Italian summers are known to be lavish and luxurious, full of opportunities to try new foods, make friends, swim in pristine waters… but the list of experiences and things you can do basically never ends.
Here are some new ideas for your summer holidays in Italy: you will find some new and fresh suggestions, some unexpected recommendations and some golden classics for you to get inspired.
If you look for adventures
For the adrenaline-seekers
June 09-11 | MotoGP @Mugello: the perfect excuse to finally take your bae to Florence for a romantic yet adrenalin-filled getaway! Or to get your mates out of the country and into the world!
This is your chance to see the red-passion Ducati Tribune express all the love for the sport, the pilots, the brand, in a great circuit where the Italian enthusiasm for motorbikes and speed is shown in all its glory and absurdities. Did you know that the Italian “Frecce Tricolori”, the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Air Force, has a tradition of having an aerial show at the Mugello? It truly is spectacular and definitely adds to the adrenaline of the weekend.
Here’s your suggestion for a diverse getaway in the amazing Italian region of Tuscany: Fly to Florence and spend a few nights in Ostello Bello Firenze to explore one of the most world-renowned cities, go to the market as well as the fancy restaurants to try mouth-watering foods of all kinds and then on Sunday head to the Mugello circuit, just an hour from Florence, and celebrate the sport and the engines at the Italian 2023 MotoGP!
For those looking for the unbeaten tracks
Umbria is one of the less-known and most unexpected regions in Italy, a treasure silently waiting to be discovered by foreign tourism. Among some stunning natural sceneries of blue and green lakes, with spectacular views popping up here and there, you will find the highest artificial waterfalls in Europe as well as hundreds of little medieval villages perched on lavish hills (there’s even one called “bastard”!).
Umbria is one of the lesser-known Italian regions, both by the Italians and by the foreigners, with smaller crowds around, great food and some truly remarkable demonstrations of architectural genius. The magic atmosphere of its small town Narni inspired C.S. Lewis “The Narnia Chronicles”: what will you get inspired with?
Our suggestion for a getaway of magical discoveries is to stay at Ostello Bello Assisi-Bevagna and use it as your anchor point to explore the many hidden wonders Umbria has to offer.
If you look for fun
The “Sun, Sea and Movida” kind of holiday
If what you’re looking for after months of working is to get to a city on the sea, where you can experience all that Italy has to offer within a relatively short radius, Napoli and the Costiera Amalfitana are your place to be.
Mouth-watering food and desserts, great coffee, movida whenever you feel like it, and sceneries among the most picturesque and awe-inspiring in Italy. And all around you: art, history, food, Maradona, magic, laughter, food, the bluest skies and waters, vespas, fashion, food.
Listen to this and picture yourself in it: stay at Ostello Bello Napoli – it was elected the best new hostel in the world just a few weeks ago! – and explore Naples, a city that you must see at least once in your life. While there, go to Capri and have a day out at sea on a little boat like in that Dolce & Gabbana advertisement – I know you know which ad I mean! And then start your way down along the Costiera Amalfitana, an experience you won’t forget for a lifetime.
For the sports(wo)men
Although our love for food can become an obstacle to a professional career, Italians love sports and outdoor activities – we truly do! And the good thing about Italy’s geographical – sometimes slightly unstable – distribution is that it allows us to do a little bit of everything: skiing and snowboarding, mountaineering, cycling, downhill skateboarding, sailing, kitesurfing and even a little bit of surfing! Not to mention, any possible sport featuring a ball, but that you can do anywhere, right?
So, if you are looking to enrich your summer holidays with the possibility to do some sport, Liguria is the region for you: swim in crystal clear waters, jump on a bicycle and head to the never-ending hills – or enjoy a more relaxing cycle along the seaside, try kitesurfing in the Mediterranean sea, or go sailing along the magnificent coast full of hidden gems and spectacular sceneries.
Here’s the plan: explore the beautiful city of Genova, where we can host you at our Ostello Bello Genova, have as much pesto as you want or, why not!, learn to make it yourself, then go explore the rest of this narrow, beautiful region.
