A luxury hotel, designed and promoted by Grandi Stazioni Retail and developed in collaboration with Pacini Group, will open in Milan's main Central Station.

The hotel brand has still to be announced

The hotel, on which work has already begun, will be affiliated with a leading international hotel brand to be announced in the coming months and is designed to accommodate international leisure and business customers.

“Transforming stations into complex and plural ecosystems”

This is an absolute first for Milan Central Station and beyond: “The arrival of the first hotel in an Italian railway station is a fundamental step in the process of transforming stations into complex and plural ecosystems, places that are increasingly integrated into the urban fabric and capable of offering increasingly diversified services and experiences,” says Elena Sorlini, CEO of Grandi Stazioni Retail.

Expanding high-value services in railway stations

The project is part of a broader urban regeneration strategy aimed at expanding and diversifying the range of high value-added services offered in railway stations. Grandi Stazioni Retail has identified Pacini Group S.p.A. as the operating partner for the management and marketing of the future hotel. “This project is a challenge of great strategic and symbolic value for Pacini Group,’ says Emidio Pacini, CEO and Founder of Pacini Group. “Bringing hospitality to an iconic location such as Milan Central Station for the first time means combining respect for history, a contemporary vision and the ability to interpret the needs of an international clientele.”

PONANT Explorations presents a themed cruise focusing on Italian arts and crafts of excellence.

Five world-renowned luxury brands

For an audience interested in high-level cultural and lifestyle experiences, the 11-day, 10-night itinerary, from 8 to 18 September 2027, will be on the Le Boréal, sailing from Livorno to Venice. This cruise stands out for its exclusive programme created in collaboration with five world-renowned Italian fashion, jewellery and tableware brands: Gucci, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Pomellato and Ginori 1735.

credits: PONANT Nicolas Matheus

Cultural stops, private receptions and wine tastings

Each day alternates between sailing and cultural stops with visits to museums, old towns and  villages, archaeological sites and wine tastings. Guests will have access to private receptions in historic palaces in Florence and Venice, meetings with the country's finest artisans, live demonstrations, workshops and exclusive private events. On board, the experience is  one of by elegance with an intimate atmosphere, exclusive exhibitions, personalized service and Mediterranean cuisine.

credits: Francois Lefebvre

One-of-a kind visits to luxury brands’ factories 

Specific experiences include a special opening of the Gucci Archives, housed in a 15th-century Renaissance palace not usually open to the public, and a visit to Palazzo Gucci in Florence, as well as the on-board exhibition “The Art of Travel”. Bottega Veneta offers an exclusive tour of Venice with access to the Bottega Veneta Residence at Palazzo Soranzo Van Axel and a closing cocktail party. With Brioni guests will attend a tailoring demonstration by a master tailor, while Pomellato will delve into the world of designer jewellery with the expert guidance of a Gem Master. Finally, Ginori 1735 offers a private tour of its Florentine factory and, on board, demonstrations of porcelain decoration and a space dedicated to “Italian-style coffee.”

Pre and post-cruises to Chianti and Verona  

Among the optional PONANT Signature Moments experiences, there is the possibility of a pre-cruise in Florence, enjoying the landscapes and flavours of the Chianti hills, with local wine tastings, and a post-cruise stay discovering exclusive Verona historic buildings and hidden gardens. PONANT Explorations is marketed in Italy by Gioco Viaggi, a leader in the representation and sale of cruise products in Italy for major shipping companies.

On the border with France, a 50-minute drive from Turin, the ski resort of Bardonecchia is one of the most family-friendly destinations in the Alps. 

100 kilometres of slopes and 23 ski lifts

Thanks to an offer designed to welcome families with children and skiers of all levels, combining sport, fun and special offers, the area has 100 kilometres of slopes, 23 ski lifts and a snow park.  It also offers numerous easy and well-groomed slopes, ideal for those taking their first steps on skis or for those who want to ski in complete safety. 

The area has many ski schools

One of the area's strengths is the numerous ski schools in the area, with qualified instructors and teaching programmes designed specifically for children and beginners, such as the Scivolandia area, where little ones can take their first steps on the snow.

