Hidden Gems in northern Italy

Bergamo

Let me start off by saying that Bergamo, which is where we live, is one of those hidden gems. With its day trips from Milan and its close proximity to the northern lakes including Como, Garda, and Iseo you will understand why it’s a hidden gem once you visit.

There is a medieval upper town located on a hilltop easily reached by a funicular or by climbing a set of picturesque stairs. It is a very quaint part of this town with cafes and shops. You can also find a cathedral that is breathtaking as most are in Italy located in a square where people gather.

Marostica

On our way to pick our car, we drove by this small town and decided to stop for an aperitivo. Marostica is located in the province of Vicenza in the region of Veneto.

We had no idea what to expect. We walked into the main square and were pleasantly surprised! Like most towns, there is usually a church surrounded by outdoor cafes and bars. We noticed there was a life size chess board in the middle of the square. We learned that at certain times in the year, people gather to play chess with living characters.

We walked around for a bit. Bought some local cheese and wine and headed out of this town before thinking to ourselves that we need to make time to come back here.

Rabbit Island in Lake Garda

Somebody recommended this spot to us. It’s called San Biagio and there is nothing here except trees and a small bar where you can buy snacks and drinks. Like the name suggests, we were told that there are wild rabbits on this small island, even though we didn’t see any.

You can reach this island on foot. Yes, it’s surrounded by water, but when weather conditions allow, you can walk over thanks to a bottom strip that connects it to the mainland. This is where you can find the campsite of San Biagio. The water is knee high, but you can also take a boat ride for a small fee.

We found parking nearby and then walked through the campsite to reach the beach where you can walk over. As we were walking through, there were so many families who had setup their campsite. A public bathroom with showers was also available. At the end of the site we found the beach with a small shop where we were able to buy snacks for our adventure.

When we made it to the island we had to pay the entrance fee to gain access to go in. We payed the fee and walked inside where we bought some gelato and some prosecco for Danny and I. We then headed to the pebble beach and layed out and enjoyed a few hours of beach time.

Looking back, this was such an adventure. A perfect afternoon that was totally unexpected.

Sirmione, Lake Garda

Part of the southern part of Lake Garda, Sirmione was another unexpected hidden gem. We had never heard of this place when we lived in the U.S. There are so many places like this that foreigners never hear of, but the locals love. This is one of those places that seems like a fairtytale. There’s a castle by the sea that used to be a fort, narrow streets, tourists walking around, but not too crowded. The beach is full of rocks so I recommend bringing water shoes, but once you go into the water on a hot day, it feels like paradise. There were geese swimming around, you see the mountains around and you are right by this castle that seems like straight out of a movie.

The gelateria caters more for tourists with their colorful display of their flavors with whatever is in it beautifully placed right on top. The scoops they give you are enormous but still delicious! But if you speak to a local, they stay away from these kind of gelato shops. They say that they aren’t the best quality and are artificially flavored. If you ask us, the girls weren’t complaining. The gelato was both yummy and pretty to look at!

There were a few hotels with their own restaurant by the water that you can go for a swim and come back to your table to have something amazing to eat. We didn’t eat here, but we told ourselves that the next time we come, we will definitely eat here, so we can go in the water and have a nice meal.

We drove here because it’s only about an hour away from our house, but there was a boat that brings people into this part of Lake Garda so if you are ever in the area, I recommend stopping here for sure.

Venturing out of Italy

During our first summer holiday while living here was in August. Italians take their summer vacation during this month. Some businesses close for “feria” which means holiday and they take their vacation time seriously. Months in advance Italians book their vacation spot and it could be the whole month, or maybe a week or two. My husband’s job closes for two weeks and the employees are required to take vacation days during this time as well.

We decided to venture off to Cannes, France on our way to Cinque Terre, the west northern part of Italy. Although Cannes is very touristy, we took a boat ride to Saint-Honorat, which was less crowded. After reading somewhere on how to find a hidden beach on this small island, we followed the directions, walked through these shrubs and found ourselves on a small beach. There were only a few people there who had docked their boats off shore. The water was so clear, you could see the bottom. We jumped off the large cliffs surrounding this beach and spent the afternoon here having so much fun. Bella even found a bright red starfish in the water that she grabbed and then put back.

When we were ready to go, we explored the island. It is run by monks that have a monastery, a winery and a restaurant that serves their wine. We went into the church and saw some of the monks there. We stopped at the restaurant for a bite to eat and tried their wine.

After lunch we headed back to the dock to take the boat back to the mainland. As we were waiting for the boat, we saw that somebody had picked some of the grapes and left them where you make the line to board the boat. Since no one was around we were curious at how these grapes tasted so we tried some. Crazy idea, I know, but they were so good! Danny and the girls jumped in the water while we waited as well. Suddenly a staff member showed up and started screaming at us. We couldn’t understand anything since he was speaking French, but we could tell that he was upset at us for picking the grapes, which we didn’t do. We were just trying them since someone left them there. Of course we couldn’t communicate that to him, but he wanted us off the island as soon as possible.

Anyways, that was definitely an adventure that we will never forget. We still have so much to explore, but we recommend to see the famous sights when on vacation, but if you have time, get off the beaten path for a bit and venture off. You never know what you’ll find!