The Interesting Italian Peninsula

Hank Schrader, USMA '71, Europe Destination & Europe River Cruise Expert

Anne Schrader, Certified Travel Counselor & Certified Luxury Cruise Specialist

www.dreamdestinations.com

Italy is always a top country to visit for Americans. Not really a surprise to me—we always send at least one couple or a group to Italy each year.

So, I thought I’d tell you about the wonders of the Italian Peninsula.

Ready to travel? —let’s go!

Overview of the Italian Peninsula

Europe is a continent of peninsulas—there are 5 major peninsulas and many minor ones. Perhaps the most popular travel destination in Europe is the Italian Peninsula—if not the top destination in Europe, it always is very near the top in travel surveys.

It is also called the Apennine Peninsula, after the mountain range that runs almost the entire length of this country. This landmass is 1000 km long—620 miles and when seen from the sky is in the shape of a boot.

This a good time to remind you that we have guides to Rome, Venice, and Florence available to help you understand some of the best sights at each city on the Italian Peninsula. Just visit our website, www.dreamdestinations.com and find the Europe pages. In the Southern Europe page, you can use our convenient order form to get your guide(s). They are free and are designed for you to print and fold up in your pocket—no bulky tour book to lug around (if you are not a current client, there is a limit of 2 guides).

So, let’s learn about Italian Peninsula and how we can help you experience this wonderful area of Europe.

Overview of the Italian Peninsula

A peninsula is a landmass that has water on three side. You may be surprised to learn there are 3 countries on the Italian Peninsula. Folks often think they would be correct in stating that it is only the country of Italy on this peninsula, but they would be wrong. This confusion results because the two small microstate countries that are hidden in Italy are enclaves—they are surrounded by the much larger country of Italy and are easy to miss.

The two microstates are San Marino and the Vatican. So, it is time to learn about these 3 awesome countries.

The Big Boy on the Block--Italy

To me, Italy is one of the most fascinating places on earth. Once, it was most dominate power on earth for 400 years or so during the Roman Empire; it was the birthplace of the Renaissance; and it finally became unified in 1860.

However, in my opinion, it was during and after the Middle Ages, when the feuding and fighting of the various city-states took place, that have shaped this country into many of its present-day charms. Regions are distinct and offer the traveler quite an array of places to visit and marvel at during their visits.

Combine this with the “Dolce Vida”—the good life--and it is easy to see why Italy is such a popular tourist destination. I think the best way to look at Italy is to divide it into 3 regions—North, Central and South, and keep Rome as a separate topic.

Rome

For anyone traveling to Europe, there are 3 cities that are the most important to visit in my mind. They are London, Paris, and Rome. The Roman civilization changed the world forever. Rome’s fantastic sights are a tangled mess of greatness—it often seems a small ruin of Rome pops up amid modern buildings. The traffic is also a challenge— it also seems everyone who drives wants to beat all others to their destination, so don’t expect drivers to always yield the right of way.

Even with these challenges, it is a magical place of history and awesome food and drink. To see most of the main sights in Rome, you will need at least 3 days, but even with over 10 visits to Rome, there is more for us to see—I doubt you will run out of places to visit and experience.

Some of the key sights in Rome are the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, the Arch of Constantine, Trajan’s Column, the Victor Emmanuel Monument, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. Here are some pictures:

Northern Italy

The mountains of the Alps define this area of Italy. It is also home to the Italian Lakes Region and two of our favorite places, Lake Lugano, and Lake Como. Here is a photo at Lake Como:

Another great place is Portofino. Here is a picture

The two most important towns of this region are Milan and Venice. Milan is the regional capital of Lombardy. It is a world-famous fashion and shopping destination. In Milan, the two most famous tourist destinations are the Milan Duomo (cathedral) and the painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Here is a picture of the Duomo:

A word of caution about seeing the Last Supper. First, to see this famous work of art, you will require a reservation and you will have only 15 minutes to view the painting in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie. There are two large paintings at opposite ends of the convent (the Last Supper is to the right as you enter) and they are very strict about their no picture requirement. We watched a tourist stripped of his camera and told to delete the picture or give up his camera. For obvious reasons, we do not have a picture to show you.

Venice is a world unto itself. This intricate area reclaimed from a muddy lagoon is a pedestrian maze of canals, bridges, and spectacular sights. It once was among the most powerful city-states of the world, and it dominated trade in much of the Adriatic and eastern Mediterranean Sea for several centuries.

The principal tourist sights are around St. Mark’s Square. They include the Doge Palace, the Cathedral of St. Mark (which contain the relics of this disciple of Christ), the markets of Rialto Bridge area and the canals. Venice is very crowded, confusing, and colorful with its trademark gondolas. Here are some pictures:

the Cathedral of St. Mark (which contain the relics of this disciple of Christ)

The Bridge of Sighs—it is legend that prisoners would get their last look a Venice as the crossed this bridge prior to being placed in windowless jail cells and sigh

gondolas. moored in one of the maze of canals

The Central Region of Italy

This region has the world-famous Tuscany hill towns and the birthplace of the Renaissance, Florence. Tuscany is wine country. It has hill towns with fortified towers, left over from the conflicts between the various hill towns, that will take you back to a time long ago. There are so many to see that it would be easy to stay a week or more here. Some classic towns include San Gimignano, Siena, Orvieto and Montepulciano.

