What to see in Italy: 10 must-sees
Discover what to see in Italy: 10 must-see destinations, from Rome (Colosseum) to Florence (Duomo). Predominantly UNESCO heritage and beach; each entry includes the best time to visit and the link to its official source.
UNESCO Heritage(9)
Admire Rome's Colosseum, the largest amphitheater in the world, built between 70 and 80 AD in the heart of Lazio. Walk the tiers where 50,000 spectators once watched gladiator fights and where 80,000 people now attend concerts. Explore the arena floor and the hypogeum that once housed cages and stage machinery. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is Europe's most visited monument, with 7.6 million visitors a year. Arrive early to avoid lines and combine your ticket with the Roman Forum and the Palatine.
Stroll beneath Brunelleschi's dome, the largest masonry dome in the world, built without centering between 1296 and 1436 atop the Basilica of Santa Maria del Fiore. Climb the 116 meters overlooking Florence and get a close look at the Romanesque baptistery and Giotto's Campanile—three buildings that form one of the most complete Gothic ensembles in Tuscany. The historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves goldsmiths' workshops and medieval squares that explain why this city shaped the Renaissance.
Immerse yourself in Venice's Grand Canal, where more than 400 bridges link marble palaces and gondolas still cross the city's main artery. Founded in 421, the Most Serene Republic dominated Mediterranean trade for 1,000 years and came to rival Constantinople. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this site in the Veneto preserves exceptional testimony to a vanished civilization, with architecture and history reflected in every facade rising from the water.
Behold the tower that leans 3.99 degrees because its clay foundations sank during construction (1173-1372). The Piazza dei Miracoli, with the Cathedral, Baptistery, and Monumental Cemetery, is a perfect Romanesque ensemble. A UNESCO site since 1987. Behold the UNESCO World Heritage Site where history, architecture, and culture create a landscape that has inspired travelers for centuries. UNESCO experts have recognized its outstanding value. This site represents exceptional testimony to a cultural tradition or to a civilization that has disappeared.
Explore the historic center of Naples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, where Vesuvius watches over streets that have been accumulating history for 2,500 years. Founded by the Greeks in 470 BC, the city was Roman, Norman, Angevin, Aragonese, Spanish, Austrian, Bourbon, and Italian, each era leaving behind churches, palaces, and theaters. Taste pizza in its birthplace, cross Spaccanapoli, and trace the footsteps of the painters, composers, and poets born here.
Sail along the Ligurian coast to the five villages of the Cinque Terre, colorful houses anchored to cliffs above the Ligurian Sea. Hike the trails linking Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore among terraced vineyards and olive groves. The site, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997, preserves centuries of fishing, maritime architecture, and local traditions: try Genoese pesto and sciacchetrà wine at the taverns overlooking the harbor.
Follow the road that winds for 50 km between Sorrento and Salerno, with 1,200 curves suspended over cliffs plunging into the Tyrrhenian Sea. The Amalfi Coast, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997, links towns such as Positano, with its houses stacked up the hillside; Ravello, perched 350 meters above the sea; and Amalfi, an ancient maritime republic with its striped duomo facade. Around every bend you'll spot terraced lemon groves, bougainvillea, and viewpoints for stopping to photograph hidden coves. Drive slowly: the road is narrow, and the scenery justifies every brake.
Descend into Sicily's 3,000 years of history: the Doric temples of the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, the volcanic slopes of Mount Etna, and the Norman domes of Palermo. Walk among Greek columns at sunset, climb to the craters of Europe's tallest active volcano, and browse Palermo's markets, where Arab, Norman, and Baroque legacies blend. UNESCO recognizes this heritage as exceptional testimony to the civilizations that shaped the Mediterranean.
Cross the Piazza del Duomo and look up: Italy's largest Gothic cathedral unfolds 3,400 statues, 135 spires, and a white marble facade that took 600 years to complete. Climb to the terraces to walk among the pinnacles and see the golden Madonnina crowning the tower. Fifteen minutes away on foot, in the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, you'll find Leonardo's Last Supper (1495-1498), painted on the refectory wall. Wear comfortable shoes and visit early.
Beach(1)
Walk the white sand of the Costa Smeralda, in northeastern Sardinia, where transparent water reveals the seabed several meters from shore. Swim among the coves of the La Maddalena archipelago, snorkel over rocky seafloors dotted with posidonia, and follow coastal trails through junipers and granite worn by the mistral. In the afternoon, stroll along Porto Cervo's marina and its terraces beside the yachts, and after dark check out the local bars. Pure Mediterranean, contrasting open sea with inland pine forests.
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