At Baglio Occhipinti near Ragusa the seasons compete in charm and beauty, and with its climatic and geographical appeal Sicily is one of those places where every season competes with the others to prove that it is the best time to enjoy a holiday in the area. Baglio Occhipinti, a relais de charme in the countryside near Ragusa, has a splendid vegetable garden which is the source of most of the ingredients on which the cuisine of the estate is based.

Baroque jewels such as

Scicli, Ragusa, Modica and Noto

If you decide to beat the summer holiday hoards and visit in spring, you can experience Sicily at is most tranquil, heading towards Baroque jewels such as Scicli, Ragusa, Modica and Noto. If you want the local culture and nature, take part in Ragusan cheese tastings directly at the producer’s facility, or enjoy horse and bike rides starting from the Baglio to discover the surrounding area.

An aperitif by the pool surrounded by citrus groves

This is the ideal time to enjoy a picnic among the rows of a vineyard or to learn how to forage or respectfully harvest wild plants and fruits. It is also possible to take part in unusual cooking classes, where the main dish is, for example Scaccia Ragusana with garden tomatoes cooked in a wood oven. And sipping an aperitif by the pool surrounded by citrus groves while enjoying an almost private sunset, is perhaps the best way to end an incredibly long day...

Catania is 90 kilometres away

Baglio Occhipinti has 12 rooms with gardens and panoramic views of the vineyards and of the Iblei mountains, a restaurant and a swimming pool immersed in an Arabian citrus grove. Comiso airport is 8.5 kilometres away, Catania, which has an international airport, 90 kilometres and Baglio Occhipinti organizes transfers for guests.

Scalapay and Ota DLT Travel, after just 6 months of partnership, have posted a 24.33% increase in customers and a corresponding boost in average revenue per transaction of 10.82%. On top of this, at it’s peak 24% of orders were placed with Scalapay services, and in the last six months 3.1% of users who used a deferred payment system also made a second purchase.

Paying for holidays even after the departure date

These numbers underline the extraordinary success of Scalapay and Ota DLT Travel after just 6 months of partnership. Marketing Manager DLT Travel, Alredo Miraglia explains: "Scalapay has allowed us to overcome a great limitation: letting customers pay for their holiday even after the departure date. This was of crucial importance, especially following the change in customer behaviour caused by Covid, which has led to a tendency to book and pay more speculatively.”

“It is essential to be dynamic”

Travel Director Scalapay, Matteo Ciccalé adds: “The pandemic has transformed Italian consumers by catapulting them at least 20 years forward in terms of digital usage. In a constantly changing world, it is essential to be dynamic. In this scenario, we offer a performance marketing system with no fixed costs that allows us to be flexible, fast and risk-free.”

La Certosa or simply Certosa, is a little island in the Venetian lagoon where visitors can enjoy sailing, canoeing and cultural events. The small 54-acre island consists mostly of a public park and the ruins of the ancient cloister that gave the island its name. It is part of the Northern Lagoon of Venice and is just half a kilometre from Venice Lido. 

A rich environmental heritage

In the 19th century under Napoleonic rule, the monks were exiles, the island was stripped of its works of art and it became a military outpost until its definitive abandonment in the middle of the last century. For about ten years the island has been undergoing a phase of redevelopment, with the establishment of a park that enhances its rich environmental heritage, where wild animals can shelter among white poplars, ash trees, privets, hawthorns, mulberries and other plants typical of the coast. 

Sailing courses and canoe rentals

The island is now managed by the Polo Nautico Vento company which has built a dock and organizes sailing courses, activities and cultural events and there is a hotel for anyone who wants to stay overnight. On La Certosa visitors make excursions on foot or rent a canoe or a small boat with an electric motor to discover the nearest islands. The only historic building left on the island is the Casello delle Polveri, a 17th-century complex that housed military ammunition and is now a venue for events and conferences.

An 18-room hotel close to the vaporetto water bus pier

Certosa is served by public transport, and there is also a shuttle organized by the managers of the Polo Nautico for the less served time slots. For visitors looking for a place to stay, or simply to enjoy a drink or a meal, the 18-room Venice Certosa Hotel is located next to the marina and within a short walk of the ACTV vaporetto pier.

Tourism resources being promoted in Sicily by Italia Nostra include the Historical Trains and Cultural Itineraries project for the Noto to Pachino line. Support for cultural heritage sites, buildings, and naturalistic areas in Sicily comes from the Strategic Investment Plan, aimed at creating environmentally sustainable attractions to bring more visitors to lesser known parts of the island.  

