Italy – Sydney Aaliyah Michelle

My travel bucket list is heading across the Atlantic Ocean once again. I love traveling in the winter, so I did some research on Europe in the wintertime. I found that Italy had many cool and inexpensive options in the off-season, especially near the coast.

Genoa, Italy

Genoa, Italy is the sixth largest city in Italy. Its sprawling landscape reaches from the Mediterranean Sea to the Apennine Mountains. The varying landscape and proximity to water makes it a great place for outdoor activities. However, during the winter months, the temperature, while mild, will drive you indoors. Since that is the case, I have to check out the Genoa Aquarium. It is one of the largest aquariums in Europe. You can learn all about aquatic life in the Mediterranean Sea without getting wet.

Genoa

Image via Trover.com by Diana Meier

Como, Italy

For a quiet retreat, I would book a stay at one of Como, Italy’s famous resorts. In the off-season, the hotels are all but deserted, and while the restaurants and the palazzo are quiet and empty, they still do business. The setting, full of Romanesque cathedrals and Baroque monuments, offers you the opportunity to enjoy the scenery without the tourists distracting you. Located on the southern tip of Lake Como, the town borders Switzerland, which is only a short drive from enjoying winter activities such as skiing and snowboarding.

Sant Agnello, Italy

Located 25 kilometers southeast of Naples, Sant’Agnello, Italy is a coastal town on the Amalfi Coast. The town features several castles, tombs, churches, and abbeys, so even with the winter weather quite balmy, there is no need to stay indoors. If sightseeing old buildings isn’t your things, then book a group tour of the Amalfi coast and sit back to let the change in landscape on the west coast of Italy amaze you.

Moreover, while you’re there, check out the exhibit of the lost city of Pompeii. The movie scared me to death; I’d love to see where it all took place.

Turin, Italy

The beautiful city of Turin, Italy is next on my stop. It is not a coastal town, as it’s in the northwest part of Italy. It’s colder here in the winters, so I would suggest indoor activities. One attraction I can’t wait to check out is the Museo Nazional Del Cinema (National Museum of Cinema). It is an entire museum dedicated to the cinema.

I love movies and enjoy foreign films, including Italian films. I could spend hours enjoying the exhibits about the famous Italian filmmaker, Fellini, and The Godfather. They also have memorabilia from some of America’s famous filmmakers and film franchises, such as a tribute to Woody Allen and masks from the Star Wars films.

For the movie production geek, the museum also offers exhibits about the movie-making process as well.

Turin

Image via Trover.com by Clapis_93

Stresa, Italy

If you are missing the water, a trip to Stresa, Italy on Lago Maggiore is a must. This beautiful lake offers spectacular views from the balcony of your hotel room at the Grand Hotel. Go and pamper yourself at the Grand Hotel Stresa Spas. Full of old world Italian elegance, you can really get away and be pampered. The winter months are the off-season, so the staff focuses only on you. Enjoy the opulent setting with treatments and finish it off by trying an Italian hot chocolate by the fire.

Stresa Image via Trover.com by Alice Barale

Have you been to any of these cities in Italy? What’s on your Italian Travel Bucket List?

Creating a travel bucket list isn’t like planning a vacation. After you figure out how to get there, where to stay (Amati Design Hotel is a nice place), and how to get home, you have to plan your experience. The sites, the sounds, the tastes, and the memories will last a lifetime. Zola Predosa is a municipality in the Province of Bologna. The commune is located in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, located seven miles west of the center of Bologna.

Taste

It would be easy to talk about the food here, but no. If you truly want to taste this part of Italy, you have to experience the wine of the region. Zola Predosa is the City of Wine. The oldest winery is the Manaresi Vineyard. This ancient, family-owned winery was renovated into a modern facility. The art on the label pays tribute to the winery’s namesake. A tour of the vineyard includes the history of the label and tasting sessions. Take home a bottle of their award-winning Merlot or impress your friends back home with a bottle of their Pignoletto Frizzante.

Photo by Jacob Koepke via Trover.com

Feel

This is where we get to the food. This region of Italy is known as the Food Capital of the World. Zola Predosa is a municipality of Bologna, the birthplace of bologna and tortellini pasta. You can learn how to cook the famous pasta at Cucina Di Luciana or tour the many factories that create the famous sausage. If you can plan your trip in September, join in on the parties during the Mortadella, Please Festival.

Photo by Fascias via Trover.com

Sights

Now that you are stuffed and happy, it’s time to see some sights. Zola Perdosa and the surrounding countryside has a lot to experience. When you think of Italy, you don’t typically think of palaces. One of the grandest in Europe is located in Zola Predosa: Palazzo Albergati. Constructed in 1540, the simple and elegant exterior is a direct contrast to the Baroque-style, ornate spatial effect of its interior. It is a sight to be seen, Italian opulence at its finest. You can walk the grounds and fantasize about what your life would have been like in the sixteenth century.

Sounds

After all the opulence, exquisiteness, and indulgence, it might be time for some quiet reflection. Zola Perdosa is home to several museums. The Cultural Center and Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art Ca ‘la Ghironda is the most unique. As you walk through the 24-acre grounds, discover over 200 statues and sculptures in various materials. After your walk, relax in the Petite and the Grande Promenade or stroll through the botanical gardens with flora indigenous to this region of Italy. That will fulfill your smell sense as well.

While most trips to Italy focus on the big cities like Rome or the sexy cities like Tuscany, the Bologna region offers a unique experience with a good mix of ancient and modern Italy. Planning a trip to Zola Predosa, Italy will fullfill all your senses and more. It’s a bucket-list-worthy trip for the senses.

Tag: Italy

What do do in Italy in Winter