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Top things to do in Italy
Wander plentiful markets, explore Pompeii and Herculaneum and attend the theatre.
Here are the top things to do on a Italy holiday, as chosen by our Europe specialists.
Wander plentiful markets
Italy is a food lover’s heaven. Each region has its particular specialities and the local markets are the best place to discover the ingredients, as well as daily life and some enthusiastic gesticulating and shouting. Suggestions include the Rialto fish market in Venice, which displays a beautiful (although some might say ugly) array of fruits from the sea; Mercato Centrale in Bologna, beautifully located among a maze of medieval streets selling a mouth-watering range of pasta, meats, fruits and vegetables; and the Ballarò market in Palermo where the southern energy of the Italians is particularly palpable.
Explore Pompeii and Herculaneum
Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried under ash and mud during the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD. Considered the most important archaeological sites in Europe due to their exceptional preservation, these towns offer a rare insight into daily Roman life. See houses, shops and public buildings with their contents still intact, as well as the chilling plaster casts of the victims of the eruption.
Relax on the Ligurian Riviera
Combine sightseeing and city tours in Tuscany with sea, sunshine and relaxation on the Ligurian Riviera. Retreat to the luxurious towns of Portofino or Rapallo on this dramatic coastline to enjoy incredible sea views, delicious Italian cuisine, and just watch life go by in the harbour. Make sure to take a trip along the coast to Le Cinque Terre National Park, an Unesco world heritage site where tiny villages of colourful houses and cobbled alleys cling uncertainly to the cliffs.
Visit glorious Ravenna
Today, Ravenna is a small quiet town, but it was once the glittering capital of the western Roman empire. From the fifth and sixth centuries, beautiful churches were built with dazzling interiors, and it remains the best place to see early Christian and Byzantine church architecture. Impressive mosaics can be found in the Church of San Vitale and the Battistero degli Ariani. Ravenna can be easily visited on a day trip from Bologna.
Attend the theatre
Some of the finest buildings in Italy are its theatres, and the greatest opera and ballet companies in the world perform in them. One of the most beautiful is La Scala in Milan. The performance schedule here runs from December to July: visit the Museo Teatrale alla Scala for a behind-the-scenes tour and an insight into its magnificent history since its first performance in 1778. Venice has two theatres: La Fenice, which has burned to the ground twice, and the Teatro Verde, an open-air theatre on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore with romantic views across to St Mark’s Square. For something a little different, book tickets for the Arena di Verona, a well-preserved Roman amphitheatre, still used for magnificent open-air opera performances.
