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Piedmont
Adrenaline adventures of all kinds
If you are planning a weekend or an awesome holiday combining physical activity and a regenerating relax in mindblowing landscapes, Piedmont is your destination. And, on top, the loving and welcoming capital city of Turin!
At the foot of the western Alps with peaks over 4.000 metres, charming rolling hills with famous wine districts listed by Unesco, and 95 protected natural reserves, Piedmont (Piemonte in Italian) is a true paradise for mountaineering and skiing, but also walking and hiking, canoeing and kayaking, mountain biking, hang gliding and paragliding.
Hiking, trekking or climbing?
Enrich your experience at the Gran Paradiso National Park just north of Turin and the Val Grande National Park, the largest wilderness area in Italy with breathless views on Lake Maggiore, or maybe you are ready for an epic long-distance hiking trail? The GTA (Great Alps Crossing) winds its way along the majestic Alpine range, a great hiking throughout the year.
Thrills by via ferratas, climbing and adventurous hiking is to be found in many places: by the super long Tibetan Bridge in the Susa Valley at a short distance from Turin, walking the Franciscan pilgrim route or the Via Ferrata Carlo Giorda up to the mountain top abbey Sacra di San Michele. The bike friendly roads of the Langhe-Monferrato-Roero district will take you through the wine fields to castles and wine cellars, with tasty stops.
Turin –the creative rainbow city
Turin – nominated by Unesco as a “Creative City of Design” – is an international art and culture hub with a busy and happy agenda. Turin is also an Italian LGBTQ+ capital that can be discovered with the first Italian LGBTQ+ walking tour,which is called Tuttaltrastoria – Not Just Any Story.
Tuttaltrastoria is a city-walking tour unique in its kind, created as part of the Friendly Piemonte project, for the promotion of Turin and its region for the gay community. It offers an unconventional perspective on the history of Turin through an evocative narration centred on the life of 12 illustrious figures: men and women who made their mark in our region, who lived through determining periods of its history and who even, in some cases, inspired change.
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Tuscany
As wonderful as it sounds
If you try to associate a landscape to the pure idea of the word “beauty”, it’s really hard not to think of Tuscany, the quintessence of Italy.
Eternal masterpieces of art, millennia of great history in every town and village, the gaze of smooth rolling hills, gastronomic marvels and outstanding wines: Tuscany is all that, but is also an inclusive and friendly region, where each person is a special guest. And Tuscany is ready to welcome you! Hundreds of experiences are awaiting. Here are three, just for you.
Florence – the proud city
Florence is romantic, fascinating and proud to be LGBTQ+-friendly since the 15th century! Among the perfect places to discover the rainbow-coloured past you find the churches in the historic city centre, the Palatine Gallery and the Uffizi Gallery. Amazing museums to admire some of the most beautiful art works in the world also bringing into light LGBTQ+ history, like the busts of Emperor Hadrian and his lover Antinoüs or the sculpture Sleeping Hermaphroditus.
The natural spa of Saturnia
Saturnia is located in the heart of the beautiful Maremma district, quite synonymous with the idea of Tuscany. Sunflower fields, hills and softly winding roads between Grosseto and Livorno, mediaeval villages full of art and charm, the amazing sea within reach.Add to this a first-class equipped spa (termedisaturnia.it) sure to satisfy the most demanding guests.
And finally, the “raw” version – the spontaneous waterfalls Cascate del Mulino, an open-air spa with warm sulphurous waters, an emotion bringing you back in time being an historic LGBTQ+ meeting place.
Versilia coast
The Tuscan coastline between Forte dei Marmi and Torre del Lago is called Versilia; home to entertainment and to art. It could be the beauty of the place, it could be the welcoming feeling, but this is the most beloved place for the Italian LGBTQ+ community. Viareggio is famous for the colourful yearly Carnival. Torre del Lago instead is the queen of the summer night, where the street Viale Europa holds a long row of establishments with drag shows, music and party for everyone. In the south: La Lecciona, a beloved naturist beach
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Umbria
The green heart of Italy
Right in the middle, between Rome and Florence, easy to reach also by train, and still most people have yet to discover marvellous Umbria. Time is running, go there now to have the pioneer feel and enjoy both countryside pleasures and hidden art gems
The region is called the green heart of Italy for obvious reasons. Green because of its lushly green of olive groves, vineyards and oak forests bringing truffles and mushrooms to the delicious dinner tables, and heart because of the geographic position and that it welcomes you with an open heart. Here are a couple of ideas especially for you.
Perugia and the Upper Tiber valley
The regional capital is Perugia, a lovely historic university town, famous for the chocolate traditions. For the LGBTQ+ community it’s known for the yearly Pride festival at the end of June.
So, Perugia might be the starting point to discover the region
The upper Tiber valley north of Perugia, is a beautiful landscape of fortresses, medieval towns and softly rolling green hills. Cycling along the Tiber is a relaxing slow-tourism experience in gorgeous rural setting; from Città di Castello to Umbertide, with a detour to Montone, the route is about 30 km long. And there are still other 40 green km to continue pedalling riverside, if you have the time. Exploring the area by car you add other stops, like lovely Gubbio.
Lake Trasimeno has charmed poets and painters over the centuries. It’s a protected birdlife area with genuine villages full of things to discover. There are bike and horse trails in the surrounding hills, an easy lakefront cycle path, sandy beaches, picturesque islands to visit, or you might take a fishing boat tour ending up tasting the catch of the day.
English tourists have nicknamed the area around Lake Trasimeno “Cashmere Valley,” and Umbrian cashmere can be found in many outlets and retail stores, from established brands known the world over, to smaller artisanal workshops. Leave some room in your suitcase for a fashionable, quality sweater or scarf to keep your memories of Umbria as warm as cosy as cashmere itself.
