Italy, the boot-shaped peninsula deep in the Mediterranean Sea – Is worldwide one of the most visited travel destinations. The Italian charm, architecture, history, and food are just small facets of the big picture. Going there is absolutely worth it and you will find yourself returning again and again. 🙂
Italy Basics
The sea mostly encircles the land of Italy. The coastline is 7600 km (~ 4722 miles) long. Only the northern part is surrounded by land mass. This is where Italy meets its neighboring countries France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia.
In a European comparison, Italy has the third largest population (after Germany and France) with around 60 million inhabitants. Three world-famous culinary delights (probably) originated in Italy and are definitely part of its culture: coffee, pasta, and pizza. You should try all three there, even if you think you already know these dishes, the taste in Italy is particularly good.
Cities
Italy boasts countless famous cities. Rome, the capital, Milan, the economic hub, Venice, the city on the sea, and Naples, home of pizza, are just a few. Rome, once the heart of the ancient Roman Empire, is filled with historical monuments and ancient buildings. It’s incredible: as you stroll through the city and turn a corner, suddenly, an imposing antique structure appears before you.
And in the middle of it all is the smallest state in the world: the Vatican State.Â
Venice built on stilts in the sea seems to be one of the most extraordinary cities of all, is a flagship for Italy. Characterized by the narrow little streets and countless bridges that cross the canals, the city is as special and winding as it is beautiful. As the city struggles to cope with the masses of tourists in the high season, a small fee has been charged for day tourists on certain days since 2024.
Nonetheless, you will also find educational streets, alleys and squares and it is well worth a visit. On the coast, Italy has the most diverse coastal towns, such as the lemon paradise of Sorrento or the former tiny fishing town of Porto Fino. (This list could go on forever, if you want to know more about Italian cities read the article on the best places to visit in Italy for city explorers)
Nature
Italy’s most striking natural feature is the sea, with its beautiful beaches. Here, the country offers incredible variety: white sandy shores, rocks for diving, and large stones to climb. Truly, everything a sea lover could want.
Yet, Italy’s other natural wonders are just as impressive. The country boasts over 1,500 lakes, many in the Alpine regions stretching through the north. Additionally, Italy is the only European country with active volcanoes—three of them! It feels as though nothing is missing.
We use cookies to personalize content and ads, provide social media features and analyze traffic to our website. You can find more information in Cookie Policy.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.