Italy attractions

A major shipping and ferry port on the southern coast of Italy, Salerno Cruise Port is a popular departure point for shore excursions to the nearby Amalfi Coast. Although the port city has a picturesque historic center, most visitors use Salerno as a jumping-off point to visit other places in the surrounding Campania region.

All roads lead to Rome, so the saying goes—and pretty much all Italian train tracks eventually lead to Termini station, Rome’s newly renovated “grand central” and the chugging heart of the Italian ferrovia (railway) system. Termini is Rome’s premier train station and is among Europe’s largest; it connects travelers to the Italian rail network and is the only Rome station where both the metro A and B lines cross. Rome’s main bus terminal is located just outside.

Sorrento is known for growing some of the most fragrant, high-quality lemons in Italy, and this proud agricultural tradition is on full display at I Giardini di Cataldo. Visit the scenic citrus grove in the heart of Sorrento to learn about the cultivation process and taste limoncello, jams, and other sweets made with the thick-peeled lemons harvested on-site.

Among Sicily’s restored and repurposed tuna fisheries, the Tonnara di Scopello is the prettiest, anchored by the pastel-pink Palazzina Florio (with bookable apartments and a museum) and a medieval tower overlooking a perfect stone bay and dazzling blue waters. A functioning fishery for about 700 years, the tonnara is now an idyllic tourist attraction—the stuff of Sicilian dreams.

Hidden far beneath the Apennine peaks in central Italy, the Frasassi Caves (Grotte di Frasassi) are among the largest and most astonishing cave systems in Europe. Discovered in the mid-20th century, this spectacular network of soaring caverns—filled with immense stalactites and stalagmites—is an unforgettable sight for adventurers of all ages.

Florence’s San Lorenzo Market includes two separate markets. One is the Central Market (Mercato Centrale), an indoor food market with a trendy gourmet food court upstairs and stalls selling everything from seasonal produce to Chianti wine and Tuscany's famed olive oil on the ground floor. The other is an outdoor market brimming with touristy trinkets and affordable souvenirs as well as high-end leather goods and other Florentine crafts.

Discover Puglia’s wild side in the largest zoo and safari park in all of Italy. Covering almost 350 acres, Zoosafari Fasanolandia is home to more than 200 species of animals from five continents and includes a self-drive safari, zoo, and sea lion aquarium, as well as an amusement park with thrilling roller coasters and water rides.

Officially called the Leonardo da Vinci Airport, the Rome–Fiumicino International Airport is most commonly referred to as, simply, Fiumicino, the city just outside Rome where it’s located. The country’s largest and busiest airport, Fiumicino serves more than 40 million passengers annually and is the main hub for Rome and central Italy.

Visit Lake Como in peak season, and you’ll have to hunt for a sunbathing and swimming spot. This beach club in the lake’s namesake town is where to find a private beach spot, swim in the lake or pools, and enjoy an aperitivo—all under the watch of Villa Olmo, a beautiful lakeside villa in an area crowded with them.

The Livorno Cruise Port (Livorno Terminal Crociere), a busy shipping terminal set on the Tuscan coast, serves as a gateway to this famous Italian region and its capital city of Florence. With few attractions of its own, the port city of Livorno is primarily a jumping-off point to explore the Tuscan cities and countryside.

Once the country estate of the powerful Doria Pamphilj family, this park on the western side of Rome is the largest in the city. The 450-acre (182-hectare) green space consists of centuries-old fountains, wide trails lined by umbrella pines, and the Casino del Bel Respiro—a 17th-century villa with a baroque facade, stately Roman statues, and a garden of intricate hedges shaped like doves and lilies.

When temperatures rise, do as the Romans do and cool off at Hydromania, the capital’s only outdoor water park. The whole family can splash around on waterslides that range from high-octane to relaxing, in various pools, and at the dedicated spaces for kids to play. Recreation areas for sports include soccer and volleyball. All of these activities are an easy trip from the city center, creating an often-needed alternative to summer sightseeing in Rome.

The medieval Castello Aragonese, perched atop its own islet just off the coast of Ischia, is one of the most important and striking attractions on the island. Visit this sprawling fortress, working your way up from the bottom—past historic churches and convents, a cemetery, prison, and terraced gardens—until reaching the panoramic Terrazza degli Ulivi overlook at the very top.

Food-centric Modena is known for its prized balsamic vinegar, and there is no better place to see how this delicacy is produced than Acetaia Giusti. The oldest balsamic vinegar maker in Italy, Acetaia Giusti has been producing this aromatic delicacy for 400 years. Visit its aging cellars and museum, plus sample authentic balsamic vinegar at its estate just outside the city.

It may not top anyone’s list of must-see sights in Venice, but Piazzale Roma serves an important purpose. This is a major transportation hub and bus station, the last spot in car-free Venice where driving isn’t banned. If you come to Venice by bus, you’re likely to be dropped off here. There are also parking garages for people who arrive by car.

One of the busiest cruise ports in Europe, the Venice Cruise Port (Terminal Crociere Venezia) is a popular stop for many European cruise liners. Most ships dock at the Stazione Marittima near the Piazzale Roma transport hub in the Venetian Lagoon, with passengers opting to explore charming Venice on guided tours and convenient shore excursions.

