Italy Off The Beaten Path

  Abbey of San Antimo near Montalcino
by Beausoleil
 
  • Abbey of San Antimo near Montalcino
      Abbey of San Antimo near Montalcino
    by Beausoleil
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by euzkadi
  • Isola di Murano (Entrance Range Rear) Light
      Isola di Murano (Entrance Range Rear)...
    by grandmaR
  • The View,Castello di Torrechiara, June 2010
      The View,Castello di Torrechiara, June...
    by von.otter
  • Holy light over Crete Senesi (Nov 2010)
      Holy light over Crete Senesi (Nov 2010)
    by Trekki
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Italy

101.

Outside Rome   Rome

Outside Rome, Rome

 130 Reviews  Regional trains are actually pretty affordable in Italy. If you're planning to make a one-day trip outside of Rome, go to the Trenitalia site and see for yourself! You can go to Florence from 14.31... 

 See All 889 Off The Beaten Path in Rome

102.

Back Street Canals   Venice

Back Street Canals, Venice

 123 Reviews  People are always saying "part of the charm of Venice is just wandering and getting lost." Well...I do agree with the wandering part but have a solution for the "getting lost" part. I found a... 

 See All 841 Off The Beaten Path in Venice

103.

The Lake District: Como, Maggiore, Iseo, Lugano ...   Milan

The Lake District: Como, Maggiore, Iseo, Lugano ..., Milan

 21 Reviews  The city of Como on the shores of Lake Como is an easy day trip from Milan - a 45 minute train journey from Milano Cadorna station, with trains running regularly throughout the day and late into the... 

 See All 181 Off The Beaten Path in Milan

104.

Lago di Garda & surroundings of the town   Verona

Lago di Garda & surroundings of the town, Verona

 39 Reviews  These are some typical views of the castle and the water side. People could be horrific in the summer. The whole peninsula brings them to the point and nowhere to turn but go back. The town is not big... 

 See All 154 Off The Beaten Path in Verona

105.

Villas and houses   Pompeii

Villas and houses, Pompeii

 23 Reviews  Close to the Casa di Caio Giulio Polibio there is the Fullonica di Fabio Ululirtemulo. It has got two wonderful paintings showing Roman legends: on the right yuo can see Aeneas, Anchises and Ascanius;... 

 See All 64 Off The Beaten Path in Pompeii

106.

Excursions   Bologna

Excursions, Bologna

 5 Reviews  perfect for a day trip from Bologna, only 40/60 min by train and you arrive in the town center...or half an hour by car...the best way to visit Ferrara is by bike inthis website you can find address... 

 See All 46 Off The Beaten Path in Bologna

107.

Excursions   Pisa

Excursions, Pisa

 21 Reviews   When you are in Pisa for a longer time it might be nice on one of your daytrips to visit the "Ponte della Maddalana" in Borgo a Mozzano. In the photo you can see the Maddalena's bridge or also... 

 See All 123 Off The Beaten Path in Pisa

108.

Old cafeterias   Torino

Old cafeterias, Torino

 4 Reviews  The most famous Cafe in Torino.. locates in Galleria Subalpina near Piazza Castello. The place itself is very beautiful.. worth a visit.. Baratti & Milano is wellknown for their fine coffee, delicious... 

 See All 53 Off The Beaten Path in Torino

109.

palazzi   Genoa

palazzi, Genoa

 15 Reviews  Also known as Palazzo del Principe, this building would be one of the pearls of Genova's if it wasn't so hidden, without even an inscription or a sign, close to the Principe railway station. This... 

 See All 52 Off The Beaten Path in Genoa

110.

Sinagoga ebraica   Trieste

Sinagoga ebraica, Trieste

 5 Reviews  Trieste had four beautiful ancient temples, all of which were destoyed. Above the doors of the temple there are the symbols of the Jewish community : a crown, the breastplate of Aron, palms and a... 

 See All 104 Off The Beaten Path in Trieste

111.

Piazza del Campo   Siena

Piazza del Campo, Siena

 8 Reviews  From the campanile you have the best view down to Piazza del Campo, that is devided into 9 parts by stripes in the pavement, as 9 districts of Siena built their council here in Palazzo Publico 

 See All 103 Off The Beaten Path in Siena

112.

The International Puppet Museum   Palermo

The International Puppet Museum, Palermo

 2 Reviews  We were not able to find a puppet show to attend and so this became the next best thing. This is a remarkable exhibit of a preserved "popular tradition". There are hundreds of marionettes & hand... 

