Tag: Italy

24 hours in MILAN

Posted onAuthorRenata Green11 Comments

After another stopover in Milan on the occasion of my trip to Venice where I visited this year’s Biennale, I’m now ready to share an itinerary for a short 24-hour stay in Italy’s Northern capital of funds’n’fashion.

View of the Duomo from the Novecento Museum, both landmarks durinng 24 hours in Milan
Here you can kill two birds with one stone – which is actually quite a disturbing idiom: Best view at the Duomo, Milan’s cathedral, from one of the city’s nicest museums.

As always, when putting together these itineraries, I had in mind a stopover between flights or a quick break on a road trip down south. If you can stay longer and experience more of Milan, check out my recent post Best Things to Do on a Long Weekend in Milan for inspiration and information.

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Best Things to Do on a Long Weekend in Milan

Posted onAuthorRenata Green49 Comments

Of all Italian cities, Milan probably deems the least what we consider Italian. No jolly groups sipping Aperol Spritz while playing boccia. Instead, executives rush from their stately apartment houses to offices in glittering business centers. Hardly a narrow cobblestone alley. Rather big cars on broad avenues. Money makes the world Milan go round.
And yet, if you visit with an open mind, Milan will by no means disappoint: Get the big picture from the roof of the Duomo, and enjoy contemporary art at various industrial sites that were transformed into humongous art galleries. Window shop at the posh Brera district or the fabulous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Admire Leonardo da Vinci’s Cenacolo, hence, the Last Supper. Oh, talking ’bout food: Finish a long day of sightseeing with a relaxed Milanese Aperitivo in one of the countless bars alongside the Navigli, the city’s old waterways.
Sounds like a plan? Mind you, these are only a few of the best things you should do in Milan on a long weekend!

Piazza del Duomo - with the iconic cathedral.
Piazza del Duomo – with the iconic cathedral.
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Take a Break: The Three Best Beaches You Can Easily Visit From VENICE

Posted onAuthorRenata4 Comments

There’s no question about it: Venice is absolutely magical. Strolling between the canals and over countless bridges. Losing yourself between majestic palazzi and gazing dreamily after the gondolas.
However, despite its ancient charm, Venice keeps you on your toes, and a visit can also get quite stressful. The masses of tourists, the queues, the pushing and the shoving at the jetties. In the summer there is also the heat.
Therefore, if you have the chance, it’s definitely worth adding one or two days extra to spend on one of the beaches off the Veneto shores.
Let me assure you: Pampering yourself with a day full of dolce far niente, hence, sweet idleness, will recharge your batteries and get you fit so that you can joyfully plunge back into the hustle and bustle of Venice.
Don’t know where to spread out your beach towel?
No problem: In this post, I’ll introduce you to the three best beaches that you can reach quickly and easily by public bus or the iconic water bus Vaporetto from Venice.

The Diga Faro Alberoni on the Lido di Venezia.
Taking a refreshing dip at the Lido di Venezia.
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VENICE on a Budget: When to Go, Where to Stay, What to Eat, And Much More

Posted onAuthorRenata47 Comments

Venice on a budget? Is that even possible?
Agreed, visiting Venice can be pretty pricey.
After all, you find yourself at one of the world’s most unique places – and it comes with a price tag.

Italy Venice Canale Grande
Every visitor to Venice will know this sight: The Chiesa di San Simeon Piccolo across from the main train station Venezia Santa Lucia, photographed from the Ponte degli Scalzi.

However, if you follow my simple hacks, visiting Venice on a budget is easy and still very enjoyable.

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How to Visit the Biennale di Arte in Venice in 2024

Posted onAuthorRenata4 Comments

The Biennale di Arte, one of the world’s most important art events, takes place every two years. Although Venice is certainly a place worth visiting even when nothing special is on, my post on how to visit the city during the Biennale 2024 will make your trip even more memorable.

Facade of the central pavilion at the Giardini during the 60th edition of the Biennale di Venezia in Venice in 2024.
The Huni Kuin Artists Movement, or MAHKU in short, was founded in the Brazilian Kaxinawá Huni Kuin Indigenous Territory in 2013. MAHKU designed the facade of the central pavilion of the Giardini venue with the legend of the Kapewë Pukeni alligator bridge.
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Day Trip to CAMOGLI – The Most Colorful Beach Town East Of Genoa

Posted onAuthorRenata47 Comments

Camogli is a colorful beach town just one hour East of Genoa, you know, one of these typical fishing villages with tall, colorful houses that make Italy so picturesque and lovable and are just the perfect destination for an amazing day trip.

View of the port of the colorful beach town of Camogli
Italy – just like praised in romantic songs.

Also, it’s definitely not by mistake that the bay that stretches from Genoa all the way to Portofino was named Golfo Paradiso, if you know what I mean.

Hence, let me guide you to beautiful Camogli so you can spend a day in paradise.

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MURANO – BURANO – TORCELLO: A Self-Guided Island Tour

Posted onAuthorRenata13 Comments

Sure, there is a lot to see in Venice’s Centro Storico, the historic center, yet, there are also those smaller gems. In this guide, I show you how to visit Murano, Burano, and Torcello, comfortably on a self-guided tour. It’s actually pretty easy and inexpensive to visit these three islands on a day trip from Venice.

Getting to Murano by Vaporetto
Travelling between the islands in the Venetian Lagoon is very easy. Therefore, you can happily visit Murano, Burano, and Torcello on a self-guided tour.
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Day Trip to the LIDO di VENEZIA. Breaking Away from Venice

Posted onAuthorRenata11 Comments

Venice is magic, without a doubt: The canals, the bridges, the palazzi, the gondolas – I could go on and on. Nevertheless, a visit to Venice can also be very stressful: The tourist masses, the pushing, the shoving, the lines, the heat. Therefore, especially if you are in Venice for more than just two or three days, you should treat yourself to a day trip to the beaches of the Lido di Venezia.

View of the Lido di Venezia on a day trip from Venice
Ciao, Lido, here I come. A day trip to the beaches of the Lido di Venezia is a well-deserved break for every culture vulture.

Break away from Venice and hop on the vaporatto that rushes you to the Lido di Venezia in about half an hour’s time. Here, you’ll enter a world of serenity and the flair of a Mediterranean beach resort.

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TORCELLO – a church, a bridge, and 15 residents

Posted onAuthorRenata27 Comments

If you are going on a day trip to Burano, the colorful gem in the Venetian lagoon, you should definitely spare an hour or two to cross the 150 meters to the island of Torcello. Here, a church, a bridge, and 15 permanent residents are awaiting you.

Chiesa di Santa Fosca on the island of Torcello where you can visit a church and a bridge
Chiesa di Santa Fosca on the island of Torcello.

While the islands Murano and Burano are beautiful yet still not that very different from the main island, the so-called Centro Storico, Torcello is a whole different world with very few landmarks surrounded by meadows and fields.

Enjoy the silence.

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Day Trip to SIRMIONE – an Antique Holiday Retreat on the Shores of Lake Garda

Posted onAuthorRenata14 Comments

Sirmione is a small town located on the southern shore of Lake Garda and the perfect day trip destination if you are looking for a classic and classy retreat.

Historic Peninsula of Sirmione
Entering the historic peninsula of Sirmione.

The town’s historic center is picturesquely located on a peninsula protruding into the lake.

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