Italy Travel Guides and Destinations Italy Travel Guides -

About Italy

Italy is one of my favorite countries in the world and it’s a cultural superpower. Overall, the incredible landscapes, history, arts, culture and food make it an unbeatable journey for the soul. And it’s so much fun to travel there on the efficient Eurail train system that takes you almost everywhere. I travelled there numerous times and love sharing my tips and Italy Travel Guides below.

The geography of Italy is fascinating. It is a peninsula with many Mediterranean islands including its 2 biggest, Sicily and Sardinia. It’s surrounded by the Adriatic, Ionian & Tyrrhenian Seas. More than a third of Italy is mountainous, including the northern Alps and Apennine Mountains, that run from north to south. Also, Italy lies on the meeting point of the African and Eurasian Plates. This brings a lot of volcanic activity here. Moreover, Italy has 14 volcanoes, with 4 being active: Etna, Vesuvius, Vulcano and Stromboli.

Italy is one of the birthplaces of western civilization. Also, it was the birthplace of the Renaissance during the 1400s and 1500s. Florence or Firenze was the heart of the Renaissance with some of the most incredible art museums in the world, such as, the Uffizi and Bargello. Rome is the capital of Italy. Furthermore, the Vatican in the center of Rome is the world headquarters for the Roman Catholic Church and the Pope. Overall, it includes the St. Peter’s Basilica and Square, the Vatican Museums and Sistine Chapel. The Sistine Chapel features the famous ceiling frescoes of Michelangelo.

The climate conditions vary depending on location. The coastal regions have milder winters with hot and dry summers. Overall, the winters vary across the country with cold and snow in the north altitude and warmer and milder weather in the south. The best time to go to Italy is on the shoulder seasons. Summers are crowded and hot. Therefore, going September-October or April – May is the best time with cooler temperatures and less crowds.