The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Italy might be the winding canals of Venice or the ancient sights in Rome, but the most beautiful parts can be found in the villages and small towns in Italy. There you can see the authentic Italian culture that might be missing in the bigger cities. Here are seven small towns in Italy you must visit!
Lucca, Tuscany
Lucca is located in the heart of Tuscany, just a short distance from tourist hot spots like Florence and Pisa. With its old world charm, Lucca is my favorite of the picturesque small towns in Italy. It is often called “the city of 100 churches” for its many beautiful religious buildings. Any art & architecture lover will enjoy strolling into the many churches and basilicas.
My favorite way to spend a day in Lucca is to grab some friends and bike along the 16th century walls that surround the city. The views from on top of the walls are amazing!
See also: Where to Find the Best Gelato in Florence, Italy
Portovenere- Flo from Yoga, Wine & Travel
Portovenere is often overshadowed by its neighboring towns along the Ligurian coast of Italy, but is an amazing destination in its own right (and a whole lot less crowded than Cinque Terre). It can be easily reached by ferry from La Spezia and houses the stunning Castle Doria, Byron’s Grotto, The Church of San Pietro and a number of fun little swimming spots.
The first thing you’ll see as you enter Portovenere is a row of brightly colored houses lining the harbor; these houses are not just beautiful, but functional too as they used to be a part of the town’s medieval defense system. This town is not to be missed if you’re visiting Liguria!
Orvieto- JaMeka from Got The Travel Bug Too
The town of Orvieto sits 1000 meters high on a tufa cliff in the Umbria region of Italy. Starting with the Etruscans and those centuries after, caves and passages were dug into the soft tufa beneath the city.
Orvieto has over 1,000 caves and passages underground, but we only toured six of them! Some are still used privately by the locals underneath their homes. This amazing labyrinth of caves were used to store wine, olive oil and functioned as water cisterns. It was also used for pigeon breeding. Pigeons were a food staple to the Etruscan and still a main dish in Orvieto. You can get your ticket for a guided tour of Orvieto Underground at the Orvieto Tourist Office located in Piazza del Duomo – the town’s square.
This quiet town makes a great day trip from Rome, as it’s only an hour away by train.
San Gimignano- Danielle from WorldSmith
Tuscany is one of those quintessentially Italian regions that everyone imagines when they dream of a trip to Italy. It’s filled with tiny charming towns, but it can be tricky to pick which ones to visit. San Gimignano fit the bill for my first Italian adventure. It’s within easy day trip distance from Florence, if you’re not keen on changing accommodations every other night. It can be quite touristy in peak season, but in the springtime, it has a decidedly quiet pace, perfect for pleasant morning walks punctuated by window-shopping.
While there, I picked up a gorgeous hand-painted ceramic olive oil dispenser for my mom. But the town’s major draw for me was its wine history. Tuscany may be best known for Chianti – and believe you me, I drank my fair share of that too – but San Gimignano specifically is home to its own wine: Vernaccia. It’s a simple white grape, completely unique not just to the region, but to this specific village. So grab a glass and practice your slow travel skills – it’s the perfect introduction to Tuscany.
Sirmione- Nam from Laugh Travel Eat
While it comes to Italian lakes, most people are familiar with Lake Como but many overlook its bigger cousin Lake Garda only an hour or so north by train. And perched at the very tip of a peninsula that juts out in the middle of its southern shoreline is Sirmione.
A town that dates back to the Roman times, it has both the charming essence of a medieval small village as well as gorgeous natural sceneries. It was a strategic stronghold back in the days, with one of the world’s only castle that is surrounded by water on both sides guarding its entrance. But the real gem of the day is its beaches of white, smooth rocks stretching into the clear lake water. Traffic is severely restricted in this town and it feels like you are taking a step back into history as you hobble along its cobbled stone street or enjoy an Aperol Spritz in one of the many restaurants.
If you want to explore more of the Lake Garda area, check out this amazing Lake Garda itinerary.
See Also: Ultimate Packing List for Italy
Varenna- Erika from Erika’s Travels
The village of Varenna is a sleepy cluster of houses on the shores of Lake Como. Nestled among the mountains and sitting on the shores of Italy’s beautiful Y-shaped lake, the town is bursting with colors.
While there isn’t much to do in Varenna per se, its beauty lies in its proximity to the lake, its picturesque alleyways and its laid-back charm. Eateries serving classic Italian fare line the lakefront and allow visitors to dine while taking in the views of their breathtaking surroundings. Varenna is only a short ferry hop away from Bellagio—another idyllic town sitting on the shores of the lake. The fifteen minute ferry ride is not only a convenient way of traveling between the two picturesque towns, but it is also offers fantastic views and is a must-do attraction in itself.
Varenna lies an hour North of Milan. There are hourly trains to and from Milan’s Central Station, making Varenna the ideal day trip on a beautiful summer day.
Burano- Christina from Happy to Wander
There’s no place in the world quite like the fishing village of Burano. The first time I visited, I think I giggled for the entirety of my stay. Found only 40 minutes away from Venice, this rainbow oasis is well known for its wonderfully vibrant houses, which make it an absolute dream to photograph.
