Travel tips Italy 2020: these are the must-sees of the year!

A new year, new travel plans. And of course we are going to Italy again in 2020. Are you coming? Even if it's just a few days in the May holiday or autumn holiday, in Italy it is always fun. These are the must-sees from the This is Italy editorial for 2020.

Taormina, Sicily

Reinout Bosman's Italy tip of 2020 is Taormina op Sicily.

Sicily has been on my wish list of Italian destinations for years, especially Taormina. 

Sicily is one of the richest parts of Italy in terms of art and history. Think, for example, of the Greco-Roman theater that was built in the 7th century BC and was called the most beautiful theater in the world by Goethe, among others.

I just want to see that once. Especially in the summer when concerts are held. 

From Taormina you can see and hear both Etna and the sea, you have a beautiful coastline and the bustling Corso Umberto with its shops and restaurants is the guarantee for good food and lots of atmosphere and fun.

Bergamo, Lombardy

Annelies Koppers' Italy tip of 2020 is Bergamo in Lombardy.

bubbly Bergamo is in my opinion the must for a short city trip. This charming city feels more like a village and is less massive and crowded than for example Milan. And thus the ideal city to discover on foot.

From the station you will soon come across the newly renovated Teatro Donizetti. Visit an opera or take a look at one of the beautiful halls. The best way to explore the historic city center (high City) can be discovered with the funicolare. This funicular climbs steeply up the hill and once at the top you have a phenomenal view over the city.

Piazza Vecchia is the beating heart of this historic part of Bergamo, but the Basilicata Maria Maggiore and the Duomo are also impressive. End your day with a typical bergamask dish: taragna polenta!

Monte Cimone, Emilia-Romagna

Willemijn Lindeboom's Italy tip of 2020 is Monte Cimone in the Apennines of Emilia Romagna and Lombardy.

For 2020 I can recommend: Monte Cimone. That is a mountain in the Apennines with some beautiful old villages around it. There are hardly any foreign tourists. Beautiful hiking trails, very well marked and you can also rent mtb's everywhere, including electric ones. Truly authentic Italy!

San Leo, Emilia-Romagna

Aart Heering's 2020 Italy tip is San Leo in Emilia Romagna and Lombardy.

Almost everyone knows San Marino, the millennial mini-republic, which has since become a bazaar of banks, stamps and trinkets. But close by, 35 kilometers away from Rimini and the Adriatic coast, San Leo is a town of less than 3.000 inhabitants where time seems to have stood still since the high Middle Ages.

Located on a 600 meter high hill with good views of the plain of the Romagna, you will find a church (parish church) from the 9th century, which is still beautifully intact. This also applies to the cathedral, which dates from the 13th century, and the late medieval fortress towering above the town, where the then world-famous black magician, freemason and charlatan count Cagliostro died at the end of the 18th century.

If you also know that San Leo was even the capital of Italy for 2 years – from 962 to 963 – then you should go and see it. And don't forget to be in one of the more than ten 13 Inns from San Leo to enjoy local specialties such as Strozzapreti and the dessert cannolo alla cagliostro.

Fiesole, Tuscany

Merel Diemont's 2020 Italy tip is Fiesole in Tuscany.

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There. In the distance, the hills of the Apennines open up and Florence stretches out in front of us. From here, 'La Bella' resembles a miniature city glistening in the sun. We continue walking through the steep streets of Fiesole: the small – two thousand year old – city that hides a stone's throw from Florence among rolling green hills, cypress trees and endless vineyards. No long queues for museums, clicking cameras and tourist shops here.

Wandering through Fiesole means dreaming away at Etruscan city walls, gazing at the Roman amphitheatre, clambering to the Monastery of San Francesco, entering the sand-colored Fiesole Cathedral and listening to the bells of the 13th-century bell tower that towers proudly above the red roofs .

Still curious about the paintings in the Uffizi or the Ponte Veccio? From Piazza Mino – the heart of Fiesole – buses will take you to the historic center of the Tuscan capital in half an hour. Walking is also possible. Dozens of hiking trails run through the hills between Fiesole and Florence. Here – among the olive trees, brightly colored flowers and beautiful villas – Leonardo da Vinci experimented in the 16th century with his self-built flying machine.

Fiesole is also the last town on the historic route of the gods road: a multi-day walking tour from Bologna to Florence. Finally, in all the narrow alleys, behind wooden shutters and in ancient palazzos, there are delightful trattorias and wine bars. Choose one and enjoy 'the balcony of Florence'.

Gargano, Apulia

Manja Aalderink's 2020 Italy tip is Gargano, the 'trail of the boot', in Apulia.

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I would like to recommend the beautiful Gargano National Park in the southern Italian region of Apulia as a holiday destination to everyone. This area has the perfect combination of nature, sea, beach and beautiful towns.

Gargano was once an island that became attached to the Italian mainland over time. As a result, the coast of this area is much rougher than in the rest of Italy, with impressive steep rock walls.

Inland you will find beautiful unspoilt nature, culminating in the mountainous and densely wooded Foresta Umbra. A walk through the cool woods is a welcome change from the heat on the beach and in the city.

But for lovers of a real beach holiday, Gargano is also a top destination. Many campsites and hotels are located directly on the beach, so you can walk straight into the sea from your bed. What else do you want?

After a few hours of swimming and sunbathing, it is of course time for an extensive Italian lunch in the nearest town: Peschici, Vieste and Rodi Garganico are recommended.

Try the pasta allo scoglio (from the rocks), which is made with freshly caught fish and seafood: mussels, shrimps, langoustine, squid and all kinds of shells. Or try the local specialty orecchiette with turnip tops, ear pasta with spicy turnip greens. Delicious!

Amalfi Coast, Campania

Yoëll Schutte's Italy tip of 2020 is the Amalfi Coast in Campania.

My tip for 2020 is the beautiful Amalfi Coast. Drive past all kinds of picturesque towns such as Positano, Ravello, Maiori, Minori and of course Amalfi. There are countless hotels, campsites and apartments with great sea views.

An ideal destination for a beach holiday, where you can also enjoy the southern Italian culture. It can get very busy, but it's not for nothing that people come from all over the world to visit this unique part of Italy, which by the way is on the UNESCO World Heritage List!

Arezzo, Tuscany

Edward Hendriks's Italy tip for 2020 is Arezzo in Tuscany.

After many previous visits to Tuscany, in 2019 we were finally in Arezzo in the east of Tuscany. A not so touristy city at all in one of the most touristic regions of Italy. (Okay, we were there in the fall, that makes a big difference.)

But Arezzo is not high on the Tuscany lists for most people and that is quite strange. Because the city is simply beautiful with beautiful squares, a lively atmosphere, a large park with a fortress spectacular view over the valley, an impressive cathedral, medieval towers and one of the most beautiful medieval squares in all of Italy.

In Arezzo you will still find many of those small shops and crafts, for which authentic Italy is so famous. But above all, there is that wonderfully languid Tuscan atmosphere here. That's why my tip for 2020: immerse yourself in the beauty that Arezzo and the surrounding area have to offer.

Which beautiful place in Italy are you going to in 2020?