Relaxing family getaways in Italy off the beaten path.
Less-touristed family getaways in Italy, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Castelmezzano
Above the jagged rock formations of the Dolomiti Lucane, Castelmezzano is a particularly photogenic village in Basilicata's Potenza province, recognised in I…
Vogogna
This photogenic village in the Val d'Ossola, Piedmont, sits at the water's edge with mountain terrain rising behind it, partly within the Val Grande National…
Arona
Photogenic small town on the shore of Lake Maggiore in northern Italy, Arona has a café and restaurant scene that punches well above its size, along with an…
Viareggio
Viareggio's Carnival, running since 1873, is one of Italy's most celebrated, with papier-mâché floats parading along the seafront promenade — the Passeggiata…
Cannero Riviera
A particularly photogenic village on the western shore of Lago Maggiore in Piedmont, with an unusual concentration of cafés, restaurants, and churches for it…
Lovere
At the northwest tip of Lake Iseo in Lombardy, Lovere is a particularly photogenic small town whose streetscape blends overhanging wooden roofs with heavy st…
Kastelruth
Photogenic village in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, Kastelruth sits at around 1,000 metres elevation near the Seiser Alm alpine meadow and is a recognised me…
Belluno
A walkable town in the Veneto where the Ardo stream meets the Piave river, Belluno sits at the gateway to the Eastern Dolomites — a UNESCO-listed landscape s…
Cannobio
This photogenic small town on the north-western shore of Lake Maggiore in Piedmont, Cannobio sits where the Cannobina Valley meets the lake and has repeatedl…
Nesso
A particularly photogenic village on the eastern shore of Lake Como, roughly halfway between the towns of Como and Bellagio, with a little but real café and…
Omegna
At the northernmost tip of Lago d'Orta in Piedmont, Omegna sits directly on the water with a lakeside boulevard where a street market runs every Thursday mor…
Bezzecca
A compact Alpine village in Trentino's Valle di Ledro, where terracotta-roofed houses cluster around a yellow-façaded church, forested peaks rise on all side…
Varenna
Sitting directly on the eastern shore of Lake Como in Lombardy, Varenna is a modest lakeside village with a heritage-dense centre of medieval churches, histo…
Palmi
Palmi looks out over the Strait of Messina from the Tyrrhenian coast of Calabria, with beaches at Marina di Palmi and Lido di Palmi drawing visitors to what…
Mergozzo
This small Piedmontese village sits directly on its own lake, with scenic viewpoints in the surrounding hills and a striking number of churches for a settlem…
Moltrasio
Pocket-sized village on the western shore of Lake Como, Moltrasio draws on a heritage-dense streetscape, scenic lake views, and a concentration of churches a…
Pella
Sitting on the western shore of Lake Orta in Piedmont, this compact village in the Province of Novara offers waterfront views, mountain country close by, and…
Leggiuno
The Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso, a hermitage built into a rocky cliff face on the shore of Lake Maggiore, is the landmark that defines this modest Lomb…
Brunate
Known as the "Balcony on the Alps," this compact village above Lake Como offers panoramic views stretching across the western Alpine arc, the Po Plain, and t…
Argegno
This tiny Lake Como village on the western shore sits where the River Telo meets the lake, and the waters just offshore mark the deepest point of any lake in…
Rieti
Traditionally called the "umbilicus Italiae" — the navel of Italy — Rieti is a walkable hilltop town in Lazio whose centre is dense with historic churches an…
Varazze
Small Ligurian town on the Riviera di Ponente with a seafront position, a strong café and restaurant scene, and an unusual concentration of churches for its…
Amatrice
This village in Lazio's Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park, Amatrice carries a heritage-dense streetscape and an unusual concentration of churches f…
Nardò
A Baroque town on the Ionian coast of Salento, Nardò has a walkable historic centre dense with palaces, churches, and chapels built in the ornate local style…
Sperlonga
This photogenic coastal town on the Tyrrhenian Sea, roughly midway between Rome and Naples, Sperlonga is best known for the ancient Roman sea grotto found wi…
Giarre
A walkable Sicilian town on the Ionian coast with a centre full of cafés, restaurants, and historic churches, Giarre sits midway between Catania and Taormina…
Castellammare del Golfo
A seafront town in Sicily's Trapani province, Castellammare del Golfo takes its name from the medieval fortress in its harbour — "Sea Fortress on the Gulf" —…
Lavagna
This compact Ligurian seafront town of terracotta rooftops and domed churches, Lavagna sits between the Ligurian Sea and a backdrop of green hills, with a li…
Montemezzo
A tiny lakeside hamlet in Lombardy's Province of Como, Montemezzo sits at the northern end of Lake Como with mountain terrain close by and vineyards in the s…
Scalea
A tiny coastal town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian shore, Scalea pairs a modern beach resort strip — developed since the 1960s along the Riviera dei Cedri — with a…
Luino
Modest town on the eastern shore of Lake Maggiore, Luino is best known for its Wednesday market, said to be among the largest of its kind in Europe, drawing…
Norcia
Norcia, a small Umbrian town on the edge of the Monti Sibillini mountains, is widely known across Italy for its cured meats and sausages — so much so that th…
Grottammare
A walkable Adriatic beach town in the Marche region, Grottammare pairs a seafront café and restaurant scene with a medieval hilltop quarter that belongs to t…
Santa Maria Maggiore
This modest mountain village in Valle Vigezzo, Piedmont, Santa Maria Maggiore sits on the narrow-gauge Vigezzina railway that runs through the Italian Alps b…
Scanno
A modest Abruzzo village with a strong photographic reputation, Scanno sits beside a lake in the mountains of the L'Aquila province, partly within the bounda…
Pisano
This tiny Piedmont village on the shore of Lake Maggiore sits in mountain country with scenic viewpoints and a striking number of churches for its size, alon…
Termoli
This coastal town on the Adriatic in Molise, Termoli holds a medieval walled quarter alongside a lively seafront promenade lined with restaurants.
