Lifestyle in Italy

Planning a holiday in Italy in January is an excellent idea — especially if you’re travelling from the UK and want to escape the winter blues.

Italy is one of the few countries in Europe where millions of people live in the shadow of active volcanoes. For many residents and foreign buyers, the appeal of living near an Italian volcano is obvious: dramatic landscapes, fertile soil, and, in some areas, more affordable homes.

Italy’s big‑name galleries are brilliant, but once you have done the hits, they can feel crowded and predictable.

Often called the “Florence of the South”, Lecce is packed with ornate Baroque churches, golden‑stone palaces and winding alleys that always seem to lead to another little piazza.

If 2026 is your big Italy year, lining up the best museums in Italy to visit makes a huge difference to how the trip feels.

Living in an Italian wine region is very different to popping in for a tasting on holiday. Daily life runs on the rhythm of the vines, with tractors as your morning soundtrack and grape harvests filling the lanes in autumn.

Italian sparkling wine is a whole world beyond the usual Prosecco on the supermarket shelf. Italians talk about bollicine rather than “bubbly”, and each region has its own idea of what those bubbles should taste like. If you like Champagne‑style richness, there are proper traditional‑method wines.

Italy’s lakes are famous for big‑name spots like Como and Garda, but the quiet corners are where things get interesting.

Italy’s government has backed away from a blanket tax hike on short‑term rentals.

The largest lake in Italy, Lake Garda, stretches between Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino‑Alto Adige in the north.

Rai 1’s big New Year’s Eve celebration, L’Anno che Verrà, will take place this year on the seafront in Catanzaro, Calabria, with a star-studded line-up and a charismatic host.

Clear blue water, mountain backdrops and grand villas make the Italian lakes some of the most romantic landscapes in Europe.

Living in Bergamo feels a bit like stepping into a quieter, more low‑key cousin of Milan that happens to have a medieval hilltop town attached. You have the UNESCO‑listed old town sitting on its hill, the modern city spread out below, and the Alps rising in the distance.

Lake Como is one of the most beautiful destinations in Lombardy, with steep mountains dropping straight into the water and villages tucked along the shore.

Living in Bolzano feels a bit like slipping into a pocket of Austria that somehow ended up in Italy. It’s closer in spirit to Innsbruck than Naples, with street signs in Italian and German and the Dolomites looming over the city.

Monopoli, a charming town on the Adriatic coast of Puglia, comes alive at Christmas. The historic centre, with its white streets, ancient churches, and picturesque squares, is transformed with festive lights and decorations, offering visitors a unique Mediterranean Christmas atmosphere.

Italy’s Capital of Culture 2026 is a mountain city that most tourists still skip in favour of Rome or the Amalfi Coast.

If you spend winter in Italy, you’ll start seeing colourful biglietti for Lotteria Italia in every tobacco shop and motorway service station.

Italy’s big survey by a respected national financial newspaper is a handy starting point if you are trying to pin down the best places to live in Italy for quality of life.

Tourism in Italy continues to grow as 2025 comes to a  close, with new data confirming its crucial role in the country’s economy and a clear shift in traveller preferences.

Italian food culture goes far beyond recipes and restaurant menus. Several deeply rooted practices linked to farming, winemaking, cheesemaking and everyday rural life have made their way onto the UNESCO intangible heritage list.

Italy's national cuisine has now been added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list.

Italy has around 450 islands, but most travellers only ever set foot on a handful of them. Once you step away from the celebrity favourites, you find places that are still largely the domain of fishermen, hikers and those in the know.

Looking for the best Italian villages to visit at Christmas?

Ischia is one of those places that quietly gets under your skin.