🌏 What are we gonna see?
1. Through the Po Valley. From the Alpine Lakes to Venice.
In this impressive route we will see beautiful lakes of the Italian Alps, historic and amazing cities such as Venice or Florence, we will visit part of the green landscapes of Tuscany and the picturesque coast of the Cinque Terre. A very complete tour that you cannot miss, let us begin!
We can do the tour by train, with some section by bus, or by car. And we can start it in Milan or in Bergamo, since both locations have airports with many cheap flight connections and with many tourist arrivals. From any of these cities, we set out for the magnificent alpine lakes. The first stop will be in Iseo, to contemplate the lake of the same name, which can already be seen from the air when the plane is about to land in this region of Lombardy.
The second lake that we are going to see is Di Garda and here we can visit two towns that are worthwhile. Peschiera del Garda, a quiet little town where you can stay and enjoy a good dinner and Sirmione, a very touristy place characterized by its castle located on a small peninsula that juts out into the lake.
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| Sirmione (Lombardy) |
On the way to the Veneto region, we can stop in Verona, the beautiful city where Shakespeare developed the story of Romeo and Juliet. And continue our way to Venice, one of those places that we should visit at least once in our life, since it is a different and unique city in the world.
Imagine a city in which instead of streets with cars, there are water canals with boats. For this reason, it is already worth knowing it, and getting lost in its corners and enjoy its architecture. The downside is that arriving in Venice today is like arriving at a theme park. Restaurants, souvenir shops, tourists and more tourists, no matter what month of the year you visit. So, don't even think about going in high season (from June to August).
Venice is big enough to get around in one day, but it can be done. Of course, if you want to stay here it may be too expensive. That is why there is an easy and inexpensive alternative, staying in Mestre, a nearby city located just before crossing the entrance bridge to the city of canals.
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| Venice (Véneto) |
2. Towards the Apennine Mountains and Tuscany.
From the city of Padua, we head south to cross the Po River and reach Bologna, the famous university city located at the foot of the Apennine Mountains. It is worth seeing the atmosphere, walking under its impressive arcades and trying the excellent gastronomy of Emilia Romagna.
Following the route through the passage through the Apennines, a unique landscape, we leave the plain of the Po behind until we reach the majestic Florence, the gateway to Tuscany. Florence is an urban museum. One does not get tired of walking through it both day and night. The church of Santa Maria di Fiore, the Ponte Vecchio, the Ufizzi Gallery... it has many things to see, but it is a small city that is easily crossed, and it is also very touristy.
Florence is in a corner of the Tuscany region. This region is worth exploring by renting a car to enjoy its spectacular landscape of vineyards and its medieval villages. These towns are built on the top of hills as a defensive function, and most have fortresses. One of the best known and most picturesque villages is San Gimigiano, famous for its medieval towers.
Lucca and Siena are Tuscan cities that also attract attention, especially for their medieval urban morphology and their oval squares. But without doubt the most famous city in Tuscany along with Florence is Pisa, famous for its leaning tower due to an earthquake, something that is not uncommon in Italy.
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| San Gimigiano (Tuscany) |
3. The Ligurian coast: Cinque Terre.
From Pisa to Genoa the type of landscape changes completely, but it is just as impressive. The route by train or by road is along the coast of low cliffs where, suddenly halfway between the two cities, the five small villages that give their name to a small area: The Cinque Terre. Monterosso, Corniglia, Riomaggiore, Vernazza and Maranola. You can visit the ones you want depending on the time you have and enjoy its atmosphere and its gastronomy with views of the Tyrrhenian Sea.
On the way to Genoa, walking along the steep coastline formed by the Apennine Mountains is a joy. From Monterosso al Mare, the last town in the Cinque Terre, it is an hour and a quarter by train. But if you go by car you can make a stop for example in the small town of Portofino, which is similar to the previous ones. Arriving in the capital of Liguria, Genoa, we find a large, industrial city, with an important port since the Middle Ages. Its colorful buildings and its streets in the historic center stand out.
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| Maranola (Cinque Terre - Liguria) |
Finally, from Genoa to Milan it takes about two hours to travel, but if you have time and don't feel like finishing the tour, you can take a detour to a couple of interesting places like Alessandria or Pavia. In short, a complete trip through northern Italy that you can enjoy depending on the days you have, seeing some... or all the places you choose within the route. Good trip!
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