5 beautiful less known places of Italy

Italy is country with so many beautiful places that I will never run out of this topic 
This time I won´t write about the Dolomites or Tuscany, Rome or Amalfi coast, as those are the most touristic parts of Italy.

I would like to write about our top five beautiful but less known places of Italy. We haven´t been to Calabria and Sardinia yet so I cannot write about them in this post. Additionally there are still enormous (I hope 🙂 ) beautiful places in Italy that wait for us to explore. You should avoid going to Italy in August, except for some towns that are “empty” when Italians leave for their vacation in nature and on coast.

Those places that we have seen and are definitely worth going to and exploring, are:

1. Aosta and surroundings

Aosta is little town on NW of Italy. It is nothing special actually (except for having great ice cream and atmosphere in old part of town), but its surroundings is one big wow. If you read this blog, you know we are nature lovers. That´s why I write about its surpluses so much. But something very different is what we create out of nature. Or if we like what nature creates by itself (the weather, volcanos, earthquakes…) That is another song 🙂 .
Nature around Aosta is phenomenal. You can stay here for a week or ten days and you won´t run out of places to explore. From Aosta you can go exploring Breuil Cervinia and observe one of the most beautiful mountains on the world, Monte Cervino or Matterhorn, from Italian side. We didn´t have good weather there, so we observed Matterhorn next year from Swiss Zermatt. In Breuil Cervinia was beautiful regardless the weather.

Aosta is great as starting point to Courmayeur, little town under Mont Blanc, White Mountain. If you will be near, you should go to Val Veny, you won´t regret it.

Really beautiful is also by the lake d´Arpy (Lago d´Arpy) and there are many easy hiking paths suitable for kids as well.

Grand Paradiso national park is something that still waits for us to explore. But probably its name says it all.

2. Puglia – the lend of fairytale trulli

Area called Itria Valley is in the middle of Puglia and is special and beautiful because of its unusual dwellings – trulli – in which people still live, especially on the country. When we traveled among white little houses, we were staying near town Ostuni, which is another pearl of Italian south. It is called white city, as it rises all white and twinkle on the hill and by its quite whiteness it represents true disconnection for heart and mind. You shouldn´t leave out Alberobello, town under Unesco protection, where trulli are the most beautiful. On North side of Puglia is Gargano peninsula with wild national park, beautiful beaches and white towns. Thousands olive trees with its great olive oil, mocarela buffalo cheese and dried tomatoes, homemade pasta and tasteful ice creams that you can indulge your taste buds with; olive groves, wild beaches and white towns can indulge your eyes and soul.

3. Matera

Matera is Unesco´s town with cave residences – sasi – chiseled in limestone under ravine of Gravino River. The area is almost forgotten in time and so different and special that you can explore it for days. The ravine gives a hint of wild to the town, because of caves, you feel frozen in time and those narrow streets offer many possibilities for exploring.
Of course, there is also newer part of town Matera, but it is divided by the old part with many sasi and a glance of ravine under them. I recommend going to the other side of ravine to see the town from different point of view, for true experience, where you can also explore the caves and enjoy in the view on old part of the town and canyons under it.

4. Scopello and the edge of NW of Sicily

Sicily is a story for itself. You can explore it for days or even for weeks. People are special, nature is special, and habits are special. We have never been hungry so many times, as we were on Sicily . It was our own fault – due to wrong organization – but we´ve learned from this experience. We were not able to get warm meal in the middle of the day as people consistently abide by afternoon siesta. They know how to live well 🙂 and we can learn from them.
The most beautiful part of Sicily was its NW. It is one of our favorite parts of Italy and we intend to come back. Scopello and its surroundings. Scopello is little fisherman-town on NW of Sicily. It has the best pistachio ice cream, the best pizza Bufalina, great people and wonderful bays. It lies by national park Zingaro, where are great trekking paths. Scopello charmed us. So – if you intend to go to Sicily – you shouldn´t leave out the most beautiful part of that interesting island – NW and surroundings of Zingaro national park.

5. River Pad delta with surroundings

River Pad delta lies between Venice and Ravenna. Rimini and San Marino are a little more to the south. You can see all those places when being here, but I would like to write about less known places that enthused us.
Casenatico is nice Italian town by the sea, idyllic for slow walks under the sun, taking photos of interesting canal with boats and ships and culinary indulgence with authentic Italian pasta and ice cream 
Through wonderful town Comacchio, runs canal and town is tuned with fishing and offers wonderful views from its bridges and indulgence in authentic local vibe.
Lido di Volano and its surrounding area is true gourmet paradise, even though many “ostaria” don´t look that nice from outside 🙂 . Appearances can be deceptive.
The whole area is intersected with special fisherman´s nets, ideal for observing or taking a photo. Because it is relatively close to Slovenia, it is great for long weekend trip.