 See All 29 Off The Beaten Path in Palermo

113.

Excursions   Rimini

Excursions, Rimini

 4 Reviews  You can catch a regular bus from outside rimimni train station to San Marino. San Marino is a village on top of a mountain with 200 souvenir shops that sell weapons mainly. No wonder the Italians... 

 See All 14 Off The Beaten Path in Rimini

114.

Border Italy/Switzerland   Como

Border Italy/Switzerland, Como

 5 Reviews  From Como it is easy to take the train to either Lugano or Bellinzona in Switzerland. They are both beautiful places and worth a visit. Bellinzona Since 2000 the three castles, Castelgrande,... 

 See All 41 Off The Beaten Path in Como

115.

Villa Olmo Parco   Lago di Como

Villa Olmo Parco, Lago di Como

 3 Reviews  There are many little passageways in the park behind the Villa. I spent an afternoon just wandering the little seldom-tred paths. Here is one of the parks lovely little secrets. 1) A little stream... 

 See All 41 Off The Beaten Path in Lago di Como

116.

Islands   La Spezia

Islands, La Spezia

 2 Reviews  I had the chance to visit the nearby islands with a local guy I had met at a club and found it simply enchanting. In a seculed beach he was able to ride the "baloney pony' until he could not stand it... 

 See All 22 Off The Beaten Path in La Spezia

117.

San Giorgio   Portofino

San Giorgio, Portofino

 6 Reviews  The interior of San Giorgio is nice , but not very special, in comparison with plenty of other churches in Italy. The church was almost completely destroyed in WW II and reconstructed afterwards. 

 See All 14 Off The Beaten Path in Portofino

118.

Levanto   Liguria

Levanto, Liguria

 4 Reviews  Nervi is a place I saw first , when I passed by in the train to Genua, and all the coastline was lighted, including the 2 small castellos and so decided to go there with Chiara the other day. Nervi... 

 See All 29 Off The Beaten Path in Liguria

119.

Ancient Rome   Rome

Ancient Rome, Rome

 87 Reviews  One of the best preserved ancient structures in Rome, the Pyramid of Caius Cestius was built in 12 BC as a tomb for Caius Cestius. It was modelled after pyramid tombs in Nubia, which was attacked by... 

 See All 889 Off The Beaten Path in Rome

120.

Isola Burano   Venice

Isola Burano, Venice

 91 Reviews  The second stop on our cruise was the island of Burano, which is located about 8 km north of Venice. If Murano is known all around the world for its glass production, Burano is almost as famous for... 

 See All 841 Off The Beaten Path in Venice

121.

Shopping or Fashion District   Milan

Shopping or Fashion District, Milan

 9 Reviews  Secondhand best shopping in Milan by Docks Dora... an old factory partially renewed to host a great secondhand store for trousers, shirts, jackets & many other stuff ... it deserves a quick visit even... 

 See All 181 Off The Beaten Path in Milan

122.

The hidden little gems of the town   Verona

The hidden little gems of the town, Verona

 28 Reviews  The bust of Felice Cavallotti, 1842-1898, stands on the wall in the passage of Scaliger palace. He was Italian politician, poet and dramatic. In 1860 and 1866 he faught with the Garibaldi Corps.... 

 See All 154 Off The Beaten Path in Verona

123.

Ancient Shops and Products   Pompeii

Ancient Shops and Products, Pompeii

 14 Reviews  From Herculaneum Gate, also known as the Saliniensis or the “Salt Gate”, the Street of Tombs begins. This was discovered during the first excavations in the city (1763-1838) and constitutes a complete... 

 See All 64 Off The Beaten Path in Pompeii

124.

San Luca church   Bologna

San Luca church, Bologna

 4 Reviews  Leave the city behind by following the longest uninterrupted arcade in the world up into the hills to the San Luca Monastery. The arcade starts at Porta Saragozza and winds its way across roads and... 

 See All 46 Off The Beaten Path in Bologna

125.

More than Campo dei Miracoli   Pisa

More than Campo dei Miracoli, Pisa

 46 Reviews  Besides the Medicis which ruled Pisa after it lost to Florence in 1406, these Tuscan cities share one more thing - the Arno river. While the Arno looks romantic in Florence, it takes on a rather... 

