Winter Holiday Travel in Italy Portugal the Netherlands and Germany

Family Vacations Food and Wine Itineraries Medieval Villages Nature Parks

Italy

Abruzzo is located on the Adriatic Coast, east of Rome. It is home to national parks, hilltop medieval and Renaissance towns and numerous nature reserves. The Apennine mountain chain forms much of its interior while the coastal plain has sandy beaches and dunes.

Basilicata, also known as Lucania, is a southern Italian region bordering with Campania to the west, Apulia to the north and east, and Calabria to the south, with one coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea between Campania and Calabria, and a longer one in the Gulf of Taranto on the Ionian Sea.

Campania the ancient Romans called this region of Italy Campania Felix. Baia, Puteoli, Pompeii, Stabia and Capri were their favorite destinations. Then and now, Happy Campania is famed for its ancient ruins, coastal resorts and world renowned culinary traditions. A cultural and national capital for much of its nearly three thousand year history, Naples is home to art museums, the San Carlo opera house and a spectacular bay framed by Mt. Vesuvius, affectionately and fearfully referred to by the local inhabitants as The Monster. 

Rome Lazio is mainly flat and hilly, with small mountainous areas in the eastern and southern districts. The coastline is mainly composed of sandy beaches. Behind the coastal strip, to the north, lies the coastal plain of Maremma Laziale. The center is occupied by the Roman countryside, a vast alluvial plain surrounding the city of Rome, and the south is characterized by flatlands. The Apennines of Latium are marked by the Tiber River valley and three mountains of volcanic origin whose craters are occupied by Lakes Bolsena, Vico and Bracciano. South of the Tiber, the Alban Hills, are of volcanic origin.   

Marche is slowly being discovered as the new Italian frontier; an abridged expression of the varied charms of Italy with a variety of attractions offered seasonally and year- round, including: authentic foods, breathtaking landscapes, a lively cultural landscape, artistic and natural treasures. 

Puglia is located in southern Italy; it borders the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its southernmost portion, the Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the boot of Italy. 

Portugal

Lisbon Porto and the Douro Valley Lisbon a City of Lights and Contrasts is both Atlantic and Mediterranean, illuminated by an extraordinary light that contrasts with landscaped hills tumbling towards the Tagus river. 

Rotterdam Netherlands

Maritime Museums Walking and Boat Tours Original and fascinating professional guided walking tours. The heart of the second-largest city in the Netherlands lies inside a triangle of main roads. This inner city can easily be explored on foot within this triangle. The relatively short distances make a walk along beautiful and interesting sights and exceptional museums, the perfect way to discover Rotterdam. 

Düsseldorf Germany

Walking Tours Castles Fashion Museums and Rhine River Cruises Düsseldorf is the cosmopolitan capital of North-Rhine-Westphalia, Germany`s state with the country`s largest population. The city has close to 600,000 inhabitants and is known for its old quarter – Altstadt – with nightlife and buildings which date back to the 16^th century. Here, you can taste the famous Altbier – a dark beer. 

Art Cities and Food Traditions in Puglia Italy

Apulia (Puglia) is located in southern Italy; it borders the Adriatic Sea in the east, the Ionian Sea to the southeast, and the Strait of Otranto and Gulf of Taranto in the south. Its southernmost portion, the Salento peninsula, forms a high heel on the boot of Italy. 

Art Cities

Lecce is known as the Baroque city and the Florence of the south because of its magnificent architecture constructed with the famed Lecce Stone. Itinerary: Porta Napoli; Piazza del Duomo Cathedral and Belfry, Episcopio and Seminary Palace; Sant’Irene Church; Piazza Sant’Oronzo and Amphitheater, Sedile, Chiesa di San Marco Church and Sant’Oronzo Column; Santa Croce Basilica; Celestini Convent.
 

Barletta once a fortress, the Barletta’s castle was once surrounded by the sea. The historic center visit includes: Santa Maria Maggiore Cathedral; Eraclio’s Colossus, Santo Sepolcro Basilica and large bronze statue; Marra Palace, the Orsini family residence; Porta Marina, a unique example of a city wall gate; Cantina della disfida, the legendary battle between Italian soldiers of fortune led by Ettore Fieramosca and the French Army.

Trani the castle is the best preserved and most important among those erected by Frederic II. The Cathedral of San Nicola, the queen of cathedrals in Apulia, was built along the seashore, as was the castle, with a Latin cross layout, is divided into three naves and twin columns, a unique feature among the region’s Romanesque churches. The historic center itinerary included a visit to the Jewish quarter and two ancient synagogues.

Lucera this ancient town boasts one of the largest historic centers in Italy which holds the Cathedral of the Assumption, built on the foundations of an ancient mosque. Trani’s highest hill contains the Roman acropolis and a Swabian-Angevin fortress; the latter is a major archeological that features neolithic huts, Roman ruins and from a Frederic II palace as well as the remnants of the medieval era Church of St Francis. Finally, the Roman Amphitheater, Apulia’s most important Roman era structure.

Bari the most important city on the Adriatic Sea presents a medieval historic center that contains the city’s most important monuments, folkloristic features and the imposing San Nicola Cathedral.

Altamura is characterized by a series of cloisters, including a Jewish one. Its religious history is quite unique in that for seven centuries, beginning with the Frederic II era, Altamura’s bishops were appointed  by the prevailing secular powers; the Lateran Pact of 1929, governing relations between the Italian State and the Vatican, returned this specific power to the papacy. A major attraction is a visit to 15^th Century stone oven that produces the classic Altamura bread and the Apulian focaccia.