Dervio
This modest Lake Como village on Lombardy's eastern shore sits where the Varrone river valley meets the water, with several historic churches, a café and res…
Pescocostanzo
This photogenic village in Abruzzo's Maiella National Park, Pescocostanzo has an unusual concentration of historic churches and a pocket-sized but real café…
Pescasseroli
Mountain village in Abruzzo and the main base for the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, Pescasseroli draws visitors year-round as both a summer and wi…
Patti
This small Sicilian town on the western shore of the Gulf of Patti, known for the remains of a Roman villa within its limits and the ruins of the ancient cit…
Enna
Italy's highest provincial capital, Enna sits atop a ridge at the centre of Sicily, earning it the nickname "Belvedere of Sicily" for its sweeping views acro…
Albenga
This heritage-dense coastal town on the Gulf of Genoa, Albenga is known as the city of a hundred spires and holds a well-preserved historic centre within eas…
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A compact town on the shore of Lake Lugano in Lombardy's Province of Como, Porlezza has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, several hist…
Sarnico
This tiny lakeside town on the western shore of Lake Iseo in Lombardy's Bergamo province, where the lake meets the River Oglio, Sarnico has a café and restau…
Olginate
A pocket-sized Lombardy town on the water south of Lecco, Olginate sits within the Parco dell'Adda Nord and the Lario Orientale – Valle San Martino mountain…
Castel di Tora
Sitting on the north-eastern shore of Lake Turano, this pocket-sized Lazio hamlet is a member of Italy's "most beautiful villages" association and offers a h…
Fosdinovo
From the 14th to the 18th century, Fosdinovo served as the capital of an independent marquisate ruled by the Malaspina family, whose imperial standing was su…
Gavoi
This small Barbagia village in central Sardinia sits directly on Lake Gusana, with scenic surrounds and an unusually dense cluster of churches and cafés for…
Montone
This walled medieval hill village in Umbria, north of Perugia, sits at the high point of a ridge above the confluence of two Tiber tributaries, with scenic v…
Peschici
This small coastal town on the Gargano promontory in Puglia, Peschici sits within the Gargano National Park and has built a reputation as a seaside resort si…
Villetta Barrea
A small mountain village in Abruzzo's province of L'Aquila, Villetta Barrea sits on Lake Barrea within the Abruzzo, Lazio and Molise National Park, with the…
Gravina in Puglia
Gravina in Puglia is a southern Italian town in the Bari metropolitan area whose name comes from the deep limestone canyons — gravine — that cut through its…
Lesa
This small village on the Piedmontese shore of Lake Maggiore sits at the water's edge with an unusual number of cafés, restaurants, and churches for its size…
Otranto
Italy's easternmost town, Otranto sits on the Adriatic coast of the Salento peninsula in Apulia, with a café and restaurant scene that holds a surprising num…
Griante
A small Lake Como village on the western shore, Griante sits directly on the water between Menaggio and Tremezzo, with scenic viewpoints across the lake towa…
Isola del Gran Sasso d'Italia
A little village in Abruzzo's Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park, at the foot of the Gran Sasso — the highest peak in the Apennine chain — with a ha…
Lierna
This small village on the eastern shore of Lake Como in Lombardy, Lierna sits directly at the water with scenic views across the lake and a handful of cafés…
Tavernerio
A compact Lombardy hillside town of pink and terracotta houses crowned by a church tower, set among forested slopes near Lake Como and within easy reach of t…
Pietrasanta
This walkable coastal town in northern Tuscany's Versilia district, Pietrasanta sits at the foot of the Apuan Alps with a centre full of cafés, restaurants,…