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Weekly roundup
Ciao, here’s what we’re exploring this week!
Ever wish Italy felt vivid and local again, without the lines and the price tags? Picture Bologna’s terracotta streets and endless arches, Puglia’s cliffs and quiet coves dotted with olive groves and whitewashed towns, and Florence’s classic beauty with a side of courtyard concerts, bookshop cinemas, and late-night bars.
Take a moment to see how these three stops can turn a familiar trip into something that feels newly yours.
Hidden Italy
Bologna Makes Italy Feel Like A Crowd-Free Food Capital
RBC-Ukraine spotlights Bologna as the smart first stop for travelers who want “real Italy” without the long queues and inflated prices that can define Rome, Venice, and Florence. The piece follows traveler Adam Miller, who skipped Florence after a Tuscany wedding and found Bologna’s pace, energy, and affordability instantly more relaxed.
The article frames Bologna through its two famous nicknames: La Rossa, for its terracotta-red streetscape, and La Grassa, for its reputation as one of Italy’s best food cities. It’s described as a rare balance of historic beauty and modern, lived-in buzz, where locals linger in bars and the city feels lively without tipping into tourist chaos.
For sightseeing, Bologna rewards simple wandering. Highlights include Piazza Maggiore, Basilica di San Petronio, the Two Towers, and the Basilica di Santo Stefano complex, plus the everyday magic of walking under the city’s iconic arches with the Apennine hills as a backdrop.
Then there’s the food. The story calls out how easy it is to grab a great drink or snack for around 5 euros in the center, and points readers to local classics like tortellini in brodo, a stop at Mercato delle Erbe, and gelato at Cremeria Cavour. The takeaway is clear: Bologna’s simplicity, authenticity, and fair prices are why it could be your standout Italy discovery for 2026.
Beyond the hotspots
Puglia Is Italy’s Sun-Soaked Heel for Slow Coastal Days
Start in Bari or Brindisi, the region’s main gateways, then fan out along a coastline that flips from cliffside drama to calm coves and fishing towns. The piece leans into the idea of “Le Puglie,” meaning there are many Puglias, so you can mix buzzy port-city energy with quiet lanes, olive groves, and small-town rituals in the span of a single drive.
It maps the greatest hits by landscape, not hype: the mountainous Gargano for curvy scenic roads, forests, and those old-school trabucchi fishing platforms that now double as unforgettable sunset dinner spots. Inland, Alta Murgia is pitched as rugged and wild, with Castel del Monte as a must, while Valle d’Itria delivers the postcard white towns, including Ostuni and the trulli-filled lanes of Alberobello.
Timing matters. July and August are hot, crowded, and expensive, but the nightlife and festivals peak, especially down in Salento. Shoulder season is the sweet spot, with warm days showing up as early as April and stretching into October, and winter is for empty streets, cafe culture, and local food opinions served with total confidence.
Lonely Planet’s planning guide breaks it all down with practical trip math: how long to stay, how to get in, why a car unlocks the best detours, and where to build a route that hits everything from Bari’s classic bites to UNESCO stops and countryside masseria stays.
City spotlight
Florence, the Historic City With a Sceney Side You Didn’t Know Existed
The Times’ Huw Oliver makes the case that Florence is no longer just the Renaissance postcard city you speed-run between the Duomo and the Uffizi. A new, younger energy is hiding in plain sight, and it shows up the moment you start looking beyond the greatest-hits itinerary.
The trip’s anchor is W Florence, a flashy new arrival near the center that leans into late nights as much as luxe design, with bars, DJ sets, and the kind of crowd that feels more “locals and in-the-know” than tour group. It is a signal that Florence can do modern cool without trying to compete with Milan.
From there, the article goes “Reddit-approved,” mixing culture with hangouts that actually feel lived-in: the Giunti Odeon cinema-bookshop hybrid, the Marino Marini Museum, and neighborhoods like Santo Spirito and Sant’Ambrogio, where dinner turns into a crawl. Highlights include Il Santo Bevitore, Birreria Art. 17, and Le Murate, a former convent and prison turned arts space, before landing at Nugolo for veg-forward cooking that pulls from its own garden and the Sant’Ambrogio market.