Easing the heavy visitor flow to Marzamemi

The funding being made available will go to various projects including the old railway line between Noto and Pachino. The aim is to turn it into a tourist and cultural route with passengers travelling by train to Marzamemi, San Lorenzo, Vendicari, Pachino, and Noto. This would greatly ease the currently unsustainable visitor flows into the Vendicari Natural Reserve and the charming seaside village of Marzamemi.

Work is progressing on the tracks and the old stations  

This single-track line, which will get funding for a total €62 million, is about 27 kilometres long and is a branch from Noto station, along the Syracuse - Ragusa section, to Pachino. It was built in 1935 and was used for both passenger and freight services, but closed in 1986. Currently it is still usable although the eight stations are in a state of neglect.  Work will also have to be done on the three-span bridge over the Tellaro River (180 meters long) and the 10-meter revolving platform in Pachino station. Under the Railways Foundation the project is already underway, and the line should be put into operation within the next three years.

Italia Nostra’s support

The Italia Nostra Val di Noto, Siracusa, and Melilli sections, as well as the Italia Nostra Sicilia regional council, with the aim of supporting the restoration of historic infrastructure in the region, is urging the municipalities of Noto and Pachino to establish a "permanent observatory for the design and execution of works on the Noto-Pachino railway."

The Vesuvius National Park is a blend of naturalistic beauty, volcanology, breath-taking landscapes, centuries-old crops and traditions.These all make the Vesuvius area one of the most fascinating, and one of the most visited places in the world.
The park was inaugurated on 5 June 1995 to preserve animal and plant species, geological and paleontological formations, biological communities and the ecological balances of the Vesuvian area.

Eleven paths through the park

The Paths of the Vesuvius National Park consist of 11 paths with a combined length of 54 kilometres. The idea of these walks was to raise awareness of the risks on each of the paths, with signs displaying descriptions of the main naturalistic, geological and historical emergencies encountered during the walk. To make the area easily accessible to the public they have mapped out six circular nature paths, an educational path, a scenic path, and an agricultural path, while stabilization and consolidation operations were carried out to mitigate the risks.

Archaeological museums and cities    

In the park there is so much to see, from the extraordinary archaeological city of Pompeii, to the excavations and virtual Archaeological Museum of Herculaneum, the Antiquarium of Boscoreale, the lava on permanent display by Creator Vesevo and the ascent to the Gran Cono which is the highest point visitors can climb to the top of the volcano. The Railway Museum of Pietrarsa in Portici, terminus of the first Italian line built by the Bourbon, the Coral Museum in Torre del Greco, and the Peasant Civilization in Somma Vesuviana are other fascinating attractions that tell the extraordinary story of man’s rapport with the volcano. 

In 1997 Padua’s Botanical Garden was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List. This was the first of the world’s botanical gardens and is at cradle of science, scientific knowledge and of insight into the relationships between nature and culture. It has largely contributed to the progress of numerous modern scientific disciplines, in particular botany, medicine, chemistry, ecology and pharmacy.

The world’s oldest university botanical garden

It was founded in 1545 and is therefore the world's oldest university botanical garden that has maintained its original location and structure, and for this reason it was added to the World Heritage List.

Practical and theoretical training in medicinal plants

In the Middle Ages medicinal plants were the primary therapeutic resource, so it was necessary to establish a Horto where medical students could receive both practical and theoretical training in recognizing and learning about medicinal plants. Alas, as their use was based on the interpretation of ancient Greek, Latin, and Arabic medical written texts, errors in interpretation and identification of the described species were common, resulting in negative or ineffective outcomes for their use in medicine.

The mother of all botanical gardens

It was a popular destination for foreign students and scholars visiting Italy, who saw it as a model to follow in the creation of similar gardens in their own countries. As a result, the Padua’s garden is known as "the mother" of all botanical gardens. Ginkgo biloba, magnolia, potato, jasmine, acacia and sunflower, lilac, rhubarb, and Persian cyclamen, for a total of about 70 species, have all been introduced to and spread in Italy thanks to this garden.

The Hortus Sphaericus

The so-called Hortus Sphaericus, which is about 85 meters in diameter, is the garden's original nucleus. The circular shape and the distinctive geometric division that divides the area has many Renaissance references and cosmological symbols. One of the trees in the garden is a St. Peter's palm. It is known as Goethe's palm as it inspired the German writer with a theory on plant metamorphosis,  and it is the oldest plant in the garden, dating back to 1585.

