Archive for 'Northeast Italy'

Continuing on from our previous article, here are the rest of the things you should know about Christmas in Italy.

3. The Original Live Crib Is In Greccio

Nativity scenes and, particularly, those featuring actors and live animals, have a long tradition and are said to have been created in Italy. As a result, there are many live Nativities all over the country that are rather famous. One of the most famous, arguably is the one at Greccio in Lazio, which is said to be the very first. To visit this charming event for yourself, just find a vacation rental in Lazio. It is said that the tradition was born as early as the 5th century but gained traction when St. Francis came back from visiting the Holy Land and wanted to reproduce the scene of the Nativity on Christmas Eve in Greccio. He prepared a manger with hay, had an ox and a donkey brought there, and then had a Holy Mass celebrated in front of it, before a large crowd of people who had come from all over the region, it is even said that a vision of the Child appeared on the hay.

Cortina d'Ampezzo is a fashionable ski resort town located in the Veneto region of Italy, just a two hour drive from Venice. The area has been a winter sports mecca since the 1930s and even played host to the first Italian Winter Olympic Games in 1956. Known as the “Queen of the Dolomites”, it is one of the best-known ski resorts worldwide and hosts international sports events annually such as the Alpine Ski World Cup, the Tour de Ski, ice hockey and curling championships, and Cortina Winter Polo. It is also stunningly beautiful, with plenty of restaurants and cafes in town offering delicious food, a vibrant nightlife and good shopping. However, in addition to this, it is home to a rather unique Christmas tradition.

In our last article, we outlined the unique nature and particular charms of the Italian interpretation of Christmas markets, before outlining some of the best of the best around the country. In addition to those examples in Rome, Florence and Milan, we have compiled a list of some more of the finest Christmas markets around Italy, should you have found a vacation rental in Italy and be planning on spending the festive season there.

Verona is a very famous Italian city and UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site best known for its connection to Shakespeare's most tragic of lovers. However, come Christmas, it gets a German makeover when a large Christkindlmarkt opens in Piazza dei Signori. Made up of wooden stalls with over 60 exhibitors selling handicrafts, decorations, regional foods, and German specialties, it usually opens late November through to December 21st.

The city of Verona is most famous for two fictional inhabitants – the tragic figures of Romeo and Juliet, who were the eponymous doomed lovers of Shakespeare's most famous play. As a result, tourism in the city often plays up to these famous figures and you can find endless businesses named for or with the theme of Romeo and Juliet and attractions “related” to the pair.

However, gross capitalism and consumerism aside, there is a certain romantic air to the city and, as it is within a stone's throw of Venice, it is the perfect spot to spend a honeymoon, in particular.

Just find a luxury villa in Veneto and explore the stunning region and its famously romantic cities as you begin exploring your first days or your new lives together.

Activities that kids will enjoy are key to making a successful family holiday and to keeping everyone in the group happy. It is even better if said activities are educational as well as fun and one of the best destinations or attractions to offer this is a zoological museum as it offers kids the chance to get up close and personal with animals, to observe them properly and learn in a safe environment.

These museums themselves, as well, tend to be set in pretty historic buildings that are attractions in their own right. Even if you're travelling by yourself, with friends or are on a romantic getaway, zoological museums are fun and fascinating places that anyone will enjoy.

Bologna's Zoological Museum, in particular, is a must-see as one of the oldest in the world. Just find a holiday rental in Emilia Romagna and pay a visit to the city and its wonderful zoological museum.