Archive for 'Northwest Italy'

The beautiful region of Valle D'Aosta, or Aosta Valley, is in the mountainous north-west of Italy. As the name suggests, it is full of beautiful valleys and the mountains offer stunning views across its picturesque landscape. Any visit to the area should include time to take in the great beauty of this distinctive landscape. However, it is not only what is on earth that can be admired in Valle D'Aosta. The Astronomical Observatory of Valle D'Aosta gives visitors to the region the opportunity to take in amazing views of the skies above as well. For something special to do one evening, once you've found your perfect vacation rental in Valle D'Aosta, why not spend some time gazing at the stars?

As previously discussed, Milan is one of the fashion capitals of the world and, certainly, of Italy. As such, any visit requires a little bit of shopping. If you're looking for a genuine experience of the city and a shopping opportunity that is uniquely Milanese, you're going to want to avoid most of the high streets. Instead, you should wander around the local markets and experience the shopping culture, see the city and find the best bargains.

Find a great accommodation in Milan and you can have the perfect European shopping getaway!

In our last article, we introduced you to the incredibly beautiful Padernello Castle in Brescia, Lombardy. Stunning to behold, set in the charming little village of Padernello and with a rich history and abundant legends such as that of the Dama Bianca, it's a site that is steeped in Italian culture and tradition. However, it is not some outdated relic of the past but, rather, has become an important part of local contemporary life through educational programs with local schools, public events, exhibitions and by hosting a popular farmer's market. We have already covered the past but the castle's present also merits discussion, in particular, the culture of engaging the public with art and food in the castle.

Padernello Castle, located in Brescia in Lombardy, looks like it has been pulled from the most beautiful storybook you ever read as a child. Set in lush green surroundings with crumbling reddish orange walls and an emerald coloured moat hugging its edges, it is colourful and picture perfect. Despite its romantic and somewhat dilapidated appearance, the castle is very much a part of local contemporary life through educational programs with local schools, public events, exhibitions and a popular farmer's market which is hosted by the castle. If you want to experience the Italy of movies and perfect photographs in travel guides, this sight is sure to deliver.

The Triennale di Milano is a cutting-edge centre for contemporary art, architecture and design. It constantly houses exciting temporary exhibitions and has displayed retrospective exhibitions on major artists like Keith Haring and Roy Lichtenstein and designer brands like Giorgio Armani and Louis Vuitton in the past. The Triennale is housed in a building which was built by Giovanni Muzio in 1923 and is located at the edge of the Parco Sempione in Milan. The name, “Triennale”, means “every three years” and the building's original purpose was to host the international exhibition on decorative arts, industrial arts and modern architecture, held every 3 years in Milan.