Italy Travel Guides & Information

The boot-shaped country lavishly laced with fashion, art, architecture and gastronomy, Italy is somewhere that needs no introduction. Famed for its historical legacy, essential to the lineage of western art, as well as a whopping 44 UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Italy wears culture with nonchalance and ease. Not one to rest on its artistic laurels, however, the glorious spread of scenic landscapes has credited this country with the title of Il Bel Paese (the beautiful country).

Packed with rolling Tuscan hills, shimmering alpine lakes, luxurious craggy coastlines and dramatic Apennine peaks, this is hardly surprising. A welcomed sensory overload, city breaks to Florence, Rome and Venice continue to pull in crowds with their romantic allure; meanwhile, lesser known attractions, such as skiing in the Alps and hiking the Dolomites, sparkle with undiscovered possibilities. Fitting it all in is not impossible, just be prepared to extend your trip!

• The average Italian consumes 25kg of pasta a year.
• Pizza was supposedly invented in Naples around the 1860s.  
• Pinocchio, the famous children’s story was written by Italian author, Carlo Collodi.
• Italy has won the World Cup four times (1934, 1938, 1982, and 2006), making the country’s team second only to Brazil's in number of wins.
• The ice cream cone is an Italian invention.