Sardinia’s only new Blue Flag recognition goes to Budoni. Awarded by the Danish Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) the accolade makes for environmentally friendly holidays, and this summer Budoni has launched a large fleet of electric scooters.

The aim being to allow guests and residents to move around in a speedy and economic way, and with zero impact on the environment.

Buses for wheelchairs and mobility scooters

In addition public transport has been boosted, and is now reaching the most beautiful beaches along the coast. Some shuttle buses are also equipped with platforms that make them accessible for wheelchairs and mobility scooters. And to better accommodate tourists with specific needs the walkways on the beaches have been expanded, making it easier to reach the shoreline, and special armchairs with large wheels that can move effortlessly on the sand and even enter the water are also available.

Quality accommodation and services

Great attention is also paid to the quality of the accommodation on offer. During the winter workshops organized by Budoni Welcome a common hospitality strategy was worked out by local players, with the aim of guaranteeing even higher quality and quantity levels.

“Holidaymakers want authentic emotions and experiences”

“Year after year our administration has introduced projects to make guests' stays more unforgettable,” explains Giuseppe Porcheddu, the mayor of Budoni. “Trends show that holidaymakers are looking for authentic emotions and experiences and ways to connect with the authenticity of a location. By enhancing our typical products we are moving in this direction with attention to mobility, accessibility, and sustainability. The recent Blue Flag confirms that we have done well, and is a stimulus for future initiatives.”

Autentico Hotels, for family-style holidays in ten different experiences in family-run, independent and luxury hotels with activities for children and adults.  

From the sea to the countryside to the mountains, they pamper families, making them feel at home with welcome gifts, dedicated menus and themed rooms for children.

Relais Il Falconiere & Spa - Cortona in Tuscany 

The Falconiere offers families who choose the Tuscan countryside a special welcome for young guests, with lots of fun experiences in the kitchen, picnics and e-bikes.

https://www.ilfalconiere.it   

Martivs Private Suites - Rome in Lazio 

The Martivs spells elegance and luxury for the whole family in the heart of Rome’s historic centre, with suites up to 75 sqm in size.

https://www.martiusprivatesuites.com/

Chateau Monfort - Milan  in Lombardy 

Château Monfort welcomes families with its Happy Family package with dedicated menus and ideas for discovering the city with the little ones.

https://www.hotelchateaumonfort.com/it/ 

Gallia Palace Beach Golf Spa Resort - Punta Ala in Tuscany 

The Gallia Palace Hotel has a beautiful swimming pool and a wonderful private beach. There is horse riding, also for little ones on horses and ponies. There is also an 18-hole course and a mini golf course for kids.

https://www.galliapalace.it/ 

San Montano Resort & Spa – Ischia in Campania 

The San Montano Resort & Spa with its gardens, multiple thermal pools, spa, and excursions is the perfect retreat for families seeking a dose of adventure, such as snorkelling in the marine protected area, or a night boat trip.  

https://www.sanmontano.com/ 

La Barchessa di Villa Pisani - Vicenza in Veneto 

The Barchessa di Villa Pisani is ideal for spending time with the family, between a dip in the pool, a game of billiards or excursions to explore the Veneto countryside. https://labarchessadivillapisani.it/   

Grand Hotel et De Milan - Milan in Lombardy 

At the Grand Hotel et de Milan Gianluigi Di Napoli, a talented photographer and portraitist, will immortalize that special family moment in one of the suites dedicated to illustrious personalities like Giuseppe Verdi.

https://www.grandhoteletdemilan.it/

Mont Blanc Relais & Spa - La Salle in Valle d’Aosta 

At the Mont Blanc Relais & Spa, the whole family can experience Mont Blanc at 360°. There are traditional and gourmet menus for young, and for adults relaxation in the wellness centre.
https://www.relaismontblanc.it/

Fragsburg Castle, Merano in Trentino’s South Tyrol 

Fragesburg Castle is the perfect setting for unforgettable moments and elegant parties, with thrills for families at evenings in the Michelin-starred Gourmet Restaurant.

https://www.fragsburg.com/  

Golfo dei Poeti Relais & Spa - Montemarcello in the Cinque Terre, Liguria 

At the Golfo dei Poeti kids can express all their vitality outdoors or in the infinity pools, while their parents indulge in moments of pure relaxation in the spa, the heated Jacuzzis or with a tailor-made wellness treatment.   

https://www.golfodeipoetirelais.com/   

Arsenale has started work on Rome’s Orient Express de la Minerve.

