Travelers looking for something a little off the beaten path have a new flight option to Italy's Puglia region, an area known for its proximity to the Adriatic Sea, delectable food and historic medieval architecture.
31.01.2025 - 15:25 / lonelyplanet.com
Jan 31, 2025 • 12 min read
No country does hill towns quite like Italy. Swing through poppy fields, olive groves and vineyards and suddenly you’ll alight upon an eyrie-like medieval village in ochre stone that will make your heart sing. From the snow-frosted mountains of the north to the sparkling coastlines of the south, Italy’s small towns and villages are madly romantic. Whether it’s fresh truffle pasta on a piazza where an out-of-tune campanile tolls, a passeggiata (stroll) on a grand Renaissance square, or a dip in the sea before a sunset aperitivo surrounded by ancient Roman walls, this country delivers time and again.
We’ve combed Italy from the top of its elegant boot to its slender heel to track down the country’s most enticing villages and towns, which impress with their looks and endear with their spirit.
Best for wine tasting and vineyard strolls
Medieval stone walls as warm as the setting sun? Check. Hilltop location and views so idyllic you’ll be googling the price of local houses pronto? Check. Vine-ribbed slopes producing some of the region’s most stunning wines? Check. What Neive in Piedmont lacks in obvious tourist appeal, it more than makes up for in classic Italian looks and charisma, earning it a ranking as one of Italy's borghi più belli (most beautiful towns).
Days unfold at a blissfully slow pace, with rambles through historic alleyways, sunny piazzas and vineyards. The town is known for its four signature vini (wines) - Dolcetto d'Alba, Barbaresco, Moscato and Barbera d'Alba. Give them a whirl with a cellar tour and tasting at La Cassetta del Castello, an enoteca (wine bar) enclosed within medieval castle walls, or go for an alfresco aperitivo Al Nido Della Cinciallegra.
Planning tip: All of that sipping and swirling works up an appetite for lunch. Stop at an old-school osteria like Borgo Vecchio, where home-cooking has a pinch of love - from fresh pasta to minestrone de la nonna (grandma’s vegetable soup) and torta di nocciole (hazelnut cake).
Best for picture-book medieval looks
A vision in warm honey stone cascading down a hillside in Umbria’s lushly green and rugged heart, Spello is instant love. Neighboring Tuscany gets all the fuss, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a prettier Italian village. Ringed by ancient Roman walls and towers, Spello’s centro storico (historic centre) is an atmospheric tangle of cobbled lanes, Gothic churches and flower-filled alleys.
You wouldn’t expect to find big-hitter sights in such a dinky village, so prepare to be surprised by the Renaissance frescoes and Pinturicchio masterpieces gracing the Chiesa di Sant'Andrea and the 12th-century Chiesa di Santa Maria Maggiore. Also, seek out the exquisitely preserved mosaics unearthed in a Roman villa on
Travelers looking for something a little off the beaten path have a new flight option to Italy's Puglia region, an area known for its proximity to the Adriatic Sea, delectable food and historic medieval architecture.
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Want to get away to a less-visited but breathtakingly beautiful part of Italy? NEOS Airlines has you covered with the launch of the first-ever nonstop flight to the southern Italian state of Puglia in June.
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