There is more to Italy than it’s famous cities. I spent six months studying in Italy and travelling around the country. I have compiled a list of ten quaint towns in Italy you do not want to miss for you! Click here for more info.

Hello everyone & welcome back to my blog! Welcome to my first ever post in my Erasmus/Student Travel in Europe series! For the next couple of weeks, I will be posting about my experience as an Erasmus student in Italy. Keep your eyes peeled for tomorrow’s post where I go in detail about what is Erasmus and if you’re eligible to apply. Subscribe to my newsletterto not miss a post!

Today is Wednesday which means .. travel Wednesdays! As you can already tell, I will be talking about my favourite towns in Italy I visited while I was in Italy. While Italy is known for big cities such as Rome and Florence, Italy has a lot more to offer! Let’s begin.

✼ Cervia:

I call Cervia the seashell town of Italy. The first thing that caught my eye is the huge number of seashells covering the bay! Cervia is a seaside town and it is a perfect destination for a weekend trip away from the hustle and bustle of tourists.

Are you planning a trip from the busy city of Bologna? Cervia is only an hour drive away! I highly recommend checking it out if you’re looking to experience an authentic Italian experience.

You might also be interested in: Daytrip to Neuschwanstein Castle

While we were in Cervia, we took the opportunity to visit the Memorial of War Casualties. We went on a Sunday and they had an open day. It was interesting learning about Italy’s role in the war and learning about the war from an Italian point of view!

✼ Siena:

Me & a friend of mine visited Siena in May when we were both still Erasmus students. I talked about Siena in my Tuscany blog post but decided to mention it here because this town holds a dear place in my heart. As you can already tell, I love medieval towns and Siena is exactly that.

Siena reminded me so much of Valletta with its narrow streets and its rich history. I highly recommend visiting Siena if you’re into history!

✼ Brisighella

Brisighella is hands down my favourite town in Italy. Me & a friend of mine visited Brisighella pretty much on a whim and I am so glad we did! Brisighella is a commune in the Emilia-Romagna region and it is a very small town.

I loved walking around this cute town and seeing nothing but green on every side. Furthermore, I loved the narrow streets and I was reminded of Mdina! We also stopped by this cute cafeteria and had the most delicious homemade hot chocolate and delicious Italian beer.

click on arrows to see images.

You might also be interested in: The Best Spring Destinations in Europe

✼ Vipiteno:

Vipiteno, also known as Sterzing, is another quaint Italian town located between the Italian and Austrian border. Located in the Tyrol region, Vipiteno offers stunning views of mountains all around! When visiting Sterzing, you’ll be able to experience both the Italian and Austrian culture.

I loved walking down the narrow medieval streets and admire the architecture that hasn’t been changed since 1912! Did you know that the town was founded back in the 14th century? Walking through the town you can definitely see that it once was a bustling medieval place.

✼ Ledro:

I have a whole blog post on Lago di Ledro but I thought I’d mention this magical place here as well! Lago di Ledro is located in northern Italy, only an hour away from Lago di Garda. Back in 2017 when I was studying in Italy, I visited Ledro in February and it was so different than it is during the summertime when we usually visit!

✼ Matera:

Migrating down to the South of Italy, Matera is one of my favourite places in the Basilicata region in Southern Italy. Matera is very close to Bari so if you’re visiting southern Italy, make sure to add Matera to your list!

✼ San Gimignano:

I have been going to San Gimignano since 1005 and I was so happy I got the opportunity to visit again when I was studying in Italy. In my Tuscany blog post, I went into more detail about San Gimignano but I could not mention it in this post! San Gimignano is an easy drive from Florence and I highly recommend visiting when you can!

✼ Vicenza:

Going back up north, Vicenza is another often overlooked town for it’s more popular neighbour Venice. I spent a weekend walking around Vicenza and learning about the city’s history and I fell in love with it! It is your quintessential Italian town with narrow streets, big main square and rich in history.

You might also be interested in: The Ultimate Guide to Mykonos, Greece

✼ Lucca:

Lucca is a hidden gem in Tuscany. It is a small town but has so much to offer! Spend the day people-watching in the main square and check out one of its many churches. Fun fact: Lucca is also known as the city of 100 churches due to the number of churches in the city!

✼ Madonna di Campiglio:

Madonna di Campiglio is a ski resort in northern Italy and it’s such a cute town! We were lucky to have good weather when we visited. Although it is a ski resort, the town is not that busy as other ski resorts such as Livigno. If you’re not into skiing, you can walk around this charming town and marvel and it’s colourful buildings and mountain views!