The Musei Reali royal museums in Turin with their collections and tours are a must for visitors to the capital of the Piedmont region.

Take this opportunity to enjoy moments of culture and leisure in one of the most enchanting places in this elegant and fascinating city. 

The new calendar of activities for the Royal Gardens

The new calendar of special activities dedicated to the Royal Gardens is available on the website. Up to March 2022 visitors can join exclusive tours and visits with the amazing narration of both the curators and restorers of the Musei Reali. While some of these are reserved for members others are open to the public.  

Great collectors and priceless treasures

Every Friday the public will be able to visit the magnificent apartments of Queen Maria Teresa on the first floor of the Royal Palace, the Cabinet of the Secret Plot and the evocative royal kitchens to relive the ancient uses of the court. Every Saturday visitors can discover two great collectors, Riccardo Gualino and Prince Eugenio di Savoia-Soissons, who were united by a passion for art that help shed light on the evolution of collecting between the 18th and 20th centuries. And on Sundays the historical-artistic events related to the construction of the Chapel of the Holy Shroud give visitors the chance to admire the priceless treasures preserved in the sacristy and in the royal chapel.

An exhibition of Fabio Viale’s works 

Extended until Sunday 13 February 2022, In Between is the first exhibition in Turin dedicated to the Piedmontese sculptor Fabio Viale, famous for his tattooed statues and extraordinary marble scenes. Five monumental works have been set up in the Piazzetta Reale area for this exhibition curated by Filippo Masino and Roberto Mastroianni. Created in collaboration with the Galleria Poggiali in Florence, the exhibition is included in the admission ticket to the Musei Reali.

Animals from A to Z

This exhibition for children in the Discovery Space will run until 3 April 2022. The project, curated by Rosario Maria Anzalone and Enrica Pagella, is designed for children and families, from the height of the windows to the graphic elements: paintings, drawings, engravings, archaeological finds and decorative art objects. Some forty works from the Musei Reali are united by the representation of animals, and they are all interactive. This exhibition is included in the entrance ticket to the Musei Reali.

Global projections are forecasting that from April we should see the biggest tourism rebound in history.

From the UNWTO to the WTTC the signals for the industry, which is licking its wounds after two very dramatic years, are more than comforting.

There is talk of a 250% increase in bookings for Easter, with soaring numbers extending throughout the summer. And even mass booking aggregators like the otas are saying the same thing.

This tells us that what people most desire is to travel, to move, to take holidays. And we can see that this desire, which has more or less been dormant for two very long years, is now ready to explode.

Will hotels be ready to handle numbers of this magnitude? After all the inactivity will organized tourism still be able to react to the impact of billions of people who want to travel? We think so. We have always had faith in the industry, even when no one thought it could cling on.

Tourism’s head honchos are ready to handle the maxi-flows that will travel the roads of the world from April. We are waiting confidently for spring. And we see it as the new springtime of the world.

Giuseppe Aloe
Editor in Chief

On the weekend of 12 and 13 March the Fabbrica del Vapore in Milan will host the first Italian fair dedicated to cycle tourism and bicycle travel. The event, which is free to attend and for which registration is online, is aimed at all active vacationers interested in cycling trips. It will also be of interest to those who would like to try this mode of transportation for the first time, whether with family, friends, or alone.

Ideas for cycle adventures

The cycle tourism fair, sponsored by the city of Milan, will be a meeting point for operators in the sector, both destinations or tour operators and, of course the general public who are looking for nature adventures. Itineraries and services for cycle tourists, new destinations for the coming holidays, tourist packages, and many travel ideas and much more is what visitors will be able to find at the Fabbrica del Vapore.  More than 50 destinations and operators from Italy and around the world will be participating at the event.

Training workshops and presentations

Aside from the exhibition area dedicated to tour operators, territorial consortia, destinations, cities, and international stars active in the sector, the event will host The Talks. This is a programme of presentations, training workshops for almost every circumstance, travel stories to be discovered on a saddle, and a thousand ideas for the visitor to imagine and prepare for his first or next experience of a journey on a bike.

Italian and Spanish sponsors

Gran Canaria (Spain), the Valencia region (Spain), Sicily, and Basilicata will be the event's main sponsors; destinations that have focused on cycle tourism as a new way of enjoying vacations and getting to know the most authentic side of their territories. Other sponsors to date are Turkey, Catalonia (Spain), Valtellina, Atl Biella, the municipality of Cuneo, and Terres Monviso.