An indoor pool, snowcats and high-altitude dining

In Bardonecchia, in January, March and April there are advantageous accommodation and ski pass rates for families and other holidaymakers offering an opportunity to enjoy the snow outside the busiest periods. In addition to skiing, Bardonecchia has numerous alternative activities for adults and children: from an indoor swimming pool to the two-seater Alpine coaster, electric mountain bike rides and snowshoeing. To complete the experience, there are areas and activities dedicated to entertainment for the whole family, including dinners at high altitude with transport on a snowcat or night-time events such as BardoLesa, the famous sledding competition. For information:  www.bardonecchiaski.com

Winter days in Val Gardena do not end when the sun goes down but extend beyond sunset with the Special Nights.

Evening and night- time activities

The famous Val Gardena Dolomite valley in South Tyrol is offering the Special Nights, a calendar of evening and night-time activities, sporting and otherwise, that are open to everyone. Among the most dynamic of them every Tuesday it is possible to take part in night sledding at Rasciesa, enhanced by a typical dinner in a mountain hut, while on Wednesdays there is an evening snowshoe hike, also with dinner in a mountain hut. 


©Julia&Ben

Dining in mountain landscapes

In S. Cristina, on 3 February and 3 March, you can go cross-country skiing in the moonlight, with free admission and free equipment hire. And in S. Cristina, every Thursday you can spend an evening on an e-bike in the snow, discovering Monte Pana and the Alpe di Siusi accompanied by a guide and ending the evening with a traditional dinner in a mountain hut. With Magic Sunset Skiing visitors can admire the sunset over the Dolomites with an aperitif and end the evening with a picturesque 10 kilometre torchlight descent to Ortisei. For an alternative night-time walk combining art and nature, there are torchlight walks on Monte Pana, which combine culture, landscape and romance.

©Dolomites Val Gardena

Transfers by snowcat or snowmobile

Among the initiatives open to everyone the Comici Mountain Hut also organizes special themed dinners with transfer by snowcat or snowmobile, while there are also events dedicated to observing planets and galaxies, allowing holidaymakers to experience the mountains under the starry sky.  The Val Gardena evening calendar is part of the winter programme, complementing the varied daytime activities with a series of structured and easily accessible events. Special Nights accompany guests to the valley on a journey of discovery of environments, landscapes and atmospheres that stand out at night. 

Italy Family Hotels presented the second edition of the Italy Family Awards, rewarding the consortium’s properties in Italy that have distinguished themselves in family hospitality.

Hotels aimed at families

Italy Family Hotels is the first hotel consortium in Italy entirely dedicated to families with more than 155 hotels in 16 regions specialized in holidays with children in the most diversified Italian locations: from the sea to the mountains and from the lakes to the hills.

Prizes to the properties in Cesenatico and Livorno

Garden Toscana Resort

The Italy Family Hotels property with the greatest consensus among foreign families, which was awarded “Tope Italy Family Hotels – Foreign” award is the Club Family Hotel Serenissima in Cesenatico, in the province of Forlì-Cesena (Emilia-Romagna).  The prize for the “Best Italy Family Hotels” was awarded to the most requested and most popular property on the ItalyFamilyHotels.it portal in 2025, the Garden Toscana Resort - San Vincenzo (Livorno, Tuscany). In its first year on the IFH circuit, this property was rewarded for its wealth of services, the quality of its offer and its ability to satisfy customers' wishes. The resort also won the “Top Family Hotels al Mare” award, as the establishment that received the highest number of requests on the portal in the sea segment, distinguishing itself for its ability to combine Mediterranean nature, sports offer, entertainment and comfort.

Hotel Relax

Green properties also topped the bill

In the category “Top Family Hotels in the Mountains, on Lakes and in the Hills” the award went to AlpHoliday Dolomiti, Dimaro (Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige), for its wellness services dedicated to parents and its outdoor activities for children, as well as for its authentic Trentino hospitality. The hotel also received the award for “Top Green Family Hotel,” confirming it as a model of sustainable hospitality for the second year running, thanks to its use of ecological materials, renewable energies, educational activities for children and an approach aimed at reducing environmental impact. Among the other prize-winners, in the Marche region the Hotel Relax - San Benedetto del Tronto, in the province of Ascoli Piceno, won the  “Best Theme Room” award with its ‘The Island that does not Exist” room; while the Hotel Continental - Gabicce Mare, in the province of Pesaro and Urbino, stood out for the second year running in the “Top Performer” category.