 See All 123 Off The Beaten Path in Pisa

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Garden of Horrors

by iandsmith

Unexpected, that's the word that fits this place. Even when you have seen pictures of the place they don't prepare you for this bizarre creation.Vicino Orsini (1522-1580), Duke of Bomarzo when the garden was implemented in 1552, wanted something breaking any architectural and artistic rule as a memorial to his late wife.Taken from Ariosto's "Orlando Furioso" on a plan by architect Pirro Ligorio (who later worked on St. Peters) the sculptures are an extraordinary sight.This cute little piece shows Ercole about to rip Caco apart in a scene from the Battle of the Giants.Parco dei Mostri is definitely a "must-see" for the discerning tourist.

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Discover some lesser known places in Italy

by carlabrian

A favourite is Deruta. Famous for its ceramics, the town has over a hundred galleries/workshops/retail areas. The large mass producing outlets are on the flat area that you will drive into when exiting the E45.Take some extra time to drive upto the Centro Storico where there is a fantastic museum and tens of galleries, often with one ceramicistStop for a coffee at Bar Centrale where Dina and Guilio always offer fine service

Vie Cave

by manuna

Vie Cave (hollow ways) work as a giant natural fridge. For this reason walking through these giant impressive tunnels through the tuffaceous rocks, you can come across insects and plants that are completely anomalous for Maremma latitude and temperatures. The Hollow ways were built and excavated among the rocks by the ancient Etruscans to be able to move from one centre to the other. To avoid long and tortuous trails but also for defence and not to be seen by the invaders.To visit the Hollow Ways you just need to choose, you can go along the Provinciale 22 (The map must be of big scale!).

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Pitigliano

by manuna

This is one more nice town in the mountains with enotecs. We came across it while looking for Via Cave. The best views of the town are from the road, but it is prohibitted to stop there or walk there. But sill everybody do it. We took the picture from our car window.

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Toscana , Umbria & Garda by - Fleischer Wine exper

by Loveonly

Toscana , Umbria & Garda by - by Fleischer , Wine expert & photographer . Our great trip to Italy 2008 by Fleischer Wine expert & photographer While I was searching through Google before my trip to Toscana & Umbria, I came across this great website : http://www.Italy-vacation.com We emailed the company and surprisingly a very nice person named Aizenman responded. It turns out that this man is like a walking encyclopedia of Italy. Of course, it is his job to know about the general information on his website, but the amount and quality of information that he offered to us was over and above our expectations. He was able to give us the particulars that we needed in areas of personal interest such as wine, art, and scenery. Thanks to Aizenman's recommendation, we arrived to Sibilini Park, after the festival in Terni and it was one of the most beautiful places we have ever been. We rented...

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Stair, steps and hills

by razella

If you wish to see a town on a hillside then you must go to Taormina in Sicily. There are so many steep hills, hundres of stairs to climb and breathtaking beauty all around. There are old castles, cathedrals, the sea from all points, many aquatic sports and ancient ruins to discover. The hospitality is wonderful as is the many little tratorrias and cafes on the main concorses. There are affordable guest houses as well as the expensive hotels overlooking the sea. The fish is plentiful and delicious as most of the country's Italian cusiine. I stayed in a home, that caters to guests that was situated on a hillside and the view from my window was incredible, rolling hills, lush greenery and the Ionio Sea. This place is not advertised, I happened to stumble upon it. If you walk up or drive to Via Pirandello towards Porta Messina and continue up, you will see typical Sicilian homes and...

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Tuscan Wine Tour

by andersonclan

This Chianti wine tour was awesome. It was the highlight of my trip. We had a wine tasting, viewed the beautiful Tuscan countryside, dined at a wonderful family owned Italian restaurant. I am now hooked on this wine! There are different types of tours that are available, just check out their website for more info. If you are interested in an affordable wine tour with an very friendly & knowledgeable tour guide, be sure to look up the Tuscan Wine Tour website. We had so, so, so much fun!

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Villa Verdi.

by Maurizioago

Giuseppe Verdi; one of the most famous Italian composer lived in this villa from 1851. It is located in Sant' Agata di Villanova sull'Arda (PC).Today this mansion is inhabited by his heirs.Here you can visit five rooms and see many things that belonged to Verdi and to his wife. Villa Verdi has a big park with a lake.The visit to the villa and the gardens are possible only by guided tours.

