Italy is one of my absolute favourite European countries and it’s somewhere I always love returning to. I’m actually heading to Italy at the end of next week, so I’m incredibly excited and can’t wait to be back there. See also the best hotels in Italy.
1. The food
It wouldn’t be right to write a list about reasons to visit Italy and not include the food. Italian food is some of the absolute best in the world in my opinion. I love the simple goodness of Italian food, with most dishes having between 4 and 8 fresh ingredients. It’s a good thing I don’t live in Italy, because I’m quite sure I’d end up the size of a house from eating fresh pasta, pizza, seafood and my absolute favourite, piadina, all the time!
2. The landscapes
Italian landscapes are so beautiful they make people fall head over heels in love with them, me included! I love the contrast of the mountain ranges and the lakes of Garda, the rolling hills you’ll find in the Emilia Romagna region and, of course, the gorgeous sandy beaches you find dotted along the almost 8,000 kilometres of coastline.
3. The lifestyle
I love the Italian lifestyle where life is lived at a slower pace than it is here in the UK. Here we can’t get things done quick enough, people strive on being busy and if your schedule isn’t full people wonder why. Italians like to relax and enjoy life at a more leisurely pace and I think it’s something I could certainly get used to. I’m quite sure it’s a huge part of the reason Italian life expectancy is 83 years old!
4. The weather
How very typically British of me to tall about the weather, but bear with me. Italy has some incredible weather with months of sunshine and warm temperatures that us Brits could only dream about!
5. The history
Italy has thousands of years of wonderful, fascinating history and I love learning about it. From the incredible architectural creations of Rome that date back thousands of years, to the tales of empire, tyranny, scandal, slaughter and triumph, I love it all. There are few things I enjoy more than walking down ancient streets and being able to see ruins and structures that have existed for thousands of years. I love imagining what life was like in days gone by, and Italy is a fantastic place to do this.
6. The style
Italians are incredibly stylish people and I always love seeing well dressed people wandering the streets with their family on a Sunday, as is so typically Italian It’s also one of the reasons I adore shopping in Italy. The shoes, the handbags, the dresses! I’ll take one of everything please!
7. The big cities
Some of my favourite places to visit are the undeniably majestic cities of Italy. I’ve been lucky enough to have visited Rome, Florence, Venice, and many other Italian cities a number of times. It’s easy for me to hop on a plane and be in Italy within a matter of only a few hours. This makes Italian cities the perfect locations for quick city breaks from home.
8. The language
There is something slightly mesmerising about watching a group of Italians interacting with each other. They wave their hands around, raise their voices and become incredibly animated and I find it so charming.
9. The beaches
Italy has some incredibly beautiful beaches dotted all around the coastline. There are long stretches of sand covered in sun loungers and umbrellas as far as the eye can see, as well as small bays and coves where you’ll hardly see another person all day. I love the combination of it all and there’s nothing more refreshing than a quick dip in the sea on a hot summers day.
10. There’s still so much to see
I must have been to Italy more than 20 times, and it’s amazing to me that there’s still so much I have left to see. There are so many places I still want to visit in Italy, and loads that I want to return to explore more of. Next flight to Italy, please!