What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think about Italy? For me it is the food and the natural beauty. I will be covering some of the natural beauty in this post but will skip the food bit as there is way too much to talk about it. I will also talk about the architecture that the country boasts.

Italy is a vast country with so many pretty places ranging from Venice to Florence, from Naples to Rome, from Milan to Pisa. I have had the opportunity to visit Milan and Venice and will share some of the spots and experiences that one shouldn’t miss out on while visiting Italy.

1. Visit Venice

Venice is one of the prettiest places I have visited. The small alleys and bridges. Houses set around the water forms such a pretty sight.

I visited Venice during winters and arrived close to sunset, hence I did not come across any Gondolas. However, I did love walking around and settling down at a small restaurant for some traditional Italian dinner.

2. Admire the Piazza Del Duomo 

One of the most iconic structures in Milan. The Piazza del Duomo is huge in size with about 17,000 square metres of overall area. The Duomo (the Milan Cathedral) is the largest church in Italy and the fifth largest in the world. What an amazing piece of architecture! Do go inside the Cathedral to admire its architecture and brilliance.

3. Visit the Galleria Vittori Emanuelle II and go shopping

Why would you not want to shop when you are in one of the fashion capitals of the world? Milan is known for its brilliance when it comes to fashion. Located just next to the Piazza del Duomo, the Galleria Vittori Emanuelle II is not only well known for its design and architecture but also for the shopping. Go around the area surrounding the Galleria and shop till you drop.

 

4. Check out the street art

Italian street art is just amazing. I came across a number of brilliant artworks around the city of Milan. A lot of street art and graffiti holds a connection to a number of important events that have taken place in the history of the country.

5. Attend the Carnival of Venice

Venice is not only known for Gondola rides and its prettiness but also for its Carnival. You will come across a number of stalls and shops selling masks that are worn for the Carnival. The one in the photo is easy to recognise, thanks to the movie V for Vendetta. The next time I visit Venice, I will surely try to be a part of the festival and also take a Gondola ride.

6. Get spellbound by the white winters

Milan has a number of parks and beautiful trees planted across the city. When it is winter time and as the snow pours down, the beauty of the these areas and the city becomes twofold.

7. Enjoy the Italian architecture

The Italian architecture deserves all the respect it gets. This was one of the old buildings that I came across in Milan. The design of the building, the huge wooden doors and the tiles; everything was just perfect.

I have plans to visit Italy in the near future and I have places like Amalfi, Pisa and Rome on the list. Hope to get there soon and refresh my Italian memories.