of every city there.

7 Active Volcanoes

Why visit Italy again you ask? Italy is home to three active volcanoes, the biggest in all of Europe and some of the most dangerous in the world. For a total of twelve volcanoes, three of which are active Mount Etna in Sicily, Stromboli in the Aeolian island and Mount Vesuvius near Naples.

Mount Etna stands at 10,900 feet between Messina and Catania. Not only it’s the largest volcano in Europe but also the most active. The last major eruption was in 1928 and smaller ones are always in order, with another bigger one in 2012. I might be of part in this case, as I have been visiting every year since I was a kid, but it’s breathtaking every time, mostly to see how nature works.

Stromboli is the second most active of the three, located off the coast of Sicily in the Aeolian Archipelago. With only a population of around 1000 people on the island, it’s deemed the most active volcano in the world, continuing to erupt since 1932. Also called ‘Lighthouse of the Mediterranean’ for its continuous eruption and a chance to see from a distance.

Mount Vesuvius stands 4,300 feet tall and is considered one of the most dangerous in the world. It’s located in Campania, in Naples bay and has a population of 3,000,000 living nearby. It’s widely known for the eruption of 79 AD when it buried Herculaneum and Pompeii, in a massive 25 hours continuum of volcanic ashes. It’s the only active volcano in Europe to be on the mainland.

If volcanoes are something that interests you, you should absolutely add them to your Italy bucket list!

8 Mediterranean Climate

Italy is not all sunny days and beaches, but in comparison to other countries, the climate can be defined as milder. As morphologically Italy has everything from the seaside to mountains and rolling hills, the climate tends to change from North, Center and South.

In the North of Italy, you will find a mostly cold humid and snowy winter, as well as a hot summer. In Central Italy, the climate is much milder with very hot summers and rainy winters. In Southern Italy, you will find mild rainy winters and very hot and dry summers.

Picking the best time to travel to Italy depends very much on what you plan to do. Usually, summers are full of tourists and the weather is much hotter, which can make visiting a city more tiring. Often times people come in early September or early May or June to find a more temperate climate.

9 Italian Cuisine

Italian cuisine doesn’t need an introduction and neither it needs it’s a reason in this why visit Italy list. Birthplace of gelato and pizza and where you will find almost 350 different types of pasta, Italian cuisine doesn’t stop at the staples. In every region, you will find typical dishes as well as seasonal dishes that you have to try at least once.

Don’t forget to treat yourself to wine, pasta and dessert. Like the delicious tiramisu, panna cotta, ciriole, torta paradiso, biancomangiare, pistachio liqueur and cannoli. Italian flavours are widespread around the world and everyone tries to mimic them, but you have to come to where it originates to find the real deal!

10 Vineyards & Wines

Why visit Italy for vineyards and wine? Italian wines are known and recognised around the world, making Italy the biggest wine-producing country in terms of volume and export. Production of wine started in the country 4,000 years ago.

But don’t think only about the supermarket wine, because when you are visiting, you can book a small vineyard visit, to truly savour the different wines and admire the landscapes in front of you. Also, Italy is renowned to be the birthplace of prosecco. From Veneto which is the wine’s highest producer in the country to Sicily, you can taste red, white and sparkling wines perfect to pair with any Italian food.

11 Architecture

Why visit Italy? Do you still need another reason to visit the Bel Paese? Well, we can’t avoid mentioning the amazing architecture that stands in the country. Everywhere you turn or visit, you can find a different style of architecture as well as an insane amount of landmarks.

It’s a place of talented architects and breathtaking buildings, estimating 100,000 monuments. From the Roman Colosseum to the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Cathedral to mention some in the capital. Without forgetting the beautiful arched bridges that connect Venice, Milan’s Duomo, the coloured house of Positano Turin’s Mole Antonelliana, the Leaning Tower of Pisa and Florence’s Cathedral.

Hundreds of styles all live harmoniously on the façades of castles, churches, art galleries, villas fountains, historic buildings, castles and archaeological remnants. You will find architectural styles from the Renaissance to Neoclassical besides Roman, Greek and modern architecture.

12 Hub For Art Lovers

Why visit Italy? Well for art and museums for sure! Italy is not only about great food and amazing landscapes. Being one of the biggest art hubs in the world, full of museums and galleries where to appreciate art as well as being the birthplace of amazing artists, architects, inventors and engineers that created a legacy through their work.

