In 9 words: Thousands of years of history in a magnificent package.
For your first visit you need no less than 3 full days to be able to fully appreciate the city and all of its major sights while keeping pleasantly unhurried pace.
Distances are walkable in most cases, although you may need to use some form of transport for certain attractions.
Love its beautiful squares adorned with fountains.
Don’t miss: Climbing to the top of Campidoglio at night to get a view of the lighted Forum – magical! (note: On our last visit, Forum was not lighted)
On the other hand: Many central streets don’t look very exceptional.
Worthy attractions: Roman Forum; Colosseum; Palatine; Pantheon; Trevi Fountain; St Peter’s Cathedral; Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel; Castel Sant’Angelo; Santa Maria Maggiore; Santa Maria in Trastevere; Santa Maria sopra Minerva and a number of other churches; Museo e Galleria Borghese; Ghetto.
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Recommended day trip: Tivoli.
Left for another visit: Capitoline Museums; Palazzo Barberini; Palazzo Doria Pamphilj; Catacombs.
Last visit: May 2009. |
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In 9 words: There’s nothing like it anywhere that I know.
For your first visit you need no less than 2 full days to be able to fully appreciate the city and all of its major sights while keeping pleasantly unhurried pace. Add a full day for visiting Burano, Murano and Torcello.
Distances are walkable in most cases, but occasional usage of vaporetti and traghetti is too much fun to pass by; you’ll have to use vaporetto to go to islands in the lagoon.
Love its architectural gems, but above all, its hidden corners, with narrow streets opening onto tiny campielli.
Don’t miss: Getting a forward seat on Linea Uno vaporetto for a cruise the length of the Grand Canal; taking a ride in a gondola; getting “lost” in the city; listening to live music on Piazza San Marco.
On the other hand: A valid concern in hot season – the stench rising up from many canals. Also, during the high season, the narrow passages in the city center tend to amplify the tourist crowds unlike anywhere else.
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Worthy attractions: Basilica di San Marco with its many treasures; Palazzo Ducale; Campanile, with fantastic views over the lagoon; Rialto; Accademia; Ca’ d’Oro; Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari; Santa Maria della Salute; several other interesting churches; Murano [further afield]; Burano [further afield]; Torcello [further afield].
Left for another visit: Peggy Guggenheim Collection; Scuola Grande di San Rocco; Ca’ Rezzonico.
Last visit: May 2009. |
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In 6 words: My most favorite place on Earth.
For your first visit you need no less than 3 full days to fully explore the “must-see” destinations. With many other interesting places (and we are not counting Florence here, which merits several days by itself), you may need to budget at least a week.
Worthy destinations: Siena; San Gimignano; Pisa; Volterra; Certaldo; towns on the Chianti Road.
Left for another visit: Lucca; Arezzo; Cortona.
Last visit: August 2008.
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In 9 words: Exceptional in all aspects of culture, architecture and history.
For your first visit you need no less than 2 full days to be able to fully appreciate the city and its major sights while keeping pleasantly unhurried pace; however, the attractions – palaces, churches, galleries – are so many that you may want to budget more time.
Distances are walkable in the city center, only Galleria dell’Accademia and especially Piazzale Michelangiolo may require public transport assistance.
Love its Renaissance architecture and its grand piazzas.
Don’t miss: viewing the city’s skyline from Piazzale Michelangiolo – for my money, one of the best panoramic views in the world.
On the other hand: In years past, street vendors covered much of the space that I wanted to admire with their useless wares (the city seemed to get its act together on our last trip).
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Worthy attractions: Santa Maria del Fiore and its companions Giotto Campanile and Battisterio; Ponte Vecchio; Galleria di Uffizi, with one of the best collections of paintings in the world; Galleria dell’Accademia, home of Michelangelo’s David; Basilica di Santa-Croce, resting place of many famous Florentines; Palazzo Pitti and Boboli Gardens; The Great Synagogue.
Left for another visit: Palazzo Vecchio [did not tour inside]; Badia Fiorentina; Bargello; Basilica di Santa Maria Novella; Palazzo Strozzi; San Lorenzo; Palazzo Medici-Riccardi; San Miniato al Monte.
Last visit: August 2008. |
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In 11 words: We were not impressed (although spent very little time on sightseeing).
For your first visit you probably need about a day to enjoy the city’s major sights. Shopping – a key attraction here – will require additional time.
Distances are mostly walkable, but public transport will be required to reach some destinations.
Don’t miss: touring the roof of Duomo – a fairly unique and extraordinary experience.
Worthy attractions: Duomo; Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II.
Left for another visit: Teatro alla Scala [did not tour inside]; Pinacoteca di Brera; Santa Maria delle Grazie with Leonardo’s Last Supper; Castello Sforzesco; Museo Poldi-Pezzoli; Pinacoteca Ambrosiana.
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Last visit: September 2003. |
Milan never excited us as a potential destination, but on our big journey through Italy in 2003, we still budgeted two nights in the city. Along the way, however, we changed our plans in favor of spending the single full day meant for Milan on a day-trip to Geneva to visit with friends instead. The corollary to that decision was that we left only a single afternoon for Milan exploration.
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In 11 words: It’s hard to find time for this region, however worthwhile.
Worthy attractions: Bologna.
Left for another visit: Piacenza; Parma; Modena; Ferrara; Rimini.
Last visit: September 2003.
You may be able to catch a glimpse of Emilia-Romagna on your way from Florence to Venice, but you are unlikely to actually stop here, as those other major destinations beckon. We did make it a point to take a brief look at Bologna and were pleased enough to consider coming back for a more focused exploration. If only Florence and Venice did not exert their pull…
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In 6 words: We choose Tuscany all the time.
Worthy attractions: Orvieto.
Left for another visit: Assisi; Gubbio; Perugia; Spoleto; Todi.
Last visit: September 2003.
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Umbria has a lot to offer, starting with a number of dramatically positioned hill towns and including the famous town of Assisi. Unfortunately, Umbria is always overshadowed by its neighbor, Tuscany, and we, like many others, are guilty of overlooking this picturesque region. In fact, we only drove through Umbria a couple of times on the way to and from Rome, and only stopped once for an hour or so in Orvieto. I’m hoping we’ll find opportunities for more exploration in the future.
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In 12 words: Some major sights yet to be seen, but Amalfi Coast is heavenly.
For your first visit, a couple of days is too little, allowing for no more than a few hours on the beach. Depending on your interests, you’re likely to need to budget between four days and a week.
Worthy destinations: Amalfi Coast; Pompeii.
Left for another visit: Naples; Mt Vesuvio; Capri; Sorrento; Positano.
Last visit: September 2003.
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