Sports like the one in Liguria, but on a lake
If you want to combine your love for sports with your love for a special someone, we recommend heading to Lake Como. This enchanted lake is the third biggest lake in Italy, surrounded by hills and mountains, with little medieval villages perched on its cliffs and extending on its shores. Throughout the ages, the lake has inspired hundreds of novelists, the most famous probably being Mary Shelley and Alessandro Manzoni, and is a continuous source of inspiration for all those who end up looking at it.
The banks are covered with rich vegetation, including vines, figs, olives, and pomegranates and the clear but cold waters are used for kayaking, sunbathing, kitesurfing, sailing and romantic boat rides at any time of the day.
Our suggestion? Travel around the lake with your means of preference: bicycle, motorbike, hiking, sailing, and then head to Como in time for the Festival “Como Città della Musica”. Stay at Ostello Bello Como and see how it transforms, from June 29th to July 16th, into a music-filled city with concerts of all kind, guided walks, expositions and exhibitions.
And what about Milan?
Summer is the perfect moment to explore Milan, which, thanks to the airports of Linate, Malpensa and Bergamo, is often easier (and cheaper) to reach, compared to other famous Italian cities.
So, if you are going to spend a few days in Milan and are worried because all your Italian friends are like “yeah but like Milan is dead in the summer, why would you want to go?” don’t worry, we got you covered. I will admit to the fact that there are definitely fewer people in Milan in summer than there usually are, but is that really a bad thing? No queues, half-empty subway, possibility to book the most in restaurants – even for the same day!, places of movida with the actual minimum space necessary to get dancing…doesn’t sound too bad, does it?
So, what we recommend for Milan, you ask? Definitely stay at Ostello Bello Milano Centrale or Ostello Bello Duomo, the one that inspires you the most, and then explore the many things this city has to offer: start with the Duomo and forget all about the long autumn queues, then relax in one of the many pools, head to a museum of your choice for some culture and cool artificial breeze, have a movida night in the Navigli, try some high-cuisine food, go surfing or wakeboarding at the Idroscalo, do some shopping!
If music is what gets you through the day
Italians love music. Any kind of music, lots of singing, lots of dancing, lots of enthusiasm – as always. If you do too, here are a few suggestions that you might not have thought of for this summer:
Live it Like a Roman
Rome, the magic city, the eternal city, the city of angels and devils, the … you can add whatever you want, the Romans love their city in a visceral way and will gladly accept any compliment coming their way. Rome does not really need a presentation, does it? The amount of things you can see and do is truly limitless, if you were to walk around and never go into a museum you’d still find yourself walking for months before you can see all it has to offer! What Rome really does is surprise you: if you choose a corner to study and you keep going back to it, you will always find some new and unexpected detail popping up where it never did before.
If you ever needed one more reason to go to Rome, here is one: the 2023 edition of the Caracalla Festival. A unique occasion to see the ancient site of Terme di Caracalla under a completely different light: concerts, operas, ballets, jazz, and pop. All kinds of shows are hosted in the uniquely spectacular ruins of what used to be one of the seven wonders of ancient Rome, built in AD 212!
Make the best of your Roman stay at Ostello Bello Roma Colosseo and live a true Roman experience, surrounded by music, art and history.
The Devil’s Violinist
David Garrett, the violinist and composer famous for his adaption and reinterpretation of classic rock pieces with an orchestra and the violin, is touring Italy this summer! Wait…Is he really that famous or was I just influenced by my cousin to believe so? Ah no wait I got it! He’s the one who played Niccolò Paganini in the movie “The Devil’s Violinist”, a must-see!
Anyway, from July 18 to July 25 his Italian dates will include Florence, Rome and Genoa – all cities where you can find Ostello Bello(s)waiting for you with open arms and a cold beer.
The unbeaten tracks of Umbria call you, but you want more
If you arrived to this paragraph, you already know about the hidden gem of Umbria, waiting for you in the heart of Italy. If you also love music and performing arts, we definitely recommend organizing your holidays keeping in mind that the region hosts the international Festival dei Due Mondi (“Two Worlds Festival”) in Spoleto since 1958. Hand-picked contemporary artists of different disciplines will perform from June 23 to July 9, with over 50 events including theatre, concerts, special exhibitions, debates and opera.
Only 30’ from Ostello Bello Assisi-Bevagna, Spoleto is a beautiful small town surrounded by olive groves and vineyards, a stunning Duomo and one of the many lesser-known ancient Roman theatres waiting patiently to be discovered.
