Matera, a rare jewel of Basilicata, is an enchanting miracle of time. Visiting this Lucanian city is like reliving a glorious past. It resembles a small and delightful nativity scene, which is why it is known as 'the second Bethlehem', providing a backdrop for films such as Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Gospel according to St. Matthew and Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.

Aosta has earned the nickname “little Rome of the Alps” due to the extraordinary wealth of its archaeological sites from Roman times that can be visited like an open-air museum. Conquered by Rome in the days of Augustus, the city was renamed Augusta Praetoria and was enriched with important monuments due to its strategic position on the Roman Via delle Gallie. It is worth visiting during the day and revisiting again in the evening, when the illuminated Roman remains have an even greater charm.

Departures for winter holidays in Italy, an unforgettable time, lost in the scents and flavours of tradition. Get inspired by the magical Christmas atmosphere

Dog sledding is an increasingly popular winter sport in Italy, but also an original and fun way to discover the snowy landscapes: an excursion in the snow on a sled pulled by dogs. What’s needed? Winter trekking clothing or ski clothing, trekking boots and a great desire to have fun and be in close contact with the dogs. If you’re eager to discover beautiful winter landscapes on a dog sled: here are the best destinations for dog sled lovers to enjoy the experience, obviously, in winter time in Italy.

Do you know Milan, but not its surroundings? We have selected 7 places worth discovering, Italian treasures no more than an hour away from Lombardy's capital.

A sustainable journey to discover the most intimate and secret side of one of Italy's greenest regions can now be made using a new concept: Bus and Bike, are ideal for sports enthusiasts and nature lovers. The service provides journeys in suburban buses, some of which are also equipped with special trolleys for transporting bicycles, alternating with routes along cycle paths, surrounded by magnificent landscapes The most intriguing itinerary to explore the most unusual places to visit in Umbria? From Spoleto to Norcia, with various cultural and naturalistic stops. And at the end, tantalising treats for the palate.

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

Bologna is one of the capitals of Italian gastronomy, here some of the country’s dishes of excellence were created here: fresh pasta, ragout, mortadella... Here are the food and wine experiences that the Bologna area offers its visitors.

Not merely mountains, hills and valleys, but also a network of sheep-tracks, paths and tracks that, like veins and arteries, infuse the region with vibrancy and traditions: these are the marks left by ancient peoples and pastoral communities, who still inhabit the villages and hamlets dotted across the land with their heritage. A living postcard to be discovered, experienced and tasted to the rhythm of nature, which feeds the fruits of the earth and the specialities of the sea. There really is plenty for all tastes, starting with bread, such as that of Venafro, and pasta, such as cavatelli or fusilli (which originated in Molise). Moving on to the world of cured meats: such as capofreddo (coppa molisana), partly similar to the Calabrian soppressata, made with pork scraps, particularly the head and feet; guanciale, or vrucculare, with a more distinctive flavour than bacon; liver sausage from Rionero Sannitico, with salt, pepper, garlic, orange peel, and sometimes chilli pepper; Signora di Conca Casale, a pork sausage irregularly shaped to resemble a rugby ball. Another cosmos is that of cheeses: ranging from caciocavallo di Agnone, with its hard rind and straw-yellow colour, to the Pietracatella cheese, seasoned in the town's caves, and stracciata, a soft and stringy cheese, to Caprino di Montefalcone del Sannio, Capracotta pecorino, manteca, or burrino, made from a heart of ricotta or butter, and scamorza molisana, made from milk of the Bruna alpina breed of cow. Among other excellences, include Molise Dop extra virgin olive oil, truffles, white truffles in particular, and fish-based cuisine, such as “u vredette”, the brodetto or fish soup, from Termoli. Not to forget the dessert planet with the curly sugared almonds of Agnone, the “cancelle” (or “ferratelle”) or the “piccillati” (oil and wine pastry filled with grape jam). All accompanied by glasses of Tintilia, Biferno, Molise and Pentro, the region's four DOC wines.

Spice enriching dishes with an aromatic, enveloping and refined note: this is Saffron, one of the most precious “gems” of Umbrian food and wine.

From the delicious fish delicacies of the seashore to the mozzarella and other dairy products of the coastal plains, to the meats and mature cheeses of the high hills and mountains, via vegetables, fruit and forest products: Campania is a cornucopia of flavours. Pizza, an intangible heritage of humankind and the best known Campanian dish around the world, is an international star and can be eaten throughout the entire region, especially in Naples. If you are curious to know how to bake the "Verace Pizza Napoletana", you must know that since 1984 an international Disciplinary has been in operation to promote and protect this iconic dish in Italy and around the world. First courses include spaghetti al pomodoro (spaghetti with tomato sauce), maccheroni al ragù (with meat and San Marzano tomatoes), soups with pasta and beans, minestra maritata (with vegetables and meat), gnocchi alla sorrentina, and macaroni fritters. Meat dishes include braciole (meat rolls with grated pecorino cheese, pine nuts and sultanas cooked in fresh tomatoes), potato gattò, and rabbit alla cacciatora, from an ancient Ischian tradition. On the coast, treat your palate to drowned octopus, mussel stew or a mixed fry of potato croquettes, rice croquettes, panzerotti, pasta cresti, and seasonal vegetables. Still a hole in your stomach? There's the buffalo mozzarella, in the Casertana and Salernitana variants. On the dessert front, roccocò, mostaccioli, struffoli speak of Christmas, while Easter time is marked by the pastiera and the sweet casatiello. Babà and sfogliatella take pride of place, with a special mention for torta Caprese, while quality wines play on all fronts: from Falanghina to Greco di Tufo, from Falerno del Massico to Fiano di Avellino, to name but a few.

In total, the region is home to more than 43,000 hectares of vineyards, producing 19 types of Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin (DOCG) and 41 of Controlled Designation of Origin (DOC). This area of northern Italy boasts a significant wine heritage rich in history and winemaking traditions that have been handed down the generations and that today have reached a very high level of production that has been refined over recent decades. So, what are the best wines Piedmont has to offer?