Discover Canada
Adventures in Canada
15 Iconic Canadian Dishes with History and Origins
From poutine and maple syrup to butter tarts and smoked salmon, Canada boasts a deliciously diverse culinary landscape that reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage and natural bounty.
Discover Canada: Top 10 Highlights for Your Next Adventure
Since we made our move to Spain 10 years ago, we sometimes yearn for something that reminds us of Canada - for that, we now know that we can count on Asturias, in the north of Spain to give us a little taste of the natural beauty - morning fog included! Canada's...
Vancouver: a key location for the film industry
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada is known for its outstanding natural beauty.
12 Tidbits About Canada
← Back to Discover CanadaCapital City Ottawa (province of Ontario)Head of State Justin Trudeau (Prime Minister 2015 - present)Government federal parliamentary democracy (Parliament of Canada) under a constitutional monarchy - a Commonwealth realmOfficial Language(s)...
Abruzzo
From its rugged, mountainous national parks to its less touristy Adriatic beaches, Abruzzo is, as noted by writer Giorgio Manganelli, “a great producer of silence. Abruzzo is considered the greenest region in Europe owing to the fact that it is made up largely of parks and nature reserves, including three national parks.
Capital City: L’Aquila
Popular Destinations: L’Aquila, Gran Sasso National Park, Parco Majella
Basilicata
Basilicata, the instep of Italy’s boot, is best known for the stony town of Matera, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The region is mostly mountainous, save for two stretches of coastline on the Tyrrhenian Sea and the Gulf of Taranto.
Capital City: Potenza
Popular Destination: Matera
Calabria
One of the least explored regions in Italy, Calabria is often skipped over as travelers head to its better-known “neighbor” Sicily. The narrow Straits of Messina separate Calabria, aka “the toe of Italy,” from the largest island in the Mediterranean.
Capital City: Catanzaro
Popular Destinations: Reggio di Calabria, Tropea
Campania
Campania is one of those regions that has it all. Naples, the regional capital, is a lively yet mysterious urban center whose influence stretches across the entire region and beyond. Major tourist destinations Capri and Pompeii are in Campania, as the picturesque Amalfi Coast.
Capital City: Naples (Napoli)
Popular Destinations: Naples, Capri, Ischia, Procida, Reggia di Caserta, the Cilento Coast, Positano
Emilia-Romagna
Emilia-Romagna is a region known for its good taste and unforgettable flavors. The region is a major contributor to Italy’s gastronomic heritage, being the birthplace of prosciutto, Parmigiano, balsamic vinegar, and egg-based pasta like tortellini and lasagne. Bologna, the regional capital, is home to the oldest university in the world.
Capital City: Bologna
Popular Destinations: Bologna, Modena, Parma
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Often paired with Venice and the Veneto itineraries, Friuli-Venezia Giulia is the easternmost region in Italy. One of the five autonomous regions, FVG has a Central European flavor, owing to its geography and long history as a crossroads for trade, particularly during the Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Capital City: Trieste
Popular Destination: Trieste
Lazio
Lazio is Rome’s region. But despite being home to Italy’s capital and largest city, the region has a reputation for being rather bucolic. Lazio is known for its archaeological sites—both Roman and Etruscan—medieval villages, tranquil beaches, and mountain towns.
Capital City: Rome (Roma)
Popular Destinations: Rome, Civita di Bagnoregio, Ostia Antica, Castelli Romani, Tivoli, Sperlonga and the Riviera d’Ulisse
Liguria
The small region of Liguria is home to tourist favorite Cinque Terre, the “five lands” that colorfully cling to cliffs along the coast of the Ligurian Sea. This is also the region of ancient ports Genoa and La Spezia.
Capital City: Genoa (Genova)
Popular Destinations: Cinque Terre, Genoa
Lombardy
The richest and most populous of Italy’s regions, Lombardy is home to Milan. In addition to being the regional capital, Milan is also Italy’s capital of fashion, finance, and media. Beyond the hustle and bustle of Milan, Lombardy boasts some of the most beautiful and exclusive lakeside villages around Lake Como, Lago di Garda, and Lago Maggiore.
