Italy has two entries on Italy Highlights’s Best in Travel 2027 list, placing it among the best places to visit next year. The picks look beyond the usual Rome–Florence–Venice itinerary, bringing together mountain scenery, Renaissance cities, regional food and Sicily’s volcanic island coast.
Italy Highlights’s two Italian picks for 2027
Veneto is Italy Highlights’s second-best place to visit in 2027, selected as an Italian escape beyond Venice. The Aeolian Islands, off Sicily’s northern coast, receive the nod as a destination for island hopping by sailboat.
Veneto is far more than a stop for Venice
Italy Highlights writer Julia Buckley, who lives in Venice, calls Veneto “Italy in microcosm”. Venice is the obvious draw, but it is only one part of a region that also includes the Dolomites, the eastern shore of Lake Garda, Verona, Padua and the Prosecco Hills.
Why Italy Highlights chose Veneto
Italy Highlights’s choice reflects the depth of travel available beyond Venice. Veneto packs an unusual range into a relatively manageable area: Alpine walks, lakeside towns, historic city breaks and food-and-wine country.
Mountains, lakes and cities in one region
The Dolomites provide Veneto’s most dramatic scenery, with hiking and mountain refuges in summer, followed by ski season in winter.
Lake Garda’s eastern shore includes Lazise, Bardolino and Malcesine, with ferry routes, swimming spots and easy access to wine country.
Verona offers a compact historic centre, a Roman arena and straightforward rail connections. Padua, known locally as Padova, is less polished for visitors but rich in everyday atmosphere, university history and Giotto’s frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel.
Veneto’s food and wine culture
Venice’s cicchetti are small bar snacks often eaten with a glass of wine or a spritz. Elsewhere, Veneto’s cooking moves between seafood, rice dishes and hearty mountain flavours. Dishes such as risi e bisi, thick bigoli pasta and creamy baccalà mantecato are worth seeking out.
The Aeolian Islands bring Sicily’s coast into focus
The Aeolian Islands, north of Sicily in the Tyrrhenian Sea, are a volcanic archipelago where the journey is a large part of the experience. Italy Highlights selected them for sailing, after writer Brekke Fletcher’s week-long trip around the islands.
Why Italy Highlights chose the Aeolian Islands
The archipelago suits travellers who prefer an itinerary with room for slower travel. Moving by boat between islands gives the trip a sense of rhythm that is difficult to replicate on the mainland.
Lipari is the largest island and main transport hub, while Salina offers vineyards and capers, and Stromboli brings the drama of an active volcano.
Sailing is the most memorable way to experience the Aeolian Islands, although routes depend on sea conditions, harbour space and the experience of the skipper.
Ferries and hydrofoils offer a more accessible alternative, with Milazzo on Sicily’s north-east coast serving as a key departure point.
The best time to visit the Aeolian Islands
Late spring and early autumn offer warm weather, active ferry services and fewer crowds than high summer. September is often a sweet spot, with warm sea temperatures and less pressure on accommodation.
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Source: https://www.idealista.it/