Losing your way in the maze of interweaving streets and canals, admiring the sumptuous palaces overlooking the Grand Canal, being left breathless in St. Mark's Square - Venetian architecture exerts an hypnotic charm over anyone. The meeting of different styles has given rise here to extraordinary hybrids. References to Byzantine and Gothic art, the influence of Renaissance, Baroque or XVIII century periods are magnificently found and reinterpreted everywhere. The unique face of this amazing city built on water is that of an open-air museum ready to transform your stay into a journey through time and history. Are you ready? Here are at least five places you really must visit.

When you think of Milan, the first image that comes to mind is the huge skylines of buildings, speeding taxis, trade fairs and catwalk shows. This is partly true, but we also want to tell you about the urban nature of the city where, among green parks, lakes, forests, flora and fauna, you can experience and discover its green side.

The magical Christmas atmosphere envelops Italy, with many events to experience, amidst a thousand and one emotions. Large urban centres as well as tiny villages are ready to welcome you and amaze you with the warmth of local traditions, live nativity scenesand craft exhibitions, with the colours of festively decorated streets and squares hosting characteristic markets, with the lights and melodies of concerts, shows and folklore events . From North to South and in the islands, extraordinary experiences await you, to be 'enjoyed' along with the typical flavours of Christmas, New Year's Eve and Epiphany delicacies, with 0 km production, art and sacred and profane culture.

Umbria holds endless surprises in store for families with many enjoyable outdoor activities involving nature, animals and sports. Adventurous trips into the heart of the Sibillini Mountains, sport on bicycles, stopping off in some of the most ancient Mediaeval villages, or days on a boat sailing to sunny islands and unforgettable moments in contact with animals sleeping in tents under starry skies: Umbria is a highly recommended destination for dynamic families looking for entertainment, recreation and relaxation. And here is the Umbria we'd like to tell you about.

Among the Italian jewels recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site there is also one of Europe's great spa towns, Montecatini Terme, in the heart of Tuscany, surrounded by cities of art such as Florence, Pisa and Lucca. Wonderful and easy to get to.

"Wolves are free: they bow to the laws of the pack, but when there is no more room among their brothers they embrace the solitary life and go in search of new spaces". So wrote Carlo Grande in his book The Way of the Wolves. It is not only a beautiful story to read, but also an adventure to experience: the Via dei Lupi ("Way of the Wolves") is a path of knowledge and immersion in the nature of the Central Apennines.

Pizzerias, trattorias, farmhouses, taverns and wine bars: Italian cuisine satisfies every palate, even the most difficult.

A land of art and nature, Tuscany is also a region of excellent wines and incomparable gastronomy. Peasant cuisine with recipes that have been handed down through generations is combined with highly prized grape varieties with a long history. A trip to its cities of art and villages cannot be said to be complete without a food break. Will you follow us on a tour that combines five typical Tuscan recipes with five regional DOC and DOCG wines?

Known and appreciated for centuries, the Abruzzo Truffle is part of Italy’s Traditional Food Products (PAT) because it is typical of the region. The environmental variety of the area, stretching through sea, hills and mountains, makes much of the terrain ideal for the spontaneous formation of many types of truffles. Let's see where it is produced and how to enjoy it.

The perfect mix of leisure opportunities, sporting adventures and, above all, delicious food and wine experiences: welcome to the Val Brembana, not far from Bergamo, a great little paradise that will surprise you. A trip here will impress you thanks to the enchantment of every path along which you can reach all the peaks of the Orobic Alps, which are equally attractive in summer and winter. A holiday in the Val Brembana is the perfect opportunity to discover a rich and little-known place. This is an ancient territory, where history is unveiled as you stroll through untouched villages that still preserve precious evidence of ancient crafts, knowledge honed over time and traditional products that can conquer the most sophisticated of palates.

The region's DNA is a blend of spicy and smoky aromas, a harmonic mixture with German and Austrian gastronomy. You meet simple and tasty dishes that, especially in the South Tyrolean part, become richer in calories to balance the harshness of the Alpine climate. Val di Non apples (such as Golden Delicious, and Red Delicious) are a way of life, as is the wine (and grappa), which through Trentodoc, Teroldego, Marzemino, Gewurztraminer, Enantio, Müller Thurgau, Lagrein and many more, expresses all the best of the culture and economy of this small, large region. A sample of malga butter and you can move on to canederli, a typical first course of Trentino cuisine, made with bread, milk and eggs, spatzle, a different type of dumpling made with wheat and buckwheat flour, and schultzkrapfen (or roffoi), typical South Tyrolean half-moons, filled with spinach, ricotta and potatoes in the cold season, chives in spring. For the main courses, choose the classic beef or veal sausages (batwurst) cooked on the grill or in broth or beer, served with a bread bun, found everywhere in the area (brezel), and a side dish of sauerkraut, without neglecting speck, the area's most representative cured meat, made from salted, flavoured and smoked pork leg, and the Trentino luganega (a long sausage), seasoned with garlic, salt and pepper. Also try Fontal, a cheese made from alpine brown cow's milk, and finally the desserts. If the time is right, you can arm yourself with a goblet of mulled wine - a product of Central European culture, which has become a deep-rooted tradition in the region, with red wine, sugar and aromatic spices - and wander around the markets, sipping the hot beverage and nibbling on typical spiced sweets such as apple strudel, snow stars, stanitzeln, lebkuchen.

Like the region from which it originates, the Aosta Valley chestnut is a small but high-quality product. This tasty autumn fruit is mainly produced in the area between Châtillon and Pont-Saint-Martin and at the mouth of the remarkable Lys Valley, where 80% of the region's chestnut groves are concentrated. Extremely tasty, they are a recurring ingredient in many of Aosta Valley's traditional recipes, playing a very important role in the local gastronomy. They are served with the famous typical cured meats such as lard and motzetta, served in soups and stews, accompanied with butter or mountain milk and, above all, appreciated as a dessert: glazed, in jam, with whipped cream or with chocolate. It is thus no coincidence that the Aosta Valley chestnut has become so popular over the years.