There are two other interesting cities in the region beside Florence. Pisa, with its famous leaning tower, and the walled city of Lucca also deserves a visit. But the must see in this region is Florence.

Florence, once the home of the powerful and rich Medici ruling clan, has the best Renaissance art in Europe. Key sights in Florence are the Uffizi Gallery, the Accademia (David statue by Michelangelo), the Duomo and Giotto’s tower, Ponte Vecchio and the Palazzo Vecchio. Here are some pictures:

the Accademia with the David statue by Michelangelo

A word of warning about the two key art galleries—the Uffizi and the Accademia. Without reservations, you could stand in line for hours to get in. Some guidebooks recommend at least a month in advance for the Uffizi and a week for the Accademia. Even with reservations to get into the Accademia, we stood in line for an hour on a small group tour.

Southern Italy

From Naples south, the Amalfi coast has some on the most dramatic views in all of Italy. It is also home to the historical ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum. When Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, these buried cities became a window into ancient Roman life. Here are some photos of Pompeii:

The Amalfi coast is dotted with towns clinging to the steep cliffs. Our personal favorite is Positano. Here are a couple of photos:

Positano.-the buildings cling to the cliffs

Sorrento is also spectacular, as you can see from this picture:

At the end of the boot, is the island of Sicily. It is the largest island of the Mediterranean. In many ways, Sicily is distinct from Italy. It has its own dialect, customs, and cuisine.

The Teatro Massimo Bellini Opera House in Catania Sicily

The World’s Oldest Republic—San Marino

The old city state of San Marino is a fun and cool place to visit. It is only 61 square kilometers in size. Although not very easy to get to without a car or tour, it is well worth the effort. It was founded in the 4th century and is a throwback to older times—it is undisturbed by the modern world. The dominate feature of this small country is Mount Titano and the 3-fortress built on the 3 peaks to protect this tiny country from invasion.

The capital city is also called San Marino and is a pedestrian only area. Inside the town walls, it is a delight to wander around. Here are some of our favorite photos:

Palazzo Pubblico and Piazza della Liberta. The building is the Government House

A guard outside the Government House in San Marino

The Cesta Tower, also known as the second tower of the 3 defensive towers of San Marino.

Noon time ceremony of citizens dressed in medieval clothes parade through the streets

The Smallest Country in the World— the Vatican City

This small area of only .17 square miles far outweighs its size—it is the center of the Catholic Church and for many years the only religion of Christianity. It is not possible to overstate its importance in the world stage—it is the religious capital for 1.1 billion Roman Catholics. The ruler of Vatican City is the pope, who is both the religious and secular leader of this tiny country.

The most important sights are St. Peter’s Square, the Basilica of St. Peter, and the Vatican Museum. Visiting the museum requires an entrance ticket and if you do not have an advance reservation, you could spend several hours waiting in line. Even to get into the Basilica of St. Peter, we waited over an hour. The lines are long, and I’m told it is a favorite area for pickpockets. Here are some photos:

St. Peter’s Square with the Basilica of St. Peter in the background

A Swiss guard outside the Basilica of St. Peter

Our Final Thoughts

As you can see, we are experts in travel to the Italian Peninsula and we would like to help you visit someday. We hope you enjoyed this report.

We are travel experts, ocean and river cruise specialists, and Europe destination experts. We have first-hand knowledge of almost anywhere you want to visit in Europe. We know our products and the vendors who sell them to you. We have designed special tours for dozens of clients, led several and will continue to find just the right vacation that will exceed your expectations.

When you are spending your hard-earned money for a vacation, you want an advisor who can match you with the right trip. You want someone who will understand your expectations and fuel your anticipation (or excitement) to get you the best possible trip experience. And, you want someone who can help you with the decision making process. We think we have all these qualities.

Whatever your Dream Destinations are, we are here to help you get the best possible vacation based on what is important to you! We will provide you high quality, expertly planned travel. Please give me a call 713-397-0188 (Hank) or email me at hschrader@dreamdestinations.com. We want to help you: Savor life…make memories…Visit Dream Destinations! Your journey begins here!

ANNE has earned a degree from the University of Houston in Hotel and Restaurant Management. Serving as the President of Visit Dream Destinations, LLC, since 2016, she is uniquely experienced professional travel advisor with over 26 years’ experience in the travel industry. Among her numerous certifications, she is a Certified Travel Counselor (CTC) by the Travel Institute, considered the gold standard in travel agent certification and she is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC) by the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), as well Luxury Cruise Specialist also from CLIA. Having traveled often to Europe since 1989, she has expanded on her certification as a Destination Specialist in Western Europe (DS) with extensive first-hand experience in luxury vacations. She holds numerous other specialty designations from individual vendors. An expert photographer, she delights in capturing the true essence of destinations to share with all.

HANK is a certified Western European Destination Specialist (DS) who has been traveling to Europe for 50 years. He is also an Accredited Cruise Counselor (ACC), conferred by the Cruise Line International Association (CLIA). This recognized expert in cruise and leisure travel is a retired Army Officer, and taught World Geography for 8 years. He is a `71 graduate of West Point and has earned 2 master’s degrees. His other Certifications:

AmaWaterways River Cruise Specialist
Viking River Cruise Specialist
Scenic River Cruise Specialist
Emerald Waterways Specialist
Avalon Waterways Specialist
Brit Agent

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