At the heart of the boot, it is the only region with no coastline.

It includes Lake Trasimeno, central Italy’s largest lake. The area still has the remains of Etruscan settlements, particularly around Castiglione del Lago, where the loveliness of the natural landscape combines with the romanticism and stillness of the lake.

Moving on from the two lakes, we come to the Cascate delle Marmore waterfalls near Terni, some of the most beautiful in Europe.

The waters dive into the River Nera with a spectacular 165 m (541 ft) drop, and are surrounded by lush vegetation. This is the spot for sports lovers who enjoy canoeing, kayaking, and not only.

Still in the province of Terni, tourists looking to get the feel of Umbria should not miss out on two little gems: one of them is linked to history and the other to the territory. Carsulae is an ancient Roman town traversed by the ancient Via Flaminia, where important public buildings have been discovered. We can still see the remains of the S. Damiano Arch, with particularly beautiful and fascinating surroundings.

The other gem, closely linked to the area’s makeup is the Dunarobba Fossil Forest, a rare example of a forest that existed 3 million years ago, with very well-preserved tree trunks set in a lunar landscape.

The provinces of the region are Perugia (regional capital) and Terni.

Trentino Alto Adige is situated in the very north of Italy bordering Austria and Switzerland, and is best known for the beauty of its peaks.

Its territory stretches from the Adamello-Brenta range and the peaks of Ortles and Cevedale to the most striking mountains in Europe: the Dolomites of the Fassa Valley, Brenta, the Gardena and Fiemme Valleys and Pale di San Martino. This setting encloses an extraordinary variety of landscapes: magnificent snow-capped mountaintops, woods, wide valleys, streams, lakes, the enchanting play of light between the spires of the Dolomites, typical villages with soaring bell towers, and the myriad shades of unadulterated nature.

Hundreds of miles of ski slopes make this region a cutting-edge tourist destination – Madonna di Campiglio, Canazei, Moena, San Martino di Castrozza are the best known resorts, popular in both winter and summer for their natural surroundings, sport activities, and fun.

The landscape of Lake Garda is particularly picturesque; it narrows in Trentino, appearing as a fiord between the high mountains.
Land of confluence between Latin and Nordic worlds, Trentino Alto Adige is the guardian of a remarkable cultural heritage, made up of prehistoric evidence, charming castles, sanctuaries and towns with great historical and artistic significance.

A number of spa towns offer treatments and therapies, of which Merano, Lèvico Terme, Peio, Rabbi and Comano Terme are the most famous.
The provinces of the region are Bolzano and Trento.

It is one of the pearls of Southern Italy and can be discovered, understood and experienced through a series of itineraries dedicated to areas of interest ranging from nature to history and traditions.
Nature seems to have endowed all its wonders to this land: mountains, hills and above all the sea, with its incredible colors, its crystal-clear water and the beauty of its seabeds, in no way inferior to those of other seas.

Here, the Mediterranean Sea, with its many little islands scattered around the coasts of Sicily – The Aeolians, Egadi and Pelagie Islands, Pantelleria and Ustica – offers unique and the intense sceneries, scents and flavors of uncontaminated nature.
Last but not least, its great volcanoes are symbols of the irresistible beauty and vitality of this incredibly charming region.

Fascination for this region grows with treasured archaeological sites that tell the story of the ancient origins of Trinacria (ancient name for Sicily).

The provinces of the region are:
Palermo (regional capital), Agrigento, Catania, Caltanissetta, Enna, Messina, Ragusa, Siracusa
and Trapani.

True to the meaning of its name (foot of the mountain), Piedmont is a land of mountains. It is surrounded on three sides by the Alps, with the highest peaks and largest glaciers in Italy.

Monviso, the Piedmont side of Monte Rosa and the other spectacular mountains in the region, create incredibly beautiful landscapes, and ski resorts abound: Via Lattea and Sestriere welcome winter sports enthusiasts with their state-of-the-art facilities.

The Alps form the background for sweeping, picturesque valleys, e.g. the Val di Susa, Valsesia and Val d’Ossola.
The landscapes of the Langhe and Monferrato are hilly, rather, but just as beautiful, a succession of cultivated hills and vineyards that are dotted with small towns and castles.

Expanses of water and rice paddies, long rows of poplars and old farmhouses make up the typical scenery of the plains around Novara and Vercelli.

Lake Maggiore is the most sought-after tourist resort, including Stresa and the Borromean Islands, charming as they are with their ancient villas surrounded by beautiful lawns and gardens.