Capital City: Milan (Milano)
Popular Destinations: Milan, Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Lake Maggiore, Mantova
Marche
Marche, the region known as “the Marches” in English, is often called “Italy in one region” for its diverse geography. Ancona, the capital, lies along the coast and is a busy Adriatic port. Inland, the city of Urbino is an ideal city still basking in its importance as a center of Renaissance culture.
Capital City: Ancona
Popular Destinations: Ancona, Urbino
Molise
Once part of a larger region known as Abruzzi, Molise is a lot like its neighbor Abruzzo. Italians joke that “Molise non esiste”—Molise doesn’t exist—mostly because it is the country’s quiet, most unassuming region, blessed with small villages, rural landscapes, and hearty, honest food.
Capital City: Campobasso
Popular Destinations: Agnone, Termoli
Piedmont
Elegant and understated but also industrial and innovative, Piemonte (Piedmont) is the realm of the royal House of Savoy and the home of Fiat. The regional capital and Italy’s fourth-largest city, Turin (Torino) has a cityscape punctuated by the unusual Mole Antonelliana and framed by the not-so-distant Alps.
Capital City: Turin (Torino)
Popular Destinations: Turin, Alba
Puglia
If Italy is a boot, then Puglia is its spur and stiletto heel. A long region on Italy’s southeast coast, Apulia, as it’s called in English, contains vast fields of wheat and olive groves in its north and interior and gorgeous beaches and swimming coves in the south. UNESCO Heritage Site Alberobello is a popular tourist destination.
Capital City: Bari
Popular Destinations: Bari, Alberobello, Lecce, the Salento subregion
Sardinia
The second-largest island of Italy and in the Mediterranean, Sardinia is both a playground for the rich (in the Costa Smeralda) and also a mysterious land of shepherds and superstitions whose heritage has been shaped for thousands of years.
Capital City: Cagliari
Popular Destinations: Emerald Coast (Costa Smeralda), Alghero, Cagliari
Sicily
A crossroads for traders and crusaders from Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, Sicily is a sunny island with a unique history. Palermo, its capital, is notable for its opulent churches. Ancient Greek temples dot the landscape around Taormina.
Capital City: Palermo
Popular Destinations: Palermo, Catania, Taormina, Aeolian Islands, Noto, Siracusa
Trentino Alto Adige
The Germanic part of Italy, Trentino Alto Adige is also known as Südtirol. This region is best known for the rugged beauty of the Dolomite Mountains. Here is also where Ötzi the Iceman is on display in Bolzano.
Capital City: Trento
Popular Destinations: Bolzano, Trento, The Dolomites
Tuscany
A harmonious landscape of vineyards, olive groves, and rolling plains dotted with cypress trees, Tuscany is one of the most beautiful—and well-known—regions in Italy. One could easily spend an entire vacation here visiting historic towns, touring wineries, and taking in the serene scenery. Florence, the regional capital, is one of the most popular destinations in Italy and the perfect base for exploring the rest of the region.
Capital City: Florence (Firenze)
Popular Destinations: Florence, Siena, Pisa, Arezzo, Cortona, Chianti subregion, San Gimignano, Elba
Umbria
The “Green Heart of Italy” is the perfect name for Umbria, the central, landlocked region of picturesque medieval hill towns, rolling green farmland, and dense forests. Perugia is the capital of Umbria.
Capital City: Perugia
Popular Destinations: Perugia, Assisi, Orvieto, Spoleto
Valle d’Aosta
Wedged between the Italian region of Piemonte, France, and Switzerland, Valle d’Aosta is Italy’s French-flavored autonomous region. The Aosta Valley is known for its great skiing and winter landscapes, particularly around Cervinia.
Capital City: Aosta
Popular Destinations: Aosta, Mont Blanc/Courmayer, Cervinia/Matterhorn, Gran Paradiso National Park
Veneto
The Veneto region is known primarily for the city that gave it its name: Venice (Venezia in Italian). Here was the seat of the Venetian Republic, which ruled the northern Adriatic for a millennium from the 8th to the 18th centuries. Beyond Venice, the Veneto is home to Padua, Vicenza, and the Prosecco hills of Valdobbiadene.
Capital City: Venice (Venezia)
Popular Destinations: Venice, Padua (Padova), Treviso, Verona, Vicenza, the Prosecco hills
