Italy is one of the classic European travel destinations. Deeply anchored in culture, history and traditions, the country in Europe’s South offers plenty of things to see, sceneries to enjoy and experiences to make. Apart from a wide range of travel regions to choose from, Italy also caters to many varieties of special-interest travel, most notably to those visitors focusing on culinary, history and performing arts experiences.

Italy ranks among the top five most-visited countries in the world. More than 50 million travelers visit the country per year, contributing a major part to the national GDP. A large part of that tourist appeal stems from the country boasting no less than 7,600 kilometers of coastline. Italy borders four different seas and has many islands including Sardinia and Sicily, which attract a sizable portion of tourism.

In the Northern half of the country, Italy’s share of the Alps comes with a number of popular ski resorts, as well as several large lakes including Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda, both of which also rank highly as leisure travel destinations.

Italy is also a popular country for city breaks. Rome, the cradle of an ancient empire, features many examples of historical architecture like the world-famous Colosseum, plenty of monuments and statues and well-known attractions such as the Trevi Fountain or the Spanish Steps.

Venice, the famous lagoon city, attracts lovebirds and sightseers, while Milan, the country’s second-largest city, is a major draw for fashionistas and shopping tourists. Florence is famous for its museums and historical attractions and the Southern city of Naples serves as a hub to see the ancient ruins of Pompeii – and to sample some pizza at the place where it originated.

PopulationAreaCurrencyEU memberSchengen area
60,484,000301,340 km²Euroyesyes

List of articles on Italy:

Cities and townsSights and attractionsBackground
ColosseumSouth Tyrol
Tuscany