Going to Italy this Spring? Then Check Out These 3 Cities.

There are only 47 days until spring and I couldn’t be happier about that. It’s been a cold winter. Heck, it’s even cold right now in Florida, where we’re at the moment with Beth’s parents. So my thoughts have turned to the spring, and inevitably to Italy.

Last year, we had a chance to visit Italy in April and May, and it was fantastic; spring accents, pleasant weather and hardly any crowds made our travels through Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, Rome and Venice one to remember. Better yet, travel sites such as First Choice tend to offer better rates for spring travel since it’s the shoulder season. At the moment, it doesn’t look like we’re going to be back in Italy this spring because of other commitments, but I thought I’d highlight a few places we discovered last spring to give you guys some fresh ideas for your next trip to Italy.

Pienza

In Central Italy, the crumbling stone walls of its hill towns seem to hang from every peak, keeping a watchful eye over the gorgeous manicured valleys and vineyards. San Gimignano and Siena are the most famous in Tuscany, but those historic towns are certainly not the only ones. We discovered Pienza during a day trip through the cultivated hills of Val d’Orcia. Named after Pope Pius II, Pienza is full of renaissance architecture and bustles with the feel of a modern day medieval village. Besides the architecture and epic views from this hill town, Pienza is also known for pecorino cheese, which is made from sheep’s milk. Plus, with street names like Via Dell’Amore (Love), Via Del Bacio (Kiss) and Via Della Fortuna (Fortune), you’ll be hard pressed not to fall for this little hilltop town.

Bologna

Legacy cities like Rome, Venice and Florence get the majority of the 40 million tourists who come to Italy each year. I can certainly testify to this fact. Despite traveling to Italy three years in a row, last spring was the first time that we ventured into Bologna for longer than the 5-minute train stop in the city that occurs between Florence and Milan. For anyone willing to step off the tourist trail, Bologna offers everything you could possibly want from a trip to Italy. Located in Northern Italy between Milan, Cinque Terre, Venice and Florence, Bologna  jumps with local flavors, customs and pride, and does so many things well that it is hard to comprehend how it has been consistently overlooked by travelers for so long.

Montalcino

Montalcino is another hill town we discovered during our stay at an agriturismo in Tuscany. Famous for its Brunello di Montalcino red wines, Montalcino features a number of charming enoteche (wine bars)–even the 14th century fortezza contains one. Simply put: If Virginia is for lovers than Montalcino is for wine lovers. And if you go to the hill town, make sure to make some time at the Abbey of Sant’Antimo. Located in a valley of olive trees just a few miles outside of Montalcino, the Abbey is considered to be one of the top architectural remains of the Romanesque Period. Several times a day the church’s community of monks fill the 12th century stone hall with the harmonious sounds of traditional Gregorian chants. The performances are free and open to the public and totally worth checking out.

Beth and I absolutely love Italy, and we are always looking for new places to see in the country. So, we’d love to hear your favorite Italian cities to visit during the spring.

Where will travel take you this spring?