Italy

Exclusive guide to the best holiday destinations in Italy, independent reviews from award-winning travel writers

Varzi

Walking the Salt Route in Liguria

The medieval Salty Way takes you through an unspoiled part of Italy and offers delicious hearty food along the way. Join Rupert Parker as he tries walking the Salt Route in Liguria..

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NH Collection Palazzo Cinquecento Hotel

It’s not every day you can boast you’ve sat on a 3,000 year old piece of history, but I’m not ashamed to say I did just that on the front garden of Rome’s brand new NH Collection Palazzo Cinquecento Hotel

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Foligno. Still undiscovered in Umbria

Early evening and the ancient Palazzo Candiotti in Folingno has a big smile on her face. It’s just like old times. A proper baroque banquet. The Festa d’Oro e di Vento no less, with 250 guests commemorating the 70th anniversary of the modern Quintana joust. I can almost feel this grand old dame sighing in contentment in her Sunday best. If I didn’t know better, I would think I’d been teleported back to the 17th century.

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Walking the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites

The immense cathedral-like spires of the Northern Dolomites are the perfect venue for tackling one of Europe’s classic long distance treks. Forget about luxury hotels, the only accommodation is in mountain huts, known as Rifugios and I’ll have to carry everything on my back. Walking the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites runs for around 140 km and my eight day walk will involve daily distances of between 9 and 16.5 km, with ascents of up to 900 m and descents of up to 1,300 m. Will I be tough enough?

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CASTELLO DEL NERO. TUSCANY

It’s just what you hope for when you book a five-star hotel in Tuscany.   A 12th century castle adapted for modern comforts with a Michelin-starred restaurant to boot.    Castello del Nero offers all this, plus a world-class ESPA spa and a rustic taverna where dining is actually more enjoyable than in the formal room next […]

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Val Gardena. Summer in The Dolomites.

Anna is teaching me the highly skilled art of Tyrolean cooking at the chalet Luech de Curijel in Selva and she’s not looking best pleased. It seems my Apfelstrudel and spinach crafuncins, two of the simplest of local dishes here in Val Gardena, are not up to standard. Now when your teacher possesses hands with the power to knead dough as if it were mash potato, generating hostility is not a healthy option.

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