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Italy

Italy is a land celebrated for the arts, and not the least among the arts that have attained their highest expression in Italy is the art of hospitality. The Italian welcome is as warm and traditional as a glass of fine wine. This comparison is apt, for travelers in ancient times gave the country its first name: Land of Wines. Italians are such good hosts because they get so much practice welcoming visitors from all over the world.

Italy is one of the most popular vacation countries in Europe, all seasons being good for a visit. In summer, Italy is an international playground, with visitors from all continents mingling with vacationing Italians at the famous resorts. Spring comes early to Italy and autumn lingers - and so will the wise traveler who wants to enjoy at a more leisurely pace the art centers, the large cities and the holiday resorts such as those in the Lombardian lake region where spring and fall are ideal seasons.

In winter, the Italian Alps are unequaled for scenery and skiing. In northern Italy are some of the world's most renowned winter sports resorts, easily reached from such centers as Torino, chief city of the westernmost Piemonte region; from Milano, hub of the central mountain and lake district; and from Venezia, leading city of the eastern region. Skiing is also a summer sport in the Torino Alps and the lofty mountains surrounding the Valle d’Aosta.

From the sunny southern slopes of the Alps to the lush orange groves of Sicilia, Italy offers enormous variety in its natural scenery and historical backgrounds. Because a good part of Italy grew up as a collection of independent city-states, customs and food vary greatly from region to region. This rich history is preserved in the colorful folklore festivals that take place in all of Italy's regions throughout the year.

Most of the year the beaches are sunny, with 5,310 miles of shoreline bordering Italy and its islands. You can usually find waters where the temperature is right for swimming. And history is always in season: choose any time of year to tour historic buildings and view the world's greatest art treasures, for this is a land that has been writing and preserving its history for over three thousand years.

Agropoli
Alberobello
Alps, Italy
Amalfi
Amalfi Coast
Ancona, Italy
Anzio
Aosta Valley
Asolo
Assisi
Bari
Basilicata
Bassano del Grappa
Baveno
Bay of Naples
Bologna
Bolzano
Bracciano-Martignano Regional Nature Park
Brenner Pass
Breuil-Cervinia
Brindisi
Brunate
Calabria
Camogli
Canda
Capri
Capriva del Friuli
Castel di Lama
Chianti Countryside
Circeo
Conca dei Marini
Corigliano Calabro
Cortina D'Ampezzo
Corvara
Courmayeur
Entreves
Fanes-Sennes-Braies Natural Park
Ferrara
Foggia
Friuli-Venezia-Giulia
Gaeta
Gallipoli
Genoa, Italy
Grado
Herculaneum
Imperia
Ischia
Isola di San Pietro
Isola di Stromboli
Italian Lakes District
Italian Riviera
Kastelruth
L'Aquila
La Spezia
La Thuile
Laglio
Lake Garda
Lake Maggiore
Langhe
Lazio
Le Montenvers
Lecce
Lecco
Lerici
Liguria
Lombardy
Madonna di Campiglio
Mantua
Maratea
Marina di Carrara
Marino
Martano
Martina Franca
Merano
Milan
Milazzo
Modena
Mombaruzzo
Monfalcone
Monopoli
Montaione
Montalcino
Montecatini
Montefollonico
Montepulciano
Monteriggioni
Morre
Naples
Neapolitan Riviera
Olbia
Orvieto
Ostiglia
Otranto
Padua
Paestum
Pantelleria
Parma
Pavia
Perugia
Petrignano
Pianella
Pianillo
Piazza Armerina
Piazzano
Piedmont
Pienza
Pietrasanta
Pisa
Pistoia
Polesella
Pollenzo
Pompeii
Ponziane Islands
Porto Cervo
Porto Empedocle
Porto Ercole
Porto Levante
Porto Marghera (for Venice)
Porto Rotondo
Porto Viro
Portofino
Portovenere
Possagno
Potenza
Pozzuoli
Praiano
Procida
Pruzilly
Puglia
Radda in Chianti
Rapallo
Ravello
Ravenna
Reggio Emilia
Rignano sull'Arno
Rimini, Italy
Riva del Garda
Roccella Ionica
Romano Canavese
Rome
Rovereto
Rovigo
Sabaudia
Salerno
San Cassiano
San Gimignano
San Giulio
San Luca
San Martino in Campo
San Remo
Santa Giulia
Santa Margherita
Santo Stefano Belbo
Sardinia (Cagliari)
Saronno
Saturnia
Savelletri di Fasano
Savona
Segesta
Serego Alighieri Winery
Serravalle
Serre di Rapolano
Sestri Levante
Sicily
Sinalunga
Siracusa
Sirmione
Sorrento
South Tyrol
Spoleto
Stabiae
Strait of Messina
Stresa
Taglio di Po
Taranto
The Dolomites
Tirano
Tivoli
Todi
Torbole
Torcello
Torgiano
Torretta
Trento
Treviso
Trieste
Turin
Tuscan Hills
Tuscany
Umbria
Urbino
Ustica
Val Ferret (Italy)
Valdaro
Valiano
Valley of the Temples
Varese
Venezia San Basilio
Venice
Verona
Viareggio
Vicenza
Vieste
Villaggio Paradiso
Volterra