Nature lovers and art enthusiasts are drawn to Giardini della Biennale, a picturesque park that hosts the renowned Venice Biennale art festival. Every two years, the park transforms into a global art hub featuring about 30 pavilions, each showcasing art from a different nation. When the festival isn’t underway, visitors will find a tranquil garden ideal for walks amidst lush greenery and scenic canal views plus the pavilions, each designed by esteemed architects.

Set inside a tiny cliff-lined inlet just outside of the coastal village of Praiano, Marina di Praia is one of the most charming beaches on the Amalfi Coast. The pocket-sized stretch of pebbles and rocks is lapped by cobalt water, and a clutch of rental umbrellas and beach chairs sit next to rows of cheery wooden fishing boats, making for a picturesque scene.

When it comes to Rome’s food markets, Campo de’ Fiori and Trastevere might get all the tourism glory, but Testaccio Market (Mercato di Testaccio) is a neighborhood institution. This daily market is set inside a contemporary glass-ceilinged building—and over a basement of archaeological excavations—in the relatively modest Testaccio neighborhood. It’s a great place to grab coffee, snack on casual eats, rub elbows with local nonnas, and experience what remains of central Rome’s working-class roots.

The epicenter of Milan’s legendary nightlife, the Naviglio Grande is a landmark canal with a much less sophisticated past. Once part of an urban network of transport waterways, it is one of only two canals left today. It sits at the heart of the buzzy Navigli District, and its nearby galleries, eateries, and clubs are among the city’s trendiest.

Jutting dramatically from Rome’s 1,750-year-old southern city walls is something even older: a marble pyramid built between 18–12 BC. Back then, it was trendy for ancient Romans to construct Egyptian-inspired funerary monuments, and this 120-foot (36-meter) tomb for politician Caius Cestius is the only one that remains today. See this unexpected sight while touring the Testaccio and Aventino neighborhoods, known for quaint parks and a fantastic food market.

What was commissioned by the Medici family, designed by Michelangelo, and home to highly valuable works written prior to the year 1000? That would be the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, a 16th-century library safeguarding the Medicis’ impressive collection of rare books and manuscripts. This underrated site is a must for anyone interested in the history of architecture, literature, or the most powerful family in Florentine history.

The crown jewel of Lake Maggiore’s Borromean Islands, Palazzo Borromeo is a masterpiece of Baroque excess covering most of Isola Bella. Visit its lavish halls stuffed with paintings by Rubens and Titian, Flemish tapestries, and sculptures by Antonio Canova—the grand Sala da Ballo (Ballroom) and stuccoed Sala del Trono (Throne Room) are standouts. Afterward, stroll through the lush terraced grounds to admire its Italian-style gardens occupied by a clutch of white peacocks.

Just a few steps away from the vendors, buskers, and selfie takers at Florence’s Piazzale Michelangelo is the serene Rose Garden. Nestled in the Florentine hills just outside of the old city walls, the small public park peers out at Palazzo Vecchio and Brunelleschi’s Dome. It’s home to 400 different rose varieties, which are peppered throughout the park among benches, lily ponds, and a charming collection of animal sculptures.

With hundreds of colorful market stalls crowding two floors and piled high with everything from seasonal produce to fish plucked directly from the Mediterranean Sea, Cagliari’s San Benedetto Market is one of the largest indoor marketplaces in Italy. This homage to Sardinian culture and cuisine is an ideal spot for mingling with local shoppers and sampling island specialties.

The Skyway Monte Bianco is 2-stage ride by cable car, which whisks you from Italy’s Courmayeur high up the Monte Bianco—aka the Mont Blanc massif—to Punta Helbronner, where attractions like the Sky Vertigo Walkway and a 360-degree observatory await. Of course, the real highlight is the panoramic mountain views that sweep majestically over the Italian, French, and Swiss Alps on cloud-free days.

Tucked in the Alpine city of Bolzano, the South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology is home to one of the most astounding prehistoric finds of the last century: a Copper-Age mummy preserved by the Alpine glaciers for 5,000 years. Dubbed Ötzi, the Iceman is now the unrivaled star of the show at this small but world-class museum, where you can see his clothing, equipment, and even his remains—now displayed in a sealed, temperature-controlled chamber.

The resort town of Forte dei Marmi on the Tuscan coast has been a holiday destination since the 18th century, when wealthy families traveled from inland Tuscany in search of cool sea breezes. Today, its sandy beaches lined with shady pines attract day-trippers from Pisa and Lucca.

Marsala wine, a reinforced sweet wine produced in Sicily’s southwest corner, has been famous since the 18th century, with Florio Winery (Cantine Florio) turning out some of the area’s most prestigious labels for 150 years. Learn more about the history and production of these sweet wines with a tour and tasting at this historic cellar located right on the seafront.

In a city known for its contemporary architecture and design, the award-winning Bosco Verticale (Vertical Forest) stands out. These twin high-rise residential buildings are wrapped in lush greenery from the thousands of trees and plants that grow from the balconies, which mitigate Milan’s carbon dioxide levels and provide a soothing sight for sore city eyes.