NH Collection Alagna Mirtillo Rosso

Luxury, baby-oriented and hotels for teens

In the “Top Luxury Family Hotel” category, the NH Collection Alagna - Mirtillo Rosso - Riva Valdobbia (Vercelli, Piedmont) was awarded for its high standards, refined ambience and services for children. The best property for dedicated for kids aged 0-2 years old was the Resort Dolce Casa Family & Spa - Moena (Trento) which, for the second year running, won the “Top Baby Family Hotel” award for its standards of safety, comfort, and attention to the wellbeing of babies and parents. In the province of Trento, the  “Top Teen Family Hotel” award recognized the Villaggio Nevada - Folgaria as the hotel that best interpreted the needs of teenagers, thanks to its wide range of activities aimed at youngsters including sports, workshops, theme evenings and dedicated areas.

Among the events not to be missed in February in Italy, the Follonica Carnival, with its allegorical floats, brighten up Tuscan’s winter.

Follonica’s carnival has a modern outlook

One of the most important events in Tuscany on 1, 8, 15, and 21 February, the carnival transforms the Maremma town from a summery seaside destination into an open-air stage, with parades of large allegorical floats, music, and performances. Unlike many Italian carnivals of medieval origin, Follonica’s event was conceived as a modern expression that recounts today’s society, and invites reflection on what it will be like tomorrow. Satire, topical issues and contemporary language are the central elements of an event that boasts over a century of history. The origins date back to the early 20th century, and it became a regular event in the 1950s and 1960s, establishing itself today as an event with strong appeal that combines local traditions, craftsmanship and entertainment.

The eight city districts compete in the event

The carnival’s theme is the rivalry and collaboration between its eight city districts. The themes range from international political satire to reflections on artificial intelligence, from the telling of fantasy worlds to social messages. Families and local artists are all involved in the creation of the float decorations, the animated masks, the choice of music and the choreography. This year MeQ, Follonica's Quality Market, will be open for lunch on the three Sundays of the parade  on 2, 9 and 16 February. The novelty is that inside the Municipal Market it will be possible to taste carnival on a plate, from sweet to savoury, both on site and take-away. 

CioccolaTò, the event that pays homage to and enhances the artisan production of chocolate, returns to Turin from 13 to 17 February.

This year the event is over five days

After the success of last year's edition, which closed with more than 100,000 visitors in four days and with some 70 stands and 50 producers, CioccolaTò 2026 will extend its duration by one day, embracing both the Valentine's Day and Carnival with Shrove Tuesday holidays. The fair will be held in Piazza Vittorio Veneto and, in addition to the exhibition in the square, will involve various cultural hubs in the city such as historical venues and museums, with a varied programme of cultural and artistic events.

Also open to ice cream makers, bakers, and liqueur producers 

The leitmotif of the event remains excellence, hosting only producers of chocolate or chocolate-related specialties. Space will be given to chocolatiers, but also to confectioners, ice cream makers, bakers, and liqueur producers as long as they are skilled, quality craftsmen and craftswomen. Among the exhibitors the Maestri del Gusto (Masters of Taste) of Turin and province, but also masters from Piedmonte from other Italian regions and also from abroad, are expected to attend.  

@Turismo Torino e Provincia

Tastings and workshops that narrate the world of chocolate

Tastings, meetings and workshops will promote the relationship between food and society, between emotion and knowledge, Central themes will include love as a feeling, language and forms of freedom, and its metamorphosis. CioccolaTò 2026 will also explore the cinema, literature, music and other forms of creativity that narrate the world through chocolate, while art and play workshops for young and old will transform cocoa into an expressive material.

Turin in famous for its Giandujotto chocolate

 A place of honour will be reserved for the Giandujotto di Torino (spelled with a j) IGP, a confectionary which is made with hazelnuts, sugar and cocoa paste that is the symbol of the Piedmontese city and one of the protagonists of the next edition of CioccolaTò. 

In 1806, with the introduction of the Continental Blockade by Napoleon, importing cocoa became difficult and expensive. And even Turin, a city with a strong chocolate-making tradition, had to deal with the shortage of raw material for its chocolates. Turins confectioners reacted by exploiting a local resource that was always available: the tonda gentile hazelnut from the Langhe region. Chopped and combined with cocoa, they were able to create a new mixture with an original taste and lower costs, the forerunner of what would later be known as Turin’s Gianduja paste.

The 26th edition of Summer Jamboree, the International Festival dedicated to 40s and 50s American music and culture, will run from 31 July to 9 August in Senigallia.  

