Lifestyle in Italy

Italy isn’t just famous for its incredible cuisine and rich history—it’s also home to some of the most stunning natural hot springs and thermal baths in Europe.

If you’re hunting for things to do in Lucca, picture a walled Tuscan city where the pace is gentle, the views are timeless, and surprises wait around each corner.

If you’re thinking about living in Lucca, this small Tuscan city delivers a big daily-life dividend. Its intact Renaissance walls form a leafy ring for walking or cycling, the lanes inside are calm and flat, and cafés cluster around Piazza dell’Anfiteatro and San Michele in Foro.

If you’re craving a bit of balmy weather while the UK is grey, Italy’s south can be wonderfully sunbaked in winter. Find the best holiday destinations for winter sun in Italy, with the warmest picks by the sea, plus milder city breaks.

Every region of Italy is home to breathtaking historic gardens and parks. From UNESCO World Heritage Sites to secret garden islands and historic mazes, here are the best gardens in Italy that you simply cannot miss.

The Port of Naples is one of Italy’s most important ports, not just for goods but also for thousands of passengers every year. Visitors arriving from other Mediterranean cities, or simply from the islands in the Gulf of Naples, often begin their exploration of the city right from the port.

Italian Christmas desserts aren’t a one‑off finale.

Christmas in Italy is all about long tables, clinking glasses and recipes that only come out once a year.

Planning a winter holiday in Italy sets you up for an intimate, atmospheric season: twinkling piazzas, wood‑panelled trattorie and mountains glittering under cold blue skies. With time‑honoured traditions and shorter hours, matching your dates to the mood you want keeps things smooth.

Italy in winter is quietly dazzling: snow‑dusted peaks, misty canals, piazzas enlivened by fairy lights and the soft glow of trattorie windows.

Florence is taking a decisive step to protect its historic heart. From 15th October 2025, the city will ban rickshaws, tuk-tuks, golf carts and other “atypical tourist vehicles” from circulating in its UNESCO-listed centre.

Among Florence’s most iconic artistic landmarks, the Baptistery of San Giovanni is unmissable. Situated directly opposite the Duomo, the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and the famous Giotto’s Campanile, it stands as a historic landmark of unparalleled significance.

Autumn in Italy is a season of magic. As the leaves change into vibrant shades of red, yellow, and orange, Italy’s forests transform into breathtaking landscapes that are perfect for hiking, photography, and reconnecting with nature.

Think rosy sunsets on pale rock, pine-scented paths, and mountain huts serving slow-cooked comfort when spending winter in the Dolomites.

Across the Dolomites and the Apennines, the most beautiful snowy villages in Italy are all snow‑dusted bell towers, olde worlde stone lanes and glistening rooftops.

Florence has been crowned Europe’s best city in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards 2025.

On 30 September 2025, the Olympic Village that will host athletes for Milan-Cortina 2026 was officially unveiled. After the Games, it will become Italy’s largest affiliated student residence.

Alto Adige is one of Italy’s most fascinating wine-producing regions. It is no coincidence that it is home to one of the oldest routes entirely dedicated to wine. The Alto Adige Wine Road passes through around 16 municipalities, including the provincial capital, Bolzano.

Bringing a dog on holiday will soon come with a per‑night dog levy when staying in one of Northern Italy's mountainous provinces.

Siena has been named the winner of the EU Green Leaf Award 2027.

There’s a quiet shift in Italy’s autumn calendar on the horizon that’ll nudge how early October looks for travellers and residents.October 4 is now a national public holiday in Italy4th October has been formally restored to Italy’s national public holiday list, and it will be observed nationwide fro

Italy’s most relaxed culture weekend is around the corner, when Fondo Ambiente Italiano quietly unlocks over 700 places you’d normally walk past. Picture lakeside villas, tucked‑away palazzi and little borghi with volunteers bringing the stories to life.What are FAI Autumn Days 2025?

In Monza, northern Italy, a pioneering project is reshaping dementia care: the country’s first Alzheimer’s Village, designed to give people with Alzheimer’s and dementia the chance to live with independence, community, and dignity.The village, known as Il Paese Ritrovato, was created in 2015 by the

Rome doesn’t end at the city walls. Within an hour, you’ve got imperial showpieces, quiet lakeside towns, medieval hilltops and a stretch of Tyrrhenian coast.

Italy moves on unspoken rules and long‑standing habits. The ten things not to do in Italy are mostly about small courtesies—how you order, how you greet, and how you handle day‑to‑day travel.