4 Unique Travel Experiences in Italy
Italy is the land of rustic plates and luxury landscapes. The land of bold laughter and new friends made every minute. The land of feeling-like-family and full baskets of bread. Experi is offering four amazing travel experiences in Italy in 2017. Whether you want to explore Northern Italy, Puglia, Sicily, or Tuscany, we have you covered. Read on to learn more about some of the unique and one-of-a-kind activities you could experience with us.
Monte Isola, in the middle of Lake Iseo. Photo: Jeroen Komen CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
1. Taste Franciacorta wine on Lake Iseo
Travel to Northern Italy to explore a region of beloved lakes, including the picturesque Lake Iseo. Relax during an outdoor lunch at one of the charming cafes in the town of Iseo and look out onto the clear lake, its center island called Monte Isola, and surrounding mountains rising high. Enjoying the spectacle of Lake Iseo, Lombardy’s fourth largest lake, is made even better with a glass of wine. Franciacorta is a sparkling white wine found in this area, and it's a perfect pairing for the view.
Tour a vibrant food market in Lecce and learn the basics of traditional Puglia cuisine.
2. Shop for goods in Lecce markets
While exploring Italy’s heel region of Puglia, visit one of Lecce’s colorful food markets with your fellow travelers. Market shopping is best experienced with new friends, calling out fresh finds, amazing tastes, beautiful crafts, and rare delicacies. We also love wandering through markets with local guides who can take us to the best of the best vendors to gather ingredients that we’ll use later during cooking lessons of regional dishes.
A Negroni. Photo: Geoff Peters CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
3. Learn the art of cocktail making
While in Italy, you’ll want to taste many of the famous cocktails: Americano, Negroni, Cardinale, Bellini, Rossini, Martini’s and more. Just remember to pace yourself. Even better than watching a skilled bartender mix these creations for you is learning how to make them yourself. In Sicily, we meet with an expert mixologist to learn about the best Italian spirits like Amaro Averna, an herbal digestif made in Caltanissetta, Sicily.
Pecorino di Pienza is sheep's milk cheese produced in Pienza – Italy. Photo: Dan CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
4. Meet a cheese expert
Wherever you travel in Italy, sampling cheese will definitely be on your list of things to do. But don’t you want to go a step further? In Tuscany, we travel to Castiglion Fiorentino, a quaint and walled city. There we meet with a cheese expert to learn the different varieties of the region, and to learn the proper way to cut and taste these cheeses.