South Italy
ALBEROBELLO
UNESCO protected Alberobello is another magical place and the idea of living in the land of gnomes seems to be almost possible. Especially in the Zona dei Trulli where there is a community of about 1500 beehive-shaped houses dating back to as early as the 14th century were built with local limestones.
MATERA
Matera is famous for its Sassi – cave houses dug into limestone rock formations. It looks completely out of this world and many Biblical themed movies were shot here. It truly is a timeless urban landscape and one of the most popular new destinations in Italy.
CASERTA
The Royal Palace of Caserta was constructed for the Bourbon kings of Naples. It was the largest palace and one of the largest buildings erected in Europe during the 18th century. In 1997 it was inscribed onto the UNESCO list and it is still the largest royal residence in the world covering an area of about 235,000 m².
AMALFI, CAPRI AND NAPLES
The three jewels of South Italy are located very close to each other and Naples is a great base to explore this area, as it has a daily overnight ferry to Palermo and to other cities in Sicily. Pompeii is just a stone away and the city offers postcard views of Mt Vesuvius. Not too far away is Capri where for centuries, Roman emperors, Russian revolutionaries and Hollywood stars have fallen in love with her combination of fabled beauty and hedonism. Amalfi is so cute, petite and delicate that even usual coaches are intimidating. Only mini-buses are allowed on its streets.
