Rick Steves - Rick Steves Best of Italy

BEST OF ITALY

Bella Italia! Italy has Europes richest, craziest culture. It bubbles with art, emotion, corruption, and irate ranters shaking their fists one minute and walking arm-in-arm the next. Accept Italy as a package dealthe exquisite with the exasperation. Its the sum of its amazing parts that makes it my favorite country.

Savor your cappuccino, dangle your feet over a canal, and imagine what it was like centuries ago. Ramble through the rubble of Rome and mentally resurrect those ancient stones.

Italy is the cradle of European civilizationestablished by the Roman Empire and carried on by the Roman Catholic Church. Here youll stand face-to-face with some of the worlds most iconic images from this 2,000-year history: the ancient Colosseum, Michelangelos David, Botticellis Venus, the playful Baroque exuberance of the Trevi Fountain, and the island city of elegant decay: Venice.

Beyond these famous sights, traditions live within a country that is vibrant and modern. Join the locals for their ritual evening strollthe passeggiata. Seek out homemade gelato, dodge motor scooters and pickpockets, and make time for il dolce far niente (the sweetness of doing nothing). Write a poem over a glass of wine in a sun-splashed village. Italy is for romantics.

In this selective book, I recommend Italys top destinations, offering a mix of lively cities and cozy towns, from brutal but bella Rome to tranquillo villages.

The biggies on everyones list are Venice, Florence, and Rome. But no visit to Italy is complete without seeing the countryside, from the coastal villages of the Cinque Terre to the hill towns of the heartland. For a dose of southern Italy, dip down past Rome to gritty Naples, seaside Sorrento, and the scenic Amalfi Coast.

Beyond the major destinations, Ill briefly cover the Best of the Restgreat destinations that dont quite make my top cut, but are worth seeing if you have more time or specific interests: Milan, Varenna (on Lake Como), Verona, Padua, and Pisa.

To help you link the top sights, Ive designed a two-week itinerary, with tips to help tailor it to your interests and available time.

Frozen in time, the island city of Venice still looks much as it did centuries ago, speckled with fanciful domes and pinnacles. Its a city of churches, sensuous paintings, powdered-wig Vivaldi concerts, faded grandeur, and eternal romance.

THE BEST OF VENICE

Explore the back lanes and canals to find a Venice without tourists.

THE BEST OF VENICE

Ascend the Campanile bell tower for a sky-high view of Venice.

THE BEST OF VENICE

Hiring a gondolier can be worth the splurge. Youll pay more at night, but the experience is magical.

THE BEST OF VENICE

Long an emblem of the city, fanciful masks capture the anything-goes spirit of Carnevale, celebrated with gusto in Venice.

THE BEST OF VENICE

Exotic inside and out, St. Marks Basilica sports bulbous domes topping a church slathered with gold mosaics inside.

THE BEST OF VENICE

Ride a vaporetto water bus down the Grand CanalVenices grandest thoroughfarepassing gondolas and a parade of palaces.

THE BEST OF VENICE

Spanning the Grand Canal with style, the RialtoVenices signature bridgeleads to a lively open-air market.

This string of five villages dotting the coast of the Italian Riviera is a marvelous place to take a vacation from your vacation. The villages, which each have a distinct and engaging personality, are connected by trains, hiking trails, and boats. Theres no checklist of sightsjust a scenic hike, succulent seafood, delightful towns, and sparkling Mediterranean views.

THE BEST OF THE CINQUE TERRE

Vernazza, the cover-girl town of the Cinque Terre, has long been my favorite.

THE BEST OF THE CINQUE TERRE

Seek out the regional specialties: tegame (fresh anchovies with potatoes and tomatoes), pesto, and antipasti ai frutti di mare (mixed seafood).

THE BEST OF THE CINQUE TERRE

Manarola poses for your picture.

THE BEST OF THE CINQUE TERRE