Yet, nature is only one of the many attractions in Piedmont.
This region has many other facets: from Turin – the Italian car manufacturing capital – with its history and remarkable cultural heritage, to other cities such as Cherasco, Alba and Ivrea.

Next up are the intriguing Medieval castles – like the imposing fortress at Ivrea – and prized works of architecture – the famous Residences of the Royal House of Savoy and the Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) certainly deserve to be mentioned.

The famous spa resorts of Acqui Terme and Vinadio offer treatments and therapy for a relaxing, reviving holiday.
Discoveries and surprises of all kinds are in store for visitors to the region, including a wide range of food and wine to suit every palate.

The region’s provinces are: Turin (regional capital), Alessandria, Asti, Biella, Cuneo, Novara, Verbano Cusio Ossola and Vercelli.

The region is split into two provinces, named after their respective capitals Campobasso and Isernia. Campobasso also serves as the regional capital.

In Campobasso, visitors can admire the historic center and the majestic battlemented castle of the Longobard period; the Romanesque churches of San Bartolomeo and San Giorgino. The church of Sant Antonino Abate houses the collection of carvings and wooden sculptures of sixteenth-century masters of Molise.

About fifteen kilometers from the city, rises the Romanesque Santa Maria della Strada, with the fifteenth-century Gothic sepulchre. In Isernia, the Civic Museum holds Samnitic epigraphs and sculptures; the fourteenth-century Fontana della Fraterna is also very interesting. In Pastena, tourists can admire the monumental Sanctuary of the Addolorata of Castelpetroso, surrounded by a thick forest.

Winter sports enthusiasts will find no lack of state-of-the-art facilities in Lombardy, for example in the extremely popular resorts of Tonale, Bormio, Livigno and Madesimo.

Another aspect that defines the region is its expanse of rolling hills that encompass the distinctive Franciacorta area, famous for its vineyards and wine production. The charm of the great lakes is a great tourist draw, attracting visitors to Sirmione and other well known destinations dotting the western coast of Lake Garda, while Lake Como and Lake Maggiore are no less beautiful, surrounded as they are by stately homes, parks and picturesque small towns.

The region is also characterized by the great flat tracts of the Po Valley lowlands, covered by shimmering mirrors of water and rice paddies: this is the typical landscape of Lomellina, the land of rice harvesters, steeped in tradition.

The region has countless other distinctive facets. Lombardy, aided by its geographic position and fertile soil, will captivate you – nature, history, art and culture marry in harmony with innovation, technology, fashion, entertainment, and a contemporary outlook.

The region comprises the provinces of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Cremona, Lecco, Lodi, Mantua, Milan (regional capital), Monza and Brianza, Pavia, Sondrio and Varese.

This region has different yet complementary features, unblemished sceneries and spectacular horizons among the towns. Visitors can enjoy incredibly beautiful views, like Villa Borghese in Rome, the Italian capital.

Villa Borghese is the most famous city park for walking or cycling. It represents an unparalleled experience between art, containing the Borghese Gallery with its masterpieces, and the nature surrounding it, including lakes and ancient trees. Lazio is also full of spas, whose history is bound to the several thermal water springs that had great success in the Republican Age and continued to be used in the Imperial Age. The Romans built sumptuous thermal baths and we can still admire their vestiges around the territory; first of all, the Terme di Caracalla (now in a state of magnificent ruins) in the heart of Rome.

Tivoli is another spa, but its fame is mainly due to the artistic beauties it contains, like Villa D’Este, with its splendid fountains, gardens and magnificent palace of the Renaissance, and Villa Adriana, the ancient residence of emperor Hadrian. The two villas are on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

For those who prefer the sea, this region offers some pearls such as Gaeta, Sabaudia, San Felice Circeo, Sperlonga and the Islands of Ponza and Ventotene, while those who love lakes will enjoy Bracciano, an enchanting stretch of water encircled by the intense green of the surrounding nature and overlooked by a magnificent 16th-Century castle. Walking along the Medieval streets of the villages by the shores of the lake, visitors can feel that these places are not only bound to the Roman Empire, but were also the theatre of various historical periods. Lake Bolsena, in the area of Viterbo, gives us an example of it, as it is the biggest volcanic lake in Europe and encloses two islands, Bisentina and Martana. This lake combines the charm of lush nature and splendid view,s with the history and traces left by the Etruscans, Romans and successive populations.

Finally, mountain lovers will not be left disappointed by Lazio, thanks to the ski resorts of Terminillo, Livata and Campo Staffi. This land evokes memories of unrivalled places and intense emotions, but also a clear perception of the relentless march of time, that justifies the attempts of our ancestors to challenge time and leave us their remembrance.