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Coast north of Rome

by breughel

FORUM REPLY.You asked for a trip along the Italian coast. One possibility is of course in the south the well known and very nice and rocky coast between Sorrento and Amalfi.The other possibility is to the north at the Monte Argentario peninsula. Nice coast with a mix of typical harbours like Porto Santo Stefano, Porto Ercole and Talamone. Also large sand beaches under the pines near Orbetello and Ansedonia.Weather in September is nice and there are not too much people in the week. Romans come here for the week-end; there are few foreigners on this coast.You will find details under my tips for these destinations at 150 km north of Rome by the Via Aurelia.Ciao.

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Lodgine near the Saturnia baths

by gogirl1000

Since I am a budget traveler, I have never stayed in the Saturnia spa hotel or even used their services of massage, etc. BUT I just returned from two weeks in Manciano, a nearby town, and we went to Le Cascate a number of times. When the water exits the hot springs at Saturnia, it flows down the hill. At one point it makes small waterfalls and pools which are free to the public. In shoulder season it is not difficult to park there on a weekday. My family, including two elementary school children, thoroughly enjoyed lolling in the deep pools higher up with shoulders pounded by the entering hot water or playing in the shallower complex. Also, if you have transportation, there are many accommodations of varying degrees of luxury near Saturnia. We stayed in Villa Edera, (http://www.villaedera.it/) a small property with about 5 apartments ranging from 1 to 3 bedrooms, electronically gated,...

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Italy
  1. Rome Off The Beaten Path
  2. Venice Off The Beaten Path
  3. Florence Off The Beaten Path
  4. Milan Off The Beaten Path
  5. Verona Off The Beaten Path
  6. Pompeii Off The Beaten Path
  7. Bologna Off The Beaten Path
  8. Pisa Off The Beaten Path
  9. Sorrento Off The Beaten Path
  10. Torino Off The Beaten Path
  11. Genoa Off The Beaten Path
  12. Trieste Off The Beaten Path
  13. Bergamo Off The Beaten Path
  14. Naples Off The Beaten Path
  15. Siena Off The Beaten Path
  16. Palermo Off The Beaten Path
  17. Lucca Off The Beaten Path
  18. Padova Off The Beaten Path
  19. Positano Off The Beaten Path
  20. Ravenna Off The Beaten Path
  21. Vicenza Off The Beaten Path
  22. Rimini Off The Beaten Path
  23. Capri Off The Beaten Path
  24. Como Off The Beaten Path
  25. Taormina Off The Beaten Path
  26. Lago di Garda Off The Beaten Path
  27. Catania Off The Beaten Path
  28. Bari Off The Beaten Path
  29. San Gimignano Off The Beaten Path
  30. Modena Off The Beaten Path
  31. Amalfi Off The Beaten Path
  32. Treviso Off The Beaten Path
  33. Riomaggiore Off The Beaten Path
  34. Alghero Off The Beaten Path
  35. Monterosso al Mare Off The Beaten Path
  36. Orvieto Off The Beaten Path
  37. Assisi Off The Beaten Path
  38. Parma Off The Beaten Path
  39. Ferrara Off The Beaten Path
  40. Sirmione Off The Beaten Path
  41. Stresa Off The Beaten Path
  42. Bellagio Off The Beaten Path
  43. Livigno Off The Beaten Path
  44. Siracusa Off The Beaten Path
  45. Bolzano Off The Beaten Path
  46. Lago di Como Off The Beaten Path
  47. Trento Off The Beaten Path
  48. Manarola Off The Beaten Path
  49. Burano Off The Beaten Path

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Veneto Off The Beaten Path  Lazio Off The Beaten Path  Tuscany Off The Beaten Path  Lombardy Off The Beaten Path  Campania Off The Beaten Path  Emilia-Romagna Off The Beaten Path  Sicilia Off The Beaten Path  Liguria Off The Beaten Path  Piemonte Off The Beaten Path  Friuli-Venezia Giulia Off The Beaten Path  Trentino-Alto Adige Off The Beaten Path  Umbria Off The Beaten Path  Puglia Off The Beaten Path  Sardegna Off The Beaten Path  Marche Off The Beaten Path 

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Questions and Answers

SandiM profile photo

Q:  For my 3rd trip to Italy, my mother and I are on a tight budget (food-wise). On previous visits, I'd simply select a recommended... 

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A: Sandi, I'm no expert on Italian eating but eating from each menu section would be an incredible feat. We always order a starter OR a dessert and then we order either a... 

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