Want to add more excitement to your trip to Italy? Then make sure to try at least one of these 5 activities that’s surely off the usual tourist must-try list:
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Try out “exotic” Italian street food.
Italy may be best known as the birthplace of pizza and pasta. While we agree that no traveler should miss out on eating those two mainstays of Italian cuisine, you should also try some of the country’s street food. And yes, their street food doesn’t end at gelato.
After all, some kinds of Italian street food may automatically fall into the category “exotic.” One good example is the Stigghiola, or grilled sheep intestines on a stick. Another is Pani Ca Meusa, a traditional Sicilian sandwich that literally means “bread with spleen.” (It’s actually made from chopped veal lung and spleen, with grated caciocavallo cheese.) While these two examples may not exactly seem delicious to the average tourist, trust us—once you’ve tried them out, you’ll be craving for more.
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Bike across the country.
One of the biggest races in competitive cycling, the Giro d’Italia, is held in Italy. Hence, it makes perfect sense for an adventurous traveler to try biking from one destination to another in Italy—even if he or she may not necessarily be competing in the race.
Travelers can go and try conquer the country’s 6 international cycling routes. These include the Ciclopista del Sole, running from the Italian border with Austria, running up to Rome, and then ends at the coast of Lazio. Other popular bike routes include the FVG1 (Friuli-Venezia-Giulia), the 317-kilometer Anello del Veneto, and the Bicitalia 16 Ciclovia Tirrenica.
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Explore a crypt.
Yes, Italy is known for welcoming the living to the Catholic world in grand fashion. The Baptisteries of Florence and Pisa are great examples of this, being spectacular works of architecture in their own respective rights.
That said, the Italians send off the dead in style as well. And that doesn’t simply mean constructing elaborate tombs and memorials to the departed ones, such as the Chiostro del Paradiso in the town of Amalfi. There are other more macabre attractions.
These include the Capuchin Crypt beneath the church of Santa Maria della Concezione dei Cappuccini in Rome. These underground chambers houses thousands of skeletons, the remains of the Capuchin monks who died between 1528 to 1870. Many of the bones are organized into neat stacks, while some are even used to decorate the walls of the crypt itself.
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Go heli-skiing or snowboarding.
Italy has long been known for its many winter sports venues. After all, the country was the host of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino (Turin). So if you’re looking for something more exciting than a leisurely run down the Alps, Italy has it as well.
One such option is going heli-skiing in Piedmont or Turin. Granted, you won’t necessarily need to jump out of a helicopter, land on your skis, and glide down an unmarked route. Think of it as one notch better than off-piste skiing—riding on a helicopter and getting dropped off at a more remote point of the mountains. So if you want to escape the usual ski trails filled with the usual tourists, heli-skiing is the way to go.
Meanwhile, if you want to try out something else entirely, snowboarding is another option. Livigno offers great slopes and other snowboarding facilities for riders of all activity levels. The best part? It’s also one of the cheapest places to snowboard in Europe, as it’s a duty-free zone.
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Climb the cliffsides of Sardinia’s east coast.
Most travelers stick to the many gentle walking trails that cross the country, especially in the wine regions of Tuscany. However, those who need more of a challenge can head to Selvaggio Blu in Sardinia, often regarded as Italy’s toughest trek.
This hike, which will take you several days to complete, includes crossing cliffs that dip up to 800m over the Mediterranean and grappling with thick vegetation. But despite those challenges, the rewards are definitely worth it: priceless views of the Mediterranean and an experience like no other.
Since finding the trail can be tricky—there are no signs out here—climbers are required to get a local guide.
These activities are just some of the many things you can try when you want to make your trip to Italy more exciting. So book with us now and help us make your dream trip possible!