Must visit are surely The Uffizzi in Florence, The Sistine Chapel in The Vatican Museums, the Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice, the Egyptian Museum in Turin and the Naples National Archaeological Museum just to name a few. Also, a mention to the Venice Biennale gathers artists from all over the world and of all performing and visual arts for amazing installations in different pavilions inside the Arsenale complex and Giardini.

Italy is also considered, thanks to its widespread wonders from Roman times to Baroque, Renaissance and medieval times, it holds the greatest number of artistic and cultural assets declared a world heritage site by UNESCO.

13 Celebrations & Festivals

Italians love a good celebration and that’s why visiting Italy should be on your list. From the most well-known festivals like Carnevale, the one in Venice and Viareggio well known in the world. Filled with masks, colours, music and delicious food like fritters.

But celebrations don’t stop at Carnival. There are plenty of local festivals for saints like the ‘Festival of Saint Agata’ in Catania, the ‘Festival of Saint Rosalia’ in Palermo and the ‘Calendimaggio’ in Assisi. As well as ‘Infiorate‘ where incredible flowers arrangement are created in the streets.

Also, festivals are held for any kind of food you can think of. Of the many widespread in the country, a special mention goes to the ‘Peperoncino Festival’ in Diamante, the ‘Romanesco Artichoke Festival’ in Rome, the ‘Sagra di Cannolo’ near Palermo, ‘Sagra del Pistachio’ in Bronte, ‘Chestnuts Festival’ in Tusacny and Campania and the ‘Mortadella Festival’ in Bologna.

Italy is always up for a celebration, whether it’s for religious purposes or food!

14 Hub Of Music

Why visit Italy for music? Well, I am not talking about music festivals, even if they are known around. What I am talking about is opera. At the beginning of 17th century, opera was born in the Bel Paese thanks to its founders Peri and Monteverdi and then quickly spread to the rest of Europe. While visiting, don’t miss a chance to visit some of the oldest opera houses in Naples and Milan.

Talking about music, another reason why visit Italy, is that it was and still is the birthplace of famous composers. From Verdi and Puccini to Rossini and Paganini, to nowadays with Einaudi and Morricone, to mention a few.

Italy is not only about opera and classical music, Perugia hosts every year a Jazz Festival as well as summer festivals around the country.

15 Shopping & Fashion

Italy is a big shopping hub known around the world. From high fashion brands that were born here to plenty of small artisanal products made in town and markets around every town. Italy is home to some of the most well know fashion names like Dolce & Gabbana, Missoni, Moschino, Versace, Armani, Prada, Gucci, Fendi, Bottega Veneta and Valentino to mention a few.

Although big names take most of the recognition, Italy is well known for artisanal products and artisanal fashion, from shoes to leather bags. From artisanal food products to confectionery, handpainted ceramics and handmade jewellery. Any more reasons to visit Italy? The country is also known for hosting Milan Fashion Week.

16 Won’t Break The Bank

Whether you are going on a low-budget vacation, backpacking through Europe or going for a lascivious vacation, Italy is perfect for everyone. You might not manage to afford a world-renowned restaurant, but a delicious slice of pizza can always be in your hands. That’s another reason to visit Italy.

Although a lot of people reckon it’s expensive to visit, it can easily be done on a low budget without losing anything of the characteristic of the Bel paese. The best tips are to avoid touristy spots to eat where prices will be higher, use one of the many supermarkets to eat and save on food and eat where locals go for an even round experience.

17 Hospitable

Most Italians will try to make you feel at home wherever you are. It has to be said that English is not as widely known as in the rest of the world, mostly with the older generations. Why visit Italy then? There’s always someone ready to help or understand you using gestures.

Locals often will try to showcase their products and let you try samples of the food before buying. Show you untouched spots and walk you around. It wouldn’t be the first time that in small towns someone gets invited over for lunch or dinner. We do recommend learning some basic sentences to help you go by, like asking for prices and saying thank you, but that should be the norm everywhere you go.

We are at the end of this post on why visit Italy. Hope all these 17 reasons to visit Italy will bring you to the Bel Paese to savour all of these.

Have you ever been to Italy? Are you planning to visit? What is one of the reasons that would push you to visit Italy? Let me know in the comments!

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