 

Taranto can be defined as 2700 years of history on an island-historic center between two bodies of water, the Mar Piccolo and the Mar Grande. This unique setting contains a Greek acropolis, Roman and Renaissance architecture and baroque residences. Among Taranto’s principal mounuments: the Aragonese Castle, the Doric Temple’s column, S. Cataldo Cathedral and the Convent of San Domenico.

UNESCO Sites

Castel Del Monte Frederic II’s octagonal structure is unique in form and function. The form presents architectural considerations as well as still mostly unexplained symbolisms. An exterior and interior tour focus on the times when the castle was built as well the history of the emperor who commissioned it.

Alberobello the Trulli trace their origin to a 15^th Century edict by the Kingdom of Naples requiring tribute for every new settlement. Alberobello’s owners, the Counts of Conversano, instructed their subject to build temporary structures, not subject to any form of taxation. Furthermore, these stone structures required self-supporting domes as rooftops, made of superimposed circles of stones; hence the peculiar cusp shape.

Monte Sant’Angelo is located in Apulia’s Gargano promontory. The medieval quarter is characterized by terraced houses, traces of its Longobard period and the Sanctuary with the cult of the Archangel Michael who, according to tradition, appeared in a grotto. Also, the Norman Castle, the historic center and St’ Michael’s Basilica.

Otranto situated on Salento’s Adriatic Coast, is Italy’s easternmost town. With Messapi, Roman, Byzantine and Aragonese roots, it developed around its imposing castle and Norman Cathedral. Additional points of interest: the defensive walls and gate, the historic center, s. Peter’s Church, the Cathedral with Martyrs’ Chapel, vault and floor mosaics.

Archeological Museums

Egnazia Museum and Park is located between an olive grove and the sea. Partially excavated, it contains mostly Roman era finds: Via Traiana, Civil Basilica, oriental divinity shrine, an amphitheater and a colonnaded square. The museum is divided into 7 areas that illustrate the town’s history from bronze era huts to the medieval period that ended in the 13^th Century, when Egnazia was abandoned by its population.

The Bisceglie Dolmen is Italy’s most recognized prehistoric monument. It consists of a two meter high quadrangular cell made of three vertical stone slabs that hold a larger fourth slab acting as a roof. The left slab has two openings, probably for the flow the sacrificial victims’ blood. The cell has an external corridor – dromos - with small stone slabs. Among the cell’s finds: charred animal bones, human skeletons, various plates and utensils.

Taranto Archeological Museum the MARTA collections lead to a complete picture of the city’s ancient history. Emphasis is on Greek Taranto’s funeral culture and the finds uncovered in the city’s necropolis and Greek society: theater, games, symposia and artistic expressions. Also, a review of the Roman era as illustrated by the museum’s mosaic floors.

Connect fora Puglia Italy Travel Experience

Wellness Cultural and Culinary Travel

in Salento and Puglia Italy

The Salento Peninsula is in the southeastern corner of the Puglia region of Italy. In ancient times it was inhabited by the Messapi a term signifying “land amid the waters” – the Ionian and Adriatic seas. Towns and villages are characteristically made of whitewashed houses in narrow streets with local handicraft shops, immersed in the green of the olive trees and vineyards, bordered by the typical dry-stone walls.

Sun, sea and breezes during a summer season lasting from May to mid-October. The mild winters are always pleasant with plenty of sunshine.

Wellness Bio Dances Holistic Massages Mystical and Healing Practices Influenced by Local Traditions

An enchanting setting along the Salento coastline, Villa Cesarea is on top of four marine grottoes that are the source of its famed mineral waters. It is also a place of pagan and Christian legends. In the former, the waters were created by giant men made of fire and sulfur, whereas the latter, from which name the Cesarea is derived, is based on the young maiden Cisaria whose sacrifice purified and sanctified the waters.

The Salentum Treatment consists of body scrubs, face masks and massages with local ingredients: wine and olives, olive oil, blackberries and pomegranates, Mediterranean citrus fruits.

Accommodations elegant apartments in a beautiful park surrounded by age-old olive and fruit trees and a biological garden; nearby: cycle tracks and an 18-hole golf course.

Baroque Architecture Food and Wine Traditions and Spectacular Coastlines

Culture famous for its soft stones, ideal for making sculptures, and its ceramics products, Lecce is over 2000 years old and renowned for its historic center and baroque architecture, stretching from Roman times to the 18^th Century, the Acaya renaissance quarter, the Cavallino Widespread Museum, the Messapi archeological park and the MUSA University Museum. It is also a major agricultural center specializing in olive oil and wine, hence, numerous opportunities to experience the famed local wines and traditional cuisine.

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Nardò second largest town in the region, takes the concept of sustainability very seriously; it is built on local traditions that are especially manifest in food and wine as well as the arts and culture. The city’s monuments are characterized by different artistic styles representative of its long history. 

Gallipoli is on an island with ancient monuments, tiny streets, and churches surrounded by the pristine waters of the Ionian Sea.

Otranto is the eastern most city in Salento with magnificent sea views and monuments like Corigliano Castle and the Carpignano Byzantine Crypt.

Food and Wine experience Salento’s famed wines and traditional cuisine. Some local specialties: puccia, friseddhre, pittule, rustici, pasticciotti and sweets made ​​of almond paste, accompanied by the local wines: Negramaro, Primitivo and Malvasia.

Connect for Travel to Salento and the Puglia Region of Italy

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