Jeannine Williamson recommends some of Italy’s best spots for special interest holidays, including painting, walking and cooking breaks
Colourful, cultural and vibrant, there’s nowhere else like Italy, and that’s before you even consider the fantastic cuisine and picture postcard regions such as Tuscany.
The beauty of the Italian lakes is legendary. Cities such as Florence are open-air art galleries and Rome combines iconic landmarks with great shopping. Who can resist throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain in the hope of returning once more?
Taking an escorted Italian tour is a wonderful way to get a real taste of la dolce vita. Here are five top picks to whet your clients’ appetites.
Best for foodies: Tuscany
Sophia Loren once said she owed everything to spaghetti and, in a nation that’s so passionate about food, the only way to learn to cook it properly is with an Italian chef, and where better to learn than under the Tuscan sun?
Tuscan specialities include ham, pecorino cheese made from sheep’s milk and fruity olive oil, and in the autumn there are prized truffles to be found.
Tuscany is particular well known for its red wines, including the so-called ‘super Tuscan’ wines created from different grape varieties in the 1970s.
On cookery courses visitors can expect to learn all the basics of authentic Italian cooking from pasta and pizza to panna cotta, with plenty of other mouthwatering dishes in between.
Sample product: On The Menu offers a seven-night cookery course at Villa Torre del Tartufo, Arezzo, from £1,919 per person, including bed and breakfast, most lunches and dinners, four cooking sessions and visits to a cheese factory, olive oil producer and vineyards. Flights not included (08708 998 844).
Best for painting: Lazio
Italy is celebrated for the arts and has been shaped by names such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Tintoretto; artists, sculptors, painters and architects who became renowned as the world’s greatest exponents of artistic genius.
Picturesque Lazio, 40 minutes from the heart of Rome, was a major port of call on the ‘Grand Tour’, when 18th century travellers explored its scenic villages.
Lazio is one of Italy’s most diverse geographic regions and painters will find plenty of inspiration, from Roman archaeological sites to forested hills, valleys and volcanic lakes, vineyards and olive groves.
Sample product:The Italian Connection offers three nights’ bed and breakfast at the five-star Borgo Paraelios, Rieti, from £629 per person, including six hours of classes with a professional artist. Suitable for beginners and experts, classes can include watercolour, oil painting, fresco and other techniques. Flights not included (01424 728 900).
Best for culture: Rome
The Eternal City and one time capital of the Roman Empire has unrivalled cultural, historic and artistic attractions. It was given a £1.5 billion facelift for the millennium and the museums and galleries are looking better than ever.
Diverse attractions include the mighty Colosseum, the venue for bloody gladiatorial ‘games’, the Sistine Chapel decorated by Michelangelo, the ancient underground burial sites of the catacombs and the awe-inspiring Capitoline museums, home to works by Caravaggio, Titian and Rubens.
Vatican City, headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church and the world’s smallest country, is dominated by the world’s largest church, St Peter’s Basilica.
Sample product: Kirker Holidays has introduced a seven-night Ancient Rome Revealed itinerary with specialist lecturer Neil Faulkner for 2009. Prices start from £1,850 per person, including flights, bed and breakfast, four dinners and all entrance fees (020 7593 2288).
Best for walking: Sibillini National Park
The majestic Sibillini Mountains can be found in one of Italy’s most spectacular and unexplored regions. Situated in the province of Marche that, together with neighbouring Umbria, is known as the green heartland of Italy, this is the country’s newest national park and offers glorious walks way off the beaten track.
Legend has it that the mysterious mountains were home of the mythical kingdom Sibilla Cumana, where the enchantress Sibyl lured travellers to their doom. But today’s visitors will find a rich natural kingdom of flora and fauna. The park covers more than 20 peaks over 2,000 metres high and walks range from high alpine meadows filled with wild flowers to marshes, arable wetlands and the majestic limestone Hell’s Gorge (01524 242 000).
Sample product: Walks Worldwide offers a seven-night natural history tour of the Sibillini Mountains from £1,085 per person, including flights, full board and daily guided walks.
Best for scenery: Amalfi Coast coach tour
The Amalfi coastline stretching between Sorrento and Salerno, south of Naples, is the nicest stretch of road in Italy – if you’re not doing the driving. Snaking along the rocky cliffs, the best way to enjoy the view is from the comfort of a coach.
It’s said that Ravello, perched on a hillside, is halfway between the sky and sea, and the first glimpse of the white houses overlooking the deep blue waters of the bay is one of the most breathtaking sights along the coast. Sorrento is the most popular base for Amalfi tours and is close to other popular attractions such as the Isle of Capri and Pompeii.
Sample product:Grand UK Holidays, the over-55s specialist, is offering a new eight-day Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast tour for 2009, from £529 per person, including flights and half-board accommodation (01603 886 700).
