Ahhh Italy – one of the first great influences of Western culture, and of course, land of the Romans and birthplace of the Roman Empire.
Hardly surprising then that it is home to the greatest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world. High art and monuments are to be found scattered everywhere around this magnificent boot shaped country!
For starters, the Piazza del Duomo is located in the heart of Florence and can boast as being one of the most visited places in Europe and the world!
Next, we have the most famous Leaning Tower of Pisa, well known worldwide for its unintended tilt to one side. This amazing construction measures 55.86 metres from the ground on the low side and 56.67 metres on the high side. It has been steadily moving ever since it was constructed in 1173 and had an incline of 5.5 degrees until some restoration work was performed between 1990 and 2001. The tower now leans at an angle of about 3.99 degrees – amazing!
Another Italian UNESCO Heritage Site is the ancient Roman City of Pompeii. It was mostly destroyed and buried under 4 – 6 metres of ash when mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD but has been excavated and open as a tourist attraction for the last 250 years!
Obviously, this is just a fraction of the sites to see, but these and many more can be visited by going on tours that visit these fascinating places. You can find tours that last for as little as 2 hours, 10 days or some that cover a whopping 29 days!
Of course, there are also some fabulous tours that can take you to places such as the glorious city of Venice and the beautiful Italian Lakes as well as all the other wonderful locations.
For a more opulent tour of Italy, try some first class hospitality and embark on a ‘Country Roads of Italy’ tour. This 15 day tour will combine your love of travel with a passion for wine! Italy’s cultural cities of Rome, Florence and Venice are perfectly complemented by rustic villas in the wine-growing areas. Add an expert wine adviser and someone to drive, it sounds like heaven and makes perfect sense to me!