Italy is one of those countries to which you probably have already quite a number of preconceptions even before you have put one foot into the country. Country of olive oil and mafia, pasta, wine and sunshine, roman ruins and renaissance palaces.
Although some of these images are appealing, it would be a shame if that was the only thing you would get away with. Italy is certainly much more complex and interesting than that. Italy is a modern country with deep roman catholic roots, full of interesting stuff for the casual tourist and even more for the educated visitor. It is easy to spend two weeks in major tourist centers without any reason to get bored, but it is equally simple to get off the beaten track.
In the north, next to the Alps and the flatlands of the Po river, both cultural jewels and industrial highly developed cities attract. This is where Italy's economic heart beats. But even in the buzzling and busy cities, people live the "Italian way of life". In Lombardia's capital Milan, city of haute couture and business, you can easily spend weeks without being bored. On every corner you will discover something new.
The most famous tourist attractions in the north-east are probably Venice and Verona, that both let you think of romantic love affairs. But to discover the beautiful landscapes around, for example Verona province, may be even more fascinating.
The north-west of Italy is a paradise for every culinary interested traveler. For wine lovers, Piemonteis directly connected with Barolo and Barbaresco, the most famous wines made out of the Nebbiolo grape. Piemonte's capital, Turinoffers more than just a starting point to visit these wine regions. Lots of museums, modern art, book and music fairs make Turin one of the leading Italian cities concerning cultural life. At the same time is was and still is a booming industrial and multimedia city.
The coastal region of Liguriais another highlight. The Riviera delle Palmehas nothing to envy its French counterpart. Beaches, countryside, the right climate and old towns like Genoamake a visit a must. Mostly undiscovered valleys offer beautiful walking possibilities. The Lunigiana region,  Albenga and Cerialeare worth a visit and even a longer stay.
Gourmets should not miss the Emilia Romagna, Italy's culinary centre. Bologna , "La Grassa" like the Italians say, is a must see as well as Ravenna with its impressive mosaic works and the Byzantine architecture and last but not least  Rimininear the Adriatic Sea.
For Tuscanywords fail to describe its beauty: you have to go there to see, to smell and to experience the beauty of the old towns and lovely valleys yourself. Florence, Lucca, San Francisco, Pisa and Siena, Lucca, San Francisco, Siena offer more cultural highlights than some countries as a whole. The way of living does the rest to attract every year millions of visitors. Elba, the island of Napoleans first exile, is only one of seven Tuscan Archipelago islands.
What can we say about Rome? The eternal city has to be visited by every Italy traveler. It is true what all those millions of visitors say: it is a great, vivid and picturesque city.
The southern part of Italy fascinates the traveler with its great hospitality and gorgeous landscapes. Campania has attracted visitors over the centuries: Capri, Ischia, Sorrento and Amalfi became the chosen destinations of visitors from many countries. "To see  Naples and then die" is not just an old spell. Try it yourself and even if you don't die, you will surely lose your heart.
Sicily the largest island in the Mediterranean has been influenced by the culture of the Greeks, the Romans, the Arabs the Normans and many others. They all loved life on the island and left their marks.
Italy has a great climate and the beaches to go with it. Look at the map and you will notice immediately that Italy has a very long coastline. Different mountain chains run through the country and you never have to travel far to find some excellent places to go hiking. Volcanoes like Stromboli or the Etna are still active and can be visited.

Abruzzo National Park
Agrigento
Alassio
Alassio
Albenga
Albenga
Alberobello
Albisola and Albissola
Alghero
Altare
Amalfi
Ancona
Andora
Aosta
Aquila
Arezzo
Arnasco
Asolo
Assisi
Bagno a Ripoli
Balestrino
Bardineto
Basilicata
Basso Veronese
Bellaria
Bergamo
Bergeggi
Bergeggi park
Boissano
Bologna
Bolzano
Borghetto Santo Spirito
Borgio Verezzi
Bormida
Brescia
Brindisi
Cagliari
Cairo Montenotte
Calenzano
Calice Ligure
Calizzano
Camogli
Campobasso
Capraia e Limite
Capri
Carcare
Carloforte
Casamicciola
Casanova Lerrone
Caserta
Castelbianco
Castelfiorentino
Castelvecchio di Rocca Barbena
Castiglione della Pescaia
Catania
Cattolica
Celle Ligure
Cengio
Ceriale
Ceriale
Cerreto Guidi
Certaldo
Cerveteri
Cervinia
Chiavari
Cisano sul Neva
Civitavecchia
Como
Cortona
Cosenza
Cosseria
Courmayeur
Dego
Empoli
Erli
Ferrara
Fiesole
Figline
Finale Ligure
Finale valley
Fiorenzuola
Florence
Forio
Frascati
Fucecchio
Gallinara park
Gambassi Terme
Gardone
Garlenda
Genoa
Giustenice
Giusvalla
Grado
Greve in Chianti
Gubbio
Herculaneum
Impero valley
Impruneta
Impruneta
Incisa in val d'Arno
Ischia Porto & Ponte
Isernia
La Maddelena
La Spezia
La Spezia
Lago Maggiore
Laigueglia
Lake Bracciano
Lake Vico
Lampedusa
Lavagna
Lazise
Lecce
Lerici
Lessinia
Linosa
Lipari
Loano
Lucca
Magliolo
Mallare
Mantua
Marciana Marina
Marina di Campo
Massimino
Milan
Millesimo
Mioglia
Misano Adriatico
Monreale
Montecatini Terme
Montelupo Fiorentino
Monterosso
Mungivacca
Murialdo
Nasino
Noli
Noto
Nuoro
Olbia
Onzo
Orco Feglino
Oristano
Orta
Ortovero
Orvieto
Osiglia
Ostia Antica
Otranto
Padua
Paestum
Palermo
Pallare
Parco del Cilento
Pavia
Pegli
Perugia
Pesaro
Pescara
Pescasseroli
Peschiera
Piana Crixia
Pienza
Pietra Ligure
Pisa
Plodio
Pompeii
Pompeii
Pontassieve
Pontine islands
Pontinvrea
Porto Cervo
Porto Ferro
Porto Rotondo
Portoferraio
Portofino
Portovenere
Positano
Pratolino
Quiliano
Rapallo
Ravenna
Recco
Rialto
Riccione
Rimini
Riomaggiore
Roccavignale
Salo
San Casciano Val di Pesa
San Gimignano
San Piero a Sieve
SAN SEVERO (71016)
Sanremo
Santa Margherita Ligure
Santa Margherita Ligure
Sassari
Sassello
Saturnia
Scrivia valley
Siena
Siracusa
Sirmione
Sorrento
Stella
Stellanello
Stresa
Stromboli
Su Nuraxi
Subiaco
Sybari's Marine
Taormina
Tarquinia
Tellaro
Termoli
Testico
The Castle above Zuccarello
Tivoli
Toirano
Torsero park
Tovo San Giacomo
Trastevere
Trebbia valley
Tremiti islands
Trento
Trieste
Turin
Tusculum
Udine
Urbe
Vado Ligure
Valpolicella
Vara valley
Varatella valley
Varazze
Vendone
Venice
Ventimiglia
Verona
Vesima
Vezzi Portio
Viareggio
Vicenza
Villanova d'Albenga
Vinci
Viterbo
Vulcano