Archive for 'Northwest Italy'

As there are incredibly lovely surroundings and views, an elegant and relaxing atmosphere, and leisure activities aplenty to choose from, Lake Garda has long been a place where the rich and famous have chosen to make their homes or to build holiday homes. Accordingly, along the shores of Lake Garda and on the islands throughout the lake, you will find some of the most impossibly beautiful estates, villas, and mansions in the entire world. If you have found a vacation rental in Lombardy or a holiday rental on Lake Garda and you are exploring the region or, better yet, if you have a particular interest in stately homes, architectural gems, and amazing gardens, then you will be very much in luck as there are lots of astounding treats to discover in and around Lake Garda. One such fascinating (albeit controversial) site is the Vittoriale degli Italiani (The Shrine of Italian Victories), a hillside estate in the town of Gardone Riviera.

The Vittoriale degli Italiani’s most famous inhabitant was the Italian poet Gabriele d'Annunzio who has left the biggest mark on the property to this day and under whom large expansion and reconstruction was undertaken. D’Annuzio is, today, a controversial figure, a talented writer and famous rogue who is considered a proto-fascist and was once a rival to Mussolini’s leadership of Fascist Italy.

Milan, the beautiful fashion capital of Italy and regional capital of Lombardy, is a chic, metropolitan gem that is a must for anyone who likes excellent museums, impossibly cool boutiques, headquarters for famous fashion brands, stylish residents perfect for people watching, elegant and trendy cafes, bars, and restaurants to hang out in, a vibrant nightlife, and much more besides. It is the epitome of a chic urban destination and if you find a vacation rental in Milan itself or visit on day trips from a holiday rental in Lombardy, you will quickly be able to see for yourself exactly why it continues to hold its title as one of the most fashionable cities in the world. However, as you dart around to see and do all that Milan has to offer, you may need a bit of an oasis of calm to retreat to for a while and catch your breath before carrying on. If so, Sempione Park is a perfect choice: a vast and beautiful park in the centre of the city!

The city of Milan, metropolitan gem that it is, boasts much to see and do within the city from museums to excellent shopping to incredibly stylish eateries to going out in search of excellent street art. However, if you have found a vacation rental in Milan and are spending time in the city, you might want to take a day to get out into the countryside, escape city life, get some fresh air, and enjoy a different side and different charms to Italy. If so, then you should head to the beautiful Villa Visconti Borromeo Arese Litta in Lainate, which is twenty kilometers north-west of Milan. An easy day trip, this stunning villa and its extensive and incredible gardens are well worth seeing for yourself and make a nice break from the hustle and bustle of Milan.

Built between the 16th and 18th centuries, originally for Count Pirro I Visconti Borromeo, with work beginning in 1585, the villa and gardens at Villa Visconti Borromeo Arese Litta bring together the work of many famous architects, artists, and artisans of the time, including the architect Martino Bassi, sculptors Francesco Brambilla Il Giovane and Marco Antonio Prestinari, painters Camillo Procaccini and Pier Francesco Mazzucchelli (known as Morazzone), Agostino Lodola and Giovanni Battista Maestri (called “il Volpino”).

To the very north of Italy, where it borders with France, Switzerland, Monaco, Liechtenstein, Austria, and Slovenia, you will find the majestic Alps. This part of the world is a stunning kaleidoscope of towering craggy blue peaks, lush green valleys, pastures filled with a rainbow diverse flora and fauna, pretty little villages perched up high, and rivers winding down slopes in glittering silver lines. This is where you will take in the freshest air you can imagine, sip the clearest, tastiest water from fountains and natural sources, and admire the most jaw-dropping, awe-inspiring views of your life.

If you want to get a taste of the Alps for yourself on your trip to Italy but maybe aren’t up for a whole holiday of hiking, then find a vacation rental in the Val D’Aosta and head along the via Valpelline-Comba d'Oren-rif Nacamuli, take the A5 motorway, leaving at Aosta Est, follow the route for the Sant Bernard tunnel, pass the village of Valpelline, head towards Place Moulin, and tackle the stunning Mont Brulé.

Some travellers are not content with doing what everyone else does on holidays. They don’t want the standard photos or to line up for hours for famous attractions or to mill in crowds of people. Instead, they want to explore, get off the beaten tourist path, and see beyond the brochures and Instagram to find the hidden gems that a destination has to offer. If you have found a vacation rental in Liguria and are exploring this beautiful coastal region of Italy, then we recommend heading to one beach, in particular, and not because it is a popular tourism spot but, rather, because of something that lies beneath the waves…

Noli, a pretty seaside town around 50km from Genoa, in Liguria, is home to a rather fascinating garden. This may seem like a bold claim in a country like Italy where there are endless beautiful gardens belonging to ancient estates, hidden amongst winding streets in city centres, housing incredible works of art and rare blooms, and much more besides but this garden is truly worth being set aside as something extra special. Why, you may ask? Well, for one thing, it’s an underwater farm. That’s something you don’t see every day, that’s for sure!