A beautiful country of roman ruins, splendid landscapes, exquisite cuisine and a vibrant culture. Italy is shaped like a boot and is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe.
The capital city is
Rome, full of so many impressive sights such as The Colosseum, where gladiators once fought to the death. The Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are not to be missed. Make sure you pay a visit to Vatican city, the small independent state within Italy that won its autonomy in 1929. Enjoy the majestic splendour of St Peter's Square and the Basilica. At noon on Sunday's the pope gives a blessing to the thousands of pilgrims, tourists and locals in the square.
Venice, the city that has canals instead of streets. Drift off into the sunset on a gondola, admire the ancient churches and palaces, or stop off in St. Mark's Square, one of Venice's most popular tourist haunts.
Italy tours and sightseeing
Florence is known as the renaissance capital of the world. Former residents include Dante, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, and there's artistic splendour everywhere.
Then there's the dreamy landscape of Tuscany, muse for many poets and painters. Here you can find the delightful city of Lucca, which is surrounded by a wall built in medieval times. The wall contains park land and is an ideal place for a stroll, or to sit and re-charge your batteries.
Transport
Italy is well connected to the rest of the world by air, and locally to Europe by excellent road and rail connections. Ferries also connect Italy to several other countries including
Greece,
Malta,
Slovenia and
Spain. Internally road and rail connections are excellent. There are many domestic flights, but they can be expensive.
Climate
Much of the country has a fairly temperate climate. There are lots of regional variations. Summers in the north can be warm, but scorching in the south.
Drinking in Rome