The smartest takeaway is how easy this side of Florence is to plug into a normal visit. You can tick off the big sights, cross a couple of streets, and suddenly you are in a courtyard concert, a buzzy beer hall, or a restaurant that feels like your best travel find, then still finish with the classic view from Piazzale Michelangelo.
Do This, Not That
Turin ☕
Turin hides in plain sight behind flashier cities, but it is one of Italy’s best places to sink into café culture.
Do this: Pick a historic café under the arcades, order a bicerin or a simple espresso, and sit as long as you like. Stroll the elegant boulevards, dip into one museum that truly interests you, and treat the whole city as an excuse to slow your pace.
Not that: Do not try to cram Turin into an overstuffed day where it is just “something near the Alps.” If you rush it, you will miss the subtle, old-world charm that is the whole point.
Itinerary of the week
Three Days in Sorrento 🍋
Day 1: Eat your way into town. Start with a small-group Sorrento food walk that kicks off in Piazza Tasso and hits the hits: sfogliatelle, pressed panini, local bites, a family-run lemon grove, plus limoncello and gelato. If you want a hands-on night, add a seaside cooking class in a family villa where you make classic dishes and sit down to eat on the terrace.
Day 2: Go full Amalfi Coast, your way. Take the stress-free day trip to Positano, Amalfi, and Ravello with time to wander, shop, and grab an espresso by the beach, plus a boat hop from Positano to Amalfi in season. Or skip the road traffic altogether and do the full-day boat cruise with swim time, Li Galli Island, and stops in Amalfi and Positano.
Day 3: Pick your headline adventure. Do Capri by jetfoil with the Blue Grotto, a loop around the island, Anacapri, and the chairlift up Monte Solaro if you’re feeling views-on-views. More into ancient history? Swap in Pompeii with skip-the-line access, a guided walk through the ruins, and a hike up Mount Vesuvius (or Herculaneum if Vesuvius is closed).
Expect lemon-scented lanes between bites, one big “how is this real?” coastline moment from the water, and a trip that feels equal parts easygoing and bucket-list.
Italian Dish of the Week
Supplì al Telefono (Rome)
What It Is: Supplì al telefono are Roman rice croquettes: small, oval balls of risotto-style rice mixed with tomato and sometimes a bit of ragù, stuffed with mozzarella, then breaded and fried. When you bite into one and pull it apart, the melted mozzarella stretches like a phone cord, which is why we call them “al telefono.”
Why You Should Try It: If you want to eat like a real Roman, you have to try supplì. This is what locals grab with a beer before dinner, or as a quick snack on the way home, not some fancy restaurant invention. One good supplì gives you crunch, soft rice, tomato flavor, and that gooey cheese center all in a few bites. It is simple, cheap, and incredibly satisfying.
What Makes It Special: A proper supplì has a thin, very crispy shell and a well-seasoned rice filling that holds together without being dry. The mozzarella inside should melt but not disappear, so you still get that “telephone wire” effect when you break it open. Every pizzeria al taglio and old-school Roman friggitoria has its own version, and people here absolutely have opinions on which place makes the best ones.
Get involved
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Why it matters
These places show that the best Italy moments often happen just beyond the greatest-hits checklist. You get the freedom to wander, eat well without overthinking it, and time your days for shoulder-season ease, scenic drives, and neighborhoods that still feel lived in.
Sometimes all it takes is one smart detour to make a whole country feel personal again.
Alla prossima,
Francesca Vitali
Editor-in-Chief
Italy Dream Life
PS: Love Italy as much as we do? Follow us on Instagram @ItalyDreamLife for daily inspiration, hidden spots, and real moments from il bel paese. Because Italy isn’t just a destination—it’s a lifestyle. 🇮🇹✨
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