I don’t know about you, but as soon as the weather warms up, Instagram seems to be serving me snapshots from the Amalfi Coast, Tuscany and Puglia and it has me yearning for warm days eating pasta outside tiny tavernas. It’s true Italy’s coastline is stunning, but to be truly immersed in the Italian summer, the country’s cities are the place to be. Here’s a roundup of our top Italian summer city break destinations.
Rome
The capital city of Italy, Rome is bursting with all your favorite things about Italy: great food, picturesque streets, and a big dose of history. Mostly famously Rome is home to the Colosseum, but it is also known for more than its ancient history: it is home to the Trevi Fountain, an ancient water source that is one of the best examples of historical Italian architecture; the Spanish Steps which climb a steep slope between the Piazza di Spagna at the base and Piazza Trinità dei Monti, which has the Trinità dei Monti church at the top beautiful gardens and a world-famous film industry – think Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, Gladiator, Ben-Hur and Pink Panther.
With plenty of hotels, apartments and AirBnBs in the city you can easily find a base from which to explore the city on foot.
Read our mini guide here.
Bologna
Bologna is well-known as the travelling foodie’s paradise. One of the largest cities in Italy’s north, some of Italy’s well-known pasta dishes, meats, cheeses and wines come from this region.
Lots of downtown Bologna is navigable on foot through a network of walking streets which makes for a relaxed day of exploring whilst getting your 10,000 steps in.
The Quadrilatero is a small area in downtown Bologna where walking streets connect some of the city’s best shopping spots. There’s an upscale shopping mall, Galleria Cavour, which hosts the Italian fashion house boutiques of Prada, Louis Vuitton and Gucci. There’s also the Mezzo di Mercato (Middle Market) which has food and drink from local sellers too.
For history buffs, the 38 kilometres of Middle Age historical porticoes as listed by UNESCO, the first of which dates back to around 1041, plus the Basilica di San Petronio and the Asinelli Tower.
Milan
A world-famous city for fashion, design and architecture, Milan is a bucket-list city in my opinion. Although beautiful all year round, Summer/Fall in Milan is buzzing – alfresco dining, late night shopping, and peaceful evenings relaxing in the cities green spots are all time well spent here. Hosting Fashion Week every year, plus the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, make Milan a fashion-lovers destination.
Sights that are a must-see include the Duomo Cathedral and its vast piazza surrounded by shops and restaurants. The climb up to the roof of the Duomo often has a queue but it’s absolutely worth it for incredible views across the city. The opera house, La Scala, is stunning and with tickets for gallery and upper circle starting at only €15 ($16) it’s a fabulous opportunity for dressing up. Castello Sforzesco is one of the most famous historical landmarks in Milan and sits in the grounds of the gorgeous Parco Sempione which would be on my list of spots to visit.
Venice
A city on water, Venice is built on more than 100 tiny islands in a lagoon in the Adriatic Sea. This is another great city for exploring on foot as there are no roads in Venice! You can walk miles on the pedestrianised streets, or you can get around on the canals by various types of boat.
Venice has more fine examples of classic Italian architecture, The Grand Canal is lined with Renaissance and Gothic palaces which are worth a look even for the most amateur architectural eye. The central square, Piazza San Marco hosts the St. Mark’s Basilica, which is tiled with Byzantine mosaics, and nearby the Campanile bell tower forms part of the Florence Cathedral on the Piazza del Duomo and has some incredible views of the city’s famous red roofs.
Being a city on water, many of Venice’s traditional dishes revolve around seafood. Popular dishes are risotto al nero di seppia (risotto cooked with cuttlefish ink) and Bigoli in salsa (pasta in an anchovy sauce), a rather salty dish that pairs wonderfully with an Aperol Spritz or two.
Read our mini guide here
