There’s a great opportunity at the moment to visit museums and landmarks from home. Google Arts and Cultureis an online platform (also available on the app store and Google Play) where you can get your daily dose of arts and culture. There are videos, high res images and street views with activities to do with the kids as well. Here’s a list of some of the museums and landmarks offering virtual or 360-degree tours.
We love Italy and it really does have something for everyone. From Renaissance artwork and crumbling buildings to the most delicious cuisine, it’s a great destination for couples, groups and families alike. Here are just some of the places you really should have on your travel list.
Puglia is a delightful region in southern Italy that borders the Adriatic Sea. With all-year-round sunshine, curious conical Trulli and whitewashed towns, this lesser-known part of Italy is certainly somewhere to have on your family travel list.
If you’re planning a trip to Venice for a couple of days or more, it’s worthwhile exploring a few of the lagoon islands. Our last visit to this beautiful city saw us take in the likes of Murano, Torcello and the wonderfully picturesque Burano.
Thinking of taking a trip to the Italian Lakes but not sure where to stay? We’ve partnered with Bookings For You, who specialise in self-catering properties in the Lake Maggiore and Lake Como regions, to provide you with some travel inspiration. Based in the UK, Bookings For You provides an excellent level of service (we say that based on our own personal experience) paired with an abundance of local knowledge. They have a huge variety of properties on offer and can assist in finding villas and apartments that best suit needs, taste and budget. Plus they know the lakes well which is useful when it comes to making the most of a trip!
Once regarded as the “shame of Italy”, Matera is not a destination we’re going to forget in a hurry. Situated in the Basilicata region in southern Italy, the labyrinth of cave-dwelling communes (the Sassi), breathtaking ravine and rock churches make it a truly memorable place to visit. Remarkably, the honeycomb of caves was inhabited by hundreds of families right up to the 1950’s when the inhabitants were moved by law into modern buildings on the plateau above. Today, Matera is no longer seen as the shame of Italy but a fascinating reminder of times gone by. Hardly surprising it was made a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1993 for being the most outstanding, intact example of a troglodyte settlement, perfectly adapted to its terrain and ecosystem. Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ was also filmed in Matera.
One of the highlights from my recent trip to Lake Maggiore with Bookings For You was the mountain hike. Organised by the Golfo Gabella Lake Resort, our route took us from Campagnano up towards Lago Delio. We might have made the distance had we not been distracted by the magnificent scenery and the sensational local produce. You’ll get a taste of it from this post which features the routes we took and that delicious feast, with perhaps a few too many photos.
Campagnano itself is easily recognisable thanks to the San Rocco Church. We stopped here for a time to take in the spectacular views across Lake Maggiore towards Cannobio. Having travelled to Lake Maggiore with some of my fellow travel bloggers, half of us trekked for cheese with the remainder taking a ferry to Cannobio. Do have a look at Sarah from Extraordinary Chaos’ photo tour of Cannobio, it looks and sounds stunning!
Having left Campagnano, we made our way by foot along the main road. This was largely quiet, with perhaps only one or two cars passing us before we took a beautiful rocky path in the trees. Of course, as we walked and headed upward we were able to take in even more incredible views through the trees – even catching glimpses of the snow-capped mountains in the distance. There’s a lot to look at on the way and it’s the best place to really take in the enormity of Lake Maggiore and everything that’s on offer there.
The latter part of the journey took us along a road for a few minutes before we veered off and took a different path. You could go either way but ours was probably prettier and provided the perfect opportunity for some of the group to sing “the hills are alive” as everyone should when in that situation. Luckily the theatrical singer of the group drowned out my dulcet tones!
Where we stopped to try out the local produce was even more stunning than I imagined it would be. Tall trees, blue skies and sunshine with 80’s classics coming from the cabin. When we walked in the smell was unreal and the cold water on arrival was warmly welcomed – for the first time ever, I forgot to take water on a trek and I was so thirsty! Having checked out the large cheeses and meats, we took time out to cool down and catch our breath while taking in this truly beautiful spot. While doing so taking in the glorious empty B&B opposite which was rumoured to be for sale.
Having enjoyed the most superb feast, we headed back down this time taking a different route. We took some seriously impressive stone steps downward, passing a derelict house (no roof this time) along the way and more of those views. The latter part of this route was pretty steep but only short and led us to a very special village.
The cobbled village of Musignano is one of those places that captures your heart from the moment you arrive. It was charming on its own but what made it unforgettable were all the wooden people dotted around. The attention to detail was something else! If you want to read more about the village and see more of the wooden people, do check out this post by Like Love Do.
We had the best time exploring the mountains, savouring the delicious local produce and discovering the unique village of Musignano. The Lake Maggiore region has so much to offer it really does. Have a read of this post to get a feel for what else you can do there with or without the kids.
Last year saw me take trips to Tuscany, Verona, Sardinia, Venice (including the islands of Burano, Murano, Torcello) and Puglia. Just when I thought I couldn’t love Italy any more, it turns out I can! I’ve recently returned from a press trip with Bookings For You and some of my favourite family travel bloggers to discover what Lake Maggiore has to offer. Situated in Northern Italy, to the west of Lake Garda and Lake Como, and bordering Switzerland, Lake Maggiore is one of those destinations you know you’re just going to love even before you’ve explored it. What’s more, there’s heaps for families with kids of all ages to do. Read about some of the reasons to visit Lake Maggiore and in this post, where you can stay and what’s available locally.
Situated in Northern Italy, to the west of Lake Garda and Lake Como, is the beautiful Lake Maggiore – the second largest of the Italian Lakes. Bordering Switzerland, the magnificent scenery that surrounds it and the spectacular views from the mountains really are something else. But as we recently discovered, there’s plenty to satisfy all tastes (we’re even not talking food here) whether you’re travelling with young children, tweens or teens. Here are just some of the reasons Lake Maggiore has to be on your must-visit travel list.
We’ve visited Venice on several occasions as a couple but Venice with kids, some thought we were crazy to take POD with us. But why not, she loves to travel just as much as we do – and is mostly happy walking (always handy for exploring Venice!). As it was her first time visiting this beautiful Italian city, we pre-booked a couple of activities including a gondola ride and boat trip, to make the most of our trip.