The provinces of the region are: Rome (regional capital), Frosinone, Latina, Rieti and Viterbo.

The typical scenery of Veneto’s coast is the Venetian lagoon, and, right on this very lagoon stands perhaps the most unique city in the entire world – Venice, visited by millions of tourists every year.

Yet all of the Veneto, a region with a thousand different faces, is the custodian of natural, artistic, and traditional treasures.

Veneto expresses an extraordinary variety in its scenery: from the Dolomites, dipped in the crimson shades of the sunset, to the eastern shore of Lake Garda and Peschiera del Garda, Torri del Benaco and other tourist destinations. Long, sandy beaches alternate with well-known resorts such as Jesolo, Bibione, Cavallino and Caorle.

In this spectacular natural setting lies a rich cultural heritage that renders the Veneto such a fascinating region, from its cities of art to the magnificent Palladian villas scattered along the Brenta Riviera. And not to be forgotten are the small villages of Arquà Petrarca, Monselice, Asolo and Bassano del Grappa that bring together the most typical aspects of this diverse and varied region.

Veneto is also an ideal destination for a vacation of comfort and relaxation, thanks to its possession of thermal waters with their valuable therapeutic properties: the gentle slopes of the Euganean Hills are home to the well-equipped facilities of the Euganean Spas: e.g. Abano, Montegrotto and Teolo, where guests can combine treatments and therapies with pleasant excursions out into the surrounding areas.

The provinces of the region are: Venice (regional capital), Belluno, Padua, Rovigo, Treviso, Verona and Vicenza.

You can admire sceneries of uncontaminated nature in the Apuan Alps and in several protected areas, such as the Orbetello Lagoon, home to many species of migrant birds, including pink egrets.

However, the most typical sceneries of the region are those that merge the beauty of nature with the millenary work of man. The amazing Gulf of Baratti and the sites of Vetulonia, Vulci and Pitigliano guard necropoli and vestiges of the Etruscan civilization, while Roselle and Cosa evoke memories from the Roman Age.

Medieval villages, historical towns, castles and defense systems, country churches (the so-called pievi) and beautiful abbeys, like the one of Sant’Antimo, are scattered all over the territory and their profiles stand out in the landscapes of the Crete Senesi, Orcia Valley, Garfagnana, Chianti and the Maremma.

Finally, Tuscany is full of spas: Montecatini, Saturnia, Montepulciano, Monsummano and Bagno Vignoni, which offer relaxing holidays thanks to their thermal waters and well-equipped facilities for all types of treatments.
The provinces of the region are: Florence (regional capital), Arezzo, Grosseto, Livorno, Lucca, Massa Carrara, Pisa, Pistoia, Prato and Siena.

Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia is a mainly mountainous region, without high peaks, with a vast and charming, yet bittersweet, natural environment. In fact, the presence of man does not seem to affect this territory; great surfaces still preserve their natural composition, luxuriant woods with even millenary trees, small desert areas and marshes inhabited by deer, wild horses and rapacious birds.

The sea reigns over this region with its colors that migrate into the coves, along the coasts, towards the beaches and the most popular resorts. An example is the Costa Smeralda (Emerald Coast) with Porto Cervo set as its gemstone and uniting the history and culture of ancient traditions with a joyful and colourful nightlife. Porto Cervo was named after its enchanting cove that resembles the antlers of a deer; the Old Port is considered the best-equipped touristic port in the Mediterranean Sea. Porto Rotondo is also a famous location; it overlooks the wide Gulf of Cugnana and is full of villas and piazzas swathed by such a splendid natural environment as this.

Those who prefer the mountains can explore the area of Gennargentu, the vastest mountain range in Sardinia; with its peculiar landscape, it proves that the loveliest painter of them all is Mother Nature herself. This region is rich in flora and fauna, with its mouflons, golden eagles, Sardinian deer and several other species now threatened with extinction.

Among its wonders, Sardinia offers the visitor the Nuragic complexes scattered all over the territory. These monuments are unique to the world, testifying to an ancient culture that – though it endured from the 16th to 15th Centuries B.C. still rains rather mysterious. The Nuragic constructions were built using great blocks of stone and developed around a central cone-shaped tower that communicates strength and power. These are archaeological sites where it is possible to grasp the archaic charm of ancient rituals and domestic life. Of these many constructions, the Barumini complex, in the Province of Cagliari, is among the sites in the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The provinces of the region are: Cagliari (regional capital), Carbonia-Iglesias, Nuoro, Olbia-Tempio, Oristano, Medio Campidano, Sassari and Ogliastra.