Summer Holidays: Why Italy Remains the Champion

Par Gabriel Goldberg 17 April 2026 6 min read

As warmer days approach, the same question keeps coming back: where to go on holiday in Europe this summer? For many, the choice is a long hesitation. For me, the debate has been settled for a very long time. The champion, in every category, yesterday, today and tomorrow, is Italy. I have been lucky enough to cross the borders of the Boot more than 50 times. And yet, with every trip, Italy gives me the feeling that I have only scratched its surface. It is a country where you could travel for an eternity and still discover a new perched village, a new secret cove or a new nonna recipe. Italy is not a country, it is an open-air museum coupled with the largest restaurant in the world. Food culture is elevated to the rank of religion: ultra-local produce, an omnipresent catch of the day along the coasts, deeply rooted regional cuisine and wines of exceptional quality. To help you choose — or rather, to accept that you will have to return dozens of times — here is my personal and non-exhaustive tour of Italian wonders. 1. The majestic North and the magic of Veneto We sometimes forget that Italy begins with mountains and urban elegance. The North is a striking contrast. There is Milan, vibrant and turned towards the future, Verona and its Shakespearean romanticism, and above all Turin. Former royal capital, Turin fascinates with its palaces with monumental brick façades, like the Palazzo Carignano, and its elegant arcades. It is a majestic gateway. Turin, former royal capital and…