DESTINATIONS

The cosmopolitan city of Milan is Italy’s economic engine room, where the hard-working Milanese run their busy metropolis with efficiency and aplomb. Home to Italy’s stock market and business centres, this stylish city is also the world’s design capital and rivals Paris as a leading fashion centre. This makes it the home of shopping, although the theatre and cinema also flourish in this fashionable milieu.

The club scene is bouncing, and the cuisine is second to none, with a melting pot of cultures that create an eclectic range of dishes for all tastes. The beautiful monuments, museums and churches also house some of the world’s greatest works of art, such as Michelangelo’s final sculpture and Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper.

So, with its dazzling shop windows and sophisticated ways, Milan is a pleasure to get to know — and, with Welcome Italy’s insider knowledge you can enjoy all of the delights of this splendid city on the tightest of budgets.

Venice is the city of magic, full of secrets and unbelievable romance. Arguably the most beautiful city in the world, Venice was created more than 1,000 years ago, by men who dared defy the sea by erecting their splendid palaces and churches on mud banks in a swampy and treacherous lagoon.

Today, as you wander through its winding, narrow streets, you can still see how it has become known for being the most elegant and refined city in Europe, greatly influencing art, architecture and literature all over the world. The Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale make-up the delightful landmarks of Venice in an exotic mélange of Byzantine, Gothic and Renaissance styles. Sunlight shimmers and silvery mist softens every perspective here, in the city renowned in the Renaissance for its artists’ rendering of colour. Often called “the floating city”, Venice has the power to lift the souls, hearts and minds of all of its visitors.

The Maggiore Lake is famous for its enchanting shores, which boast famous castles, monuments and islands, that dazzle like authentic jewels. Luxury villas and opulent Art Nouveau hotels line the elegant lakeside, making it an ideal location to take a tranquil stroll and soak up the spectacular sights of the local area.

The famous town of Stresa (sitting 200m above sea level and housing 5000 residents) enjoys a splendid location on Lake Maggiore, where it overlooks the eponymous islands, which is the main attraction in the region. Its beautiful countryside, architectural gems and mild climate combine to make Stresa one of the most popular tourist attractions in Italy. Due to this, since the late 19th century Stresa has been renowned for its sophisticated atmosphere and genteel visitors, and today it still enjoys an impressive roster of cultural and musical events.

Lake Como is the epitome of gracefulness, beauty and refinement. Sometimes described as “the star with three points”, Lake Como is made up of three branches which are united in a charming central lake. Each branch of the trio is separated by different styles and cultures – the Colico’s branch is savage and pure, the Lecco’s branch is a natural jewel and the branch of Como is refined and elegant.

Known as the pearl of the northern lakes, Lake Como is world-renowned for its beauty, which makes it the perfect destination for those looking to get lost in a corner of paradise. We operate various programs in this magnificent region and each time guests are amazed by its mild climate, wholesome air, relaxing atmosphere and magnificent views, as well as its luxurious villas and glorious churches, chapels and monasteries.  

Where Rome is a historical hot-pot, Florence is like stepping back into a Fiat and Vespa-filled Renaissance: the shop-lined Ponte Vecchio, the trademark Duomo, the gem-filled Uffizi Gallery, the turreted Piazza Della Signoria and the Medici Chapels all form a city-size shrine to the Renaissance. Florence offers frescoes, sculptures, churches, palaces and monuments from the richest cultural flowering that the world has known.

However, to see the Tuscan capital simply as Europe’s preeminent city of art would be to ignore its role as a dynamic and cosmopolitan metropolis, and to overlook its more unsung charms – such as Italy’s most visited gardens, idyllic strolls in the rolling Tuscan hills and its famous ice-cream parlour. Unforgettable experiences that are all within walking distance.

It has been said that one lifetime is not enough to appreciate all that Rome has to offer. The magical city contains traces of every period of its existence since 753 B.C, the date when the city is said to have been founded by Romulus. Even today, new discoveries continue to come to light, providing visitors with a wealth of artistic treasures and architectural wonders to explore.

Rome became the capital of Italy in 1870. The metropolis clusters round a multicentric old town centre that contains a host of great attractions, which are all enclosed within the ancient defensive barrier of the Aurelian Wall (the only instance of its type in Europe). Today, the historic centre is listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site and provides visitors with a heady mix of haunting ruins, awe-inspiring art and vibrant street life.