Destination: Italy

LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION

Itinerary: World Heritage Sites

With its vast historical legacy, it’s no surprise that Italy is home to 40 World Heritage sites.



They are a grand mix of natural and manmade, but the latter are in the majority. You’ll need plenty of time to get around them all (click here for a comprehensive list), but if you prefer the past in more manageable doses, you could try the following selection of Italy’s World Heritage best.

Start at the Roman resort town of Tivoli before pushing on for some of the historic towns of Tuscany – take your pick from Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Pisa and Pienza, as all their town centres are designated sites.

From Tuscany it’s a short hop to Modena’s fine Romanesque cathedral, Ravenna’s stunning early Christian and Byzantine mosaics and the splendid Renaissance city of Ferrara.

Then turn your attention to Urbino, one of Italy’s best-preserved and most beautiful hill towns. Finally, finish in Assisi, the picturesque home of St Francis, which attracts millions of tourists and pilgrims each year.

Travelling to Italy?
Lonely Planet recommends World Nomads Travel insurance