The watchword for tourism in 2019? Slow.
There’s a real return to basics and the essentials. The year of slow tourism, as defined by the Minister of Cultural Heritage and Activities and Tourism Dario Franceschini, is a reminder to reduce the negative aspects of mass tourism and to preserve the beauty of the Italian territory, allowing all visitors the opportunity to fully enjoy the historical and cultural heritage that has come down to us.
The tourism calendar for next year is already packed full of events. We recommend the three best places to travel in Italy in 2019 and we will help you plan your next private tour of Italy.
Matera: Italian Protagonist of 2019
We begin our journey to the top 3 places to go to Italy with the city of Matera in Basilicata.
Matera has been selected as the European Capital of Culture 2019 and what better opportunity to explore a site where time seems to have stopped?
Fascinating and contradictory, it is a city in which landscapes, civilizations and cultures have been layered and mixed over the centuries, giving life to a rare gem not only of Italian but of world heritage. Its particularity is the visit to the Sassi, a rural ecosystem perfectly adapted to the territory. You may already be familiar with the name because the Sassi were the natural set chosen by Mel Gibson for the scenes of “The Passion“.
We will take you to discover the old town of the city, divided into two main districts, Sasso Caveoso and Sasso Barisano, where the secrets of ancient civilizations are preserved in cave-dwellings. The human settlements that followed over time have given life to monuments, churches and cathedrals in different styles, preserved in the most hidden part of the village called Civita.
In this setting, a rare example of human cave settlement, we have already reserved a special place for you in one of the most exclusive accommodations in the entire city. What are you waiting for to contact us?
From Matera to the Apulian Shores of the Adriatic Sea
If you are traveling in the summer, the coasts of Puglia washed by the Adriatic Sea, are always among the most popular of the Peninsula because they offer both the deep colors of crystalline waters and the particularity of an unconventional urban landscape. Among the top 3 places to see in Italy, we cannot forget the beautiful Polignano.
Polignano, home of Domenico Modugno, is back in vogue in recent years because it is the favorite location for the regular appointment with the extreme sport of Red Bull Cliff Diving. Fearless divers from all over the world get access to private homes overlooking the sea from which they perform incredible dives from tens of meters straight into the ocean.
Ostuni, the White City, certainly deserves a stop on your summer tour. Named for its historic center that was once painted only in lime to brighten its narrow streets, it has long been a renowned tourist center that boasts some of the most crystal clear sea waters in the region and Italy.
Tuscany has Everything You Are Looking For
In 2019 a special route will be dedicated to Dante Alighieri and to the places from which he drew inspiration for his Divine Comedy. If you’re asking yourself where to travel in Italy, then you will find the answer by visiting the city that gave birth to the Supreme Poet, father of the Italian language. In Florence, surrounded by art and wonder, we will accompany you with our tours, joining the guided tours of the most important museum sites to those of the culinary traditions of the city, and you will become a chef for a day. You will go straight to the heart of the flavor under the expert guidance of a professional chef, sipping a glass of Chianti during your cooking class and wine tasting in Florence.
If you decide to dedicate your entire trip to this fascinating region, then you will visit not only Florence but also Pisa with its famous Tower at Piazza dei Miracoli, and Siena where you will find the characteristic “contrade” of the Palio, and Volterra, among the oldest Etruscan settlements whose origins date back to the Bronze Age.
Discover our dedicated 15 days charming Florence and Tuscany itinerary: you’re just a click away from the journey you’ve always wanted to take. Not enough? Check out our best luxury tours of Italy.