Walking through this tiny island is like entering a real life rainbow road (minus the red shells and banana peels), with bright colorful houses lining beautiful, narrow canals. Originally, these bright colors were meant to guide fishermen home through thick fog, but today they act more as a beacon for zealous, snap-happy tourists! Despite the crowds, this is an island you can’t miss.
There is more to Italy than gelato and the Colosseum. I hope this post has proven that the true beauty of the country can be found in the small towns in Italy. If you get outside the main cities you will be rewarded by kind people, beautiful views and delicious food! Hopefully you’ve been inspired to add some of these small towns in Italy to your bucket list!
These all look so beautiful and colourful. I still haven’t visited Italy, but I’m definitely building my itinerary. San Gimignano here I come!
Elaisha Green recently posted…Top 2017 Bucket-list Destinations
San Gimignano is definitely top of my list as well!
Could these places be any more perfect? These pics make me want to book a plane ticket to Italy right now and sit down with a glass of wine and take in the views! Just stunning!
Italy is best enjoyed with a fine glass of vino ? 🙂
This is a great resource for traveling in Italy but also a great round up of bloggers to follow. Thanks for that. Also; GORGEOUS photography the bright colors are striking.
Yes yes yes! All the bloggers on this list are amazing and take stunning photographs! Def check out their blogs when you have a moment!
They all look beautiful. The thing about Italy is that there are so many places like this, all pretty in their own way. Have to admit I’m a bit of a sucker for brightly coloured houses.
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Burano looks so cute with it’s colorful buildings and the Canal through it. I always think of places like this when I imagine Italy. But for me, taking the ferry over to Varenna sounds like a lovely way to spend the day, just relaxing and catching some scenery, of course if they have wine. I hope they have wine, that would make any place with out much to do perfect for me 🙂
How beautiful! I mean, granted, Italy, but still! I’ve never been before, but THOSE PICTURES!
Great compilation of cute Italian towns, there is so many of them to visit.
Can you believe how colorful Burano is?? I can’t believe some countries forbid you to paint the house in bright colors!
This is a great list. Italy is one of my favourite European countries, I have alreday visited twice but still dream of all the othe rplaces I still want to explore. I agree that Burano and Varenna are stunning little villages, so magical. Portovenere and Sirmione are now on my list, thanks for these suggestions!
I lived in Italy for a few months and there are still so many places I haven’t seen. There is so much to explore! Any excuse to visit, right? 🙂
Great round-up! I haven’t visited Italy yet & its been on my bucketlist since forever. We had planned to visit Italy in summer this year, & sadly it never happened. I’m definitely gonna visit Tuscany and Burrano. They both look gorgeous. I love those villages built over a hill. With so many places to see in Italy, I’m not sure whether 2 weeks would be even enough.
Italian life is best enjoyed slowly over a nice dinner with wine.;) But for real, pick one or two and just plan a return trip. I promise once you visit, you’ll want to go back all the time!
Fantastic collection, Kassie! Thanks so much for including my contribution and for adding a few more places to my bucket list!
Italy is our spirit country so this is awesome!
Okay, I seriously have to get back to Italy ASAP! It just has the cutest towns…
I’ve visited Orvieto and loved it. I found the history of the caves fascinating.
Now I’m intrigued by Portovenere and Burano.
There are so many places in Italy to see that I feel you could travel it for a lifetime and still miss something!
There is SOOO much to love in Italy!! Italy was our choice for the kids’ first international trip. We visited Rome, Bologna, and Sorrento and used each as a hub for a few days of exploration. What a glorious introduction it was to the world for my kiddos! They are now well traveled at 10 and 12 and are on their way to becoming global citizens. I see from this list that there are still sooo many places we have yet to see in Italy!!
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What a great idea! Italy sounds like an amazing place to introduce someone to their first international country. It’s such an amazing country with stellar food and friendly people. I’m just glad there is always some new corner of Italy, I find to visit!
We fell in love with Burano Island, and actually prefer it to Venice. I’m glad it was on the list because it truly IS a photographer’s dream destination. We got some of our best-ever shots there. I also recall meeting an old woman who was sitting outdoors, chatting with a friend while working on a piece of lace. In broken semi-Italian, I asked her how long it would take to create the 12×12 square she was working on and she told me it would take her 3 months. Wow!
Linda C Bibb recently posted…10 Australian Towns to Visit for a Genuine Outback Experience
What a neat story! Italy has so many amazing places to discover that are off the beaten path! I feel like I could go back countless times and still not see it all 🙂
A useful and interesting post. I enjoy the picture tapestry effect of all your blogs and particularly the background impress me a lot. Thank you for sharing such a great post.
Reisgids Ligurië
I loved Portovenere as well and it’s a pity people don’t usually include it in the Cinque Terre itineraries, for me it was more charming than Monterosso for example. Sirmione is also a nice little town, but also Udine or Trieste are lovely in that area.
So true! I haven’t made it to Trieste yet but it’s top of my list for next time ?