Attractions in Italy

Tuscany and Umbria contain some of Italy's most photogenic landscapes. The two regions include the famed cities of Florence, Siena, Assissi, Perugia, and Pisa; miles of coastline; and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. While Tuscany is known for its blend of cosmopolitan culture with classic architecture, Umbria is known as the "green heart of Italy,” perfect for walking, caving, hang-gliding and rafting.

CiaoBambino has gathered together some of the most useful online resources for Tuscany and Umbria. It’s a complete guide with some of the best links to online travel guidebooks, Pisa's best architectural sites, and information on Tuscany’s renowned archipelago.

Touring Italian Architecture
Two-thirds of the world's architectural heritage is located in Italy, and Tuscany is at the center of it all. A great way to take in the Tuscan heritage is on bicycle.

The Tuscan Archipelago
One of Italy's most untouched landscapes is the chain of islands in Italy's Tuscan Archipelago National Park. Some islands are only accessible by special permit, and some still serve as active prisons.

Traveling by Train through Tuscany and Umbria
Find rail travel maps and calculate distances. CiaoBambino has listed the sites that you need for your trip planning.

Eating Out: The Top Restaurants
Montepulciano is known for its incredible food. Chances are, if you're traveling between the two regions, you'll end up here.

If you are looking forward to lakes, beaches, mountains, cladded slopes, medieval towns, architecture, castles, museums and skiing, all at one place, Le Marche is the perfect place to be this vacation. This travel destination is mostly the agricultural area that is covered with greenery. Situated in the very heart of Italy, this place is truly a wonder. A large number of people from various parts of the globe visit this destination in order to spend quality time with their friends and family. The top five things to do in Le Marches include visiting the beaches, walking through the brilliant parks, talking pleasure in the Le Marches events, enjoying the sports and visiting the historical sites.

This area of Italy divided into five regions make it such a popular area for renting holiday accommodation. There are rentals in the mountains or villas overlooking the beautiful sea. The Le Marches area provides a brilliant range of activities and sports for the travelers so that they can have an excellent vacation time. The sports that can be enjoyed by the adventure enthusiasts include horseback riding, biking and hiking. The travelers can easily explore the entire Monte Conero while riding on the horse back.

There are clubs that offer daily riding and hiking for the interested, keeping aside their level of capability. Also, discovering the hiking paths and tracks in Le Marche regional parks is a great activity to perform. Even biking is among the favorite sports for a large number of tourists as well as the local Italians. The gentle and sloping hills serve as the ideal setting to carry on the hiking activity. Taking pleasure in the Le Marches beaches is the next best thing to do. There are various options of Itlian beaches in the Le Marche area. These beaches range from the vibrant Senigallia to the family oriented San Benedetto to the secluded ones of the Monte Conero Coast. The month of august is the time when many travelers gather on the Le Marche beaches.

If you are one of those who desire to spend relaxing, private moments, warm seas and pleasant weather with your loved ones, the months of June, July and September are best to visit the Le Marches. This travel destination is also known for being the home to various Blue Flag Beaches, the quality seal that is provided on the basis of water quality, safety, environmental management and cleanliness. Among the other things to do in Le Marche, a visit to events and food festivals is a brilliant way to know the culture and history of this region. Each and every village and town of Italy proudly conducts its own celebrations and events in order to characterize the local culture and traditions. Most of these festivals take place in the summer season. Every festival celebrated at this destination is highlighted by different renaissance or medieval costumes.

Visiting the historical sites and attractions of Le Marches is the fourth important thing to do. Some of these sites include Raphael's Birth House, Villa Imperiale, Museo Villa Colloredo Mels, Church of Santa Maria and Santa Casa and Basilica. Also, walking or cycling on the footpaths of Sibillini National Park and other regional parks like Parco Regionale della Gola and di Frasassi is a fantastic thing to do in Le Marches. These footpaths are specially designed for all those who wish to go nearer to the nature. So, plan your next rental holiday to Le Marches and experience a truly wonderful time.

There is such a lot of places to go and see in the Le Marche region making it a sort after choice when renting holiday homes or villas. The choice of food and wines make catering a very easy and pleasurable experience for the whole family, keeping everybody relaxed and ready to explore this beautiful region of Italy.

Italy is a magical country to visit and spend time; every region has something new to offer whether it is its food, the people, the history or its architecture. Too many people the architecture of a country is it's main attraction and this could easily be said about Italy with it's millennia old stones, sumptuous remains of mysterious Etruscan kings, witnesses to ancient pagan rites, memorials to a history whose origins is lost in the mists of time. Ancient temples that have stood for thousands of years and have amazed all those who run a hand over their immortal columns, such as the temples of Agrigento and Selinunte. Entire cities that remain like some marvellous stage set to tell us about life as it was in the distant past.

A life cut short, in ancient days, by the dramatic whim of a volcano, such as Pompeii and Herculaneum, or by the implacable advance of malaria, as in Ostia Antica and Paestum. Walls and buildings that have been witness to a boundless power, that of ancient Rome and its countless conquests. Places still capable of moving us deeply owing to the ingenuity of their construction and the peerless historical heritage that they embody. Italian squares or piazzas that seem to be picture perfect stage sets all complete with outdoor cafes to enable you to sit and watch the world un-fold in front of you. Buildings that were created to enchant and impress visiting dignities from an age gone by with luscious facades and interiors that house unimaginable riches and art treasures now have the same effect on those tourists visiting Italy.

Towers constructed to bear witness to power that now regale unforgettable panoramas to those bold enough to climb to the top. Streets resembling open-air museums. Bridges that create seem-less bonds between the banks of rivers such as the Rialto in Venice or Ponte Vecchio in Florence. Walls originally designed to defend a city have later been turned into wonderfully imposing rings that have been giving communities a sense of security for centuries. Ample flights of steps from which to savour the spectacle of a city's life. The taste for beauty is all pervasive, from the tiny village, to the old town, to cities great and small. Beauty touches every nook, every vista, everything. The ancient Italians left a world of elegant architecture and monuments behind for future generations to stare in amazement at.

Italy has a wealth of religious architecture, towers and churches launched towards the sky. Striking spires, dainty cupolas, artistic facades, and bell towers jutting up towards the blue sky and towards an Italian heaven, mysterious naves that guard artistic masterpieces ancient and modern. Visit any Italian city, town or village and you will see churches everywhere, guardians of and witnesses to a faith thousands of years old and then tiny chapels on the mountain tops, solitary shrines on street corners, statues and frescoes for the protection of the home. Small signs of popular devotion that stand as corollaries to the magnificence of the cathedrals. Italy loves religious architecture.

A series of masterpieces that tell the entire story of western architecture: from the elegant Romanesque forms of Santa Maria all' Aquila to the fanciful Gothic spires of the beautiful Cathedral in Milan, from the perfect example of Renaissance architecture in Florence Cathedral to the baroque wonder of Lecce Cathedral. Each one with its trusty bell-tower at its side to announce its presence; including the most famous one in the world: the Leaning Tower of Pisa.