A festival dedicated to Rock'n'Roll and Swing

This landmark event for thousands of fans from all over the world returns to make the seaside town of Senigallia the venue for the “Hottest Rockin' Holiday on Earth.” The Summer Jamboree is the largest international festival of its kind dedicated to Rock'n'Roll and Swing, in their many forms including R&B, Doo-Wop, Hillbilly, Country, and Boogie Woogie. Ranking as one of Europe's most iconic cultural and urban experiences, as well as the Main Stage with artists from all over the world the event will host a vintage market, activities for families and children, burlesque shows, vintage car exhibitions and the ever-present after-festival.

The days of music, dancing and entertainment

Last year record-breaking numbers generated an economic impact on the region estimated at over €29 million, the event bringing tens of thousands of people to the city for ten days of music, dancing and entertainment, transforming the city into a large open-air stage that attracted an intergenerational and international audience.

Microevents from January to June

In anticipation of the summer festival, the Waiting for Summer Jamboree 2026 cycle of micro-events has kicked off: a calendar of monthly events that until June includes afternoon dance workshops, social dance evenings with DJ sets and moments dedicated to the community. The next events are on 24 January, 21 February, 14 March, 25 April, 30 May and 20 June. Tickets can be purchased on Ciaotickets or on site while capacity lasts. For information: www.summerjamboree.com

Castello Il Palagio is a landmark location for experiential tourism, events and weddings featuring history, food and wine.

A private chapel and large garden 

The medieval 13th-century aristocratic residence located halfway between Florence and Siena, is in the land of Chianti Classico, surrounded by vineyards and olive groves. Originally a tower of the Florentine Republic, over time it became the country residence of important Florentine families. Today the property is equipped to host meetings, weddings and events of all kinds, thanks to the interior spaces of the historic residence, the private chapel and the large garden with panoramic views over the Tuscan hills as far as the Apennines and the Alps.

Taste of History tours on reservation

Alongside the events, Castello Il Palagio offers historical-gastronomic tours dedicated to guests seeking authentic experiences. On reservation the “Taste of History’” tours combine a visit to the property with itinerant tastings of local delicacies from small local producers. The aim is to enhance the agricultural traditions of the Chianti region and encourage a popular approach to the history and culture of the area. Integrating history, local identity and typical products through places, flavours and memory,  reinforces Chianti's attractiveness as a destination with a high cultural and enogastronomic value.

Siena’s Piazza del Campo is famous for the Palio horserace

Alongside better-known Florence, Siena has been described by UNESCO as “a masterpiece of dedication and inventiveness in which buildings were designed to fit the entire urban structure.” In 1995, it was inscribed on the World Heritage List for having preserved important features of its medieval structure: a historic centre delimited by ancient ramparts built between the 14th and 16th centuries and a main square, Piazza del Campo admired for its monuments and as the venue for the annual Palio horseraces.

Skiing away from mass tourism: what new this season in the Val Senales.

42 kilometres of slopes and 11 ski lifts 

A destination for downhill skiers and ski mountaineers of all levels, the Val Senales Valley has several new features this year. The Alpine Arena Senales ski area stretches between 2,011 and 3,212 metres asl, offering 42 kilometres of slopes and 11 ski lifts. The area is ideal for those who want to ski in freedom away from mass tourism, also in light of the upcoming Olympics.

A new trail for ski mountaineers

Ski mountaineering enthusiasts can look forward to a new trail some 7 kilometres long with a difference in altitude of about 1,200 metres, which will be open from the end of December to April, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The route starts at the Roter Kofel chairlift in Maso Corto (2,011 metres). The uphill route, which is marked in green, follows the track of the downhill slope and runs along a route that passes several lifts and mountain huts. It is also possible to vary the length of the route by taking a break at the Teufelsegg hut (400 metres altitude difference), or at the Bella Vista hut (800 metres altitude difference), at the Ötzi bivouac or the Glacier Hotel Grawand.

A special discount for super-seniors

Outdoor activities include snowshoe hikes, winter hikes - including a visit to the ice grotto with a mountain guide - and a visit to the Merano Christmas Market, thanks to the free shuttle service provided by the Val Senales Tourist Cooperative.  A further novelty is dedicated to super-seniors: every Monday, Wednesday and Friday of the month of January anyone born before 1965 will be able to benefit from the day pass for only €29.