Designer Hugo Toro has been entrusted with the furnishing and restyling of the historic hotel by the Arsenale group, in collaboration with Accor.

This will be the group’s first Orient Express (on completion in 2024), with a second property, the Venetian Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, planned for the same brand.

“A time of historical renaissance for the city of Rome”

"The history of a hotel like La Minerva will be given new life with Hugo Toro at a time of general historical renaissance for the city of Rome itself, which will become a focal point for luxury tourism - said Arsenale's head of real estate and construction, Gilda Cotzias. - With La Minerve we inaugurate the first chapter of a project that with the launch of the Dolce Vita Orient Express will unite the country, from the great art cities to small villages, in an integrated and complete luxury offer for millions of foreign travellers who will choose Italy as their first destination."

The hotel’s style will be inspired by the Eternal City

"The first Orient Express Minerva hotel in Rome will be inspired by this city of history and legend," adds the CEO of the Raffles and Orient Express brands, Stephen Alden. " Hugo Toro continues his journey with us. His passion for history, his sensibility and his atmospheric style, imbued with a new contemporaneity, will undoubtedly enhance the world's first Orient Express.”

At Lonato del Garda’s Cittadella in Festa festival on 25 September visitors will be plunged into the past with an historical procession, an ancient crafts market, tournaments, falconry shows and much more in this enchanting old town which is just half an hour from Brescia.

The town and its 15th-century fortress will revive for a day the splendours of the court of Isabella Gonzaga, the primadonna of the Renaissance who left her heart in Lonato in 1514. 

Historical tournaments and processions 

In her letters to her husband Isabella wrote that she had never seen a more beautiful fortress than that of Lonato, and the Cittadella in Festa festivities will be a real leap back in time. Re-enactments of Renaissance trades and tournaments will see the streets come alive with elaborately dressed ladies, knights in arms, craftsmen, and musicians.

Knights on steeds and falconry

The highlight of the day will be the spectacular arrival in town of the Marchesa Isabella Gonzaga, accompanied by characters in noble attire and knights on steeds. The festivities will also include music and dancing, performances with flags, drums and clarions, and falconry demonstrations with hawks and other birds of prey. 

Games for children 

Ancient trades will be revived in the historical marketplace with artisans intent on the arts and skills of the past – from the waxmaker, the apothecary and the cobbler to the amanuensis, the carpenter and the gunsmith. Costumed characters will involve adults and children in various activities, and for young children the games of yesteryear will be revived.

One of Italy’s most imposing fortresses

Cittadella in Festa will be an opportunity to discover Lonato, this enchanting town overlooking Lake Garda with many treasures of art and history and hidden corners. From the Rocca Visconteo Veneta, one of the most imposing fortresses in northern Italy to the the Casa del Podestà, a truly fascinating museum-house and from the Basilica of San Giovanni Battista to the Churches of Corlo and Sant'Antonio Abate, and the Sala Celesti room in the Municipality with a large altarpiece by Andrea Celesti dedicated to the plague.  www.lonatoturismo.it 

Merano, a city with a green heart, will host the Merano Flower Festival from Friday 28 April to Monday 1 May 2023, and the Tourist Office is already working on the new programme for this 5th edition.

The focus will be on nature and plants, from botany to gardening, and from meetings with intellectuals, landscape architects, and artists to entertainment and workshops for adults and children. 

An abundance of urban greenery

Merano was awarded the 2022 ECOT - European City of Trees Award, which has been given to European cities that have distinguished themselves in the care of trees in an urban context since 2007. Valencia, Prague, Frankfurt, Apeldoorn, Turin in Italy in 2008, and Vienna last year were among the major cities to receive the award. Merano, a wellness destination, is a city of only 41,000 inhabitants and it stands out for its abundance of urban greenery and the diligence and competence with which this is cared for and constantly integrated. 

A new philosophy of life

This summer’s Merano Vitae programme ranges from self-massage to the recognition and management of emotions, from the Move in Merano project to the individual discovery of public green areas thanks to the Merano Biodivercity Tour in 17 stages, led by an audio guide. Move in Merano consists of a network of pedestrian paths as the whole city becomes a setting for experiencing the beneficial contact with nature, slowly and joyfully. And also to rediscover that energy that many need to find again following the Covid 19 epidemic. 

Information  www.merano.eu

Office-on-the-go is the ideal kit for working on holidays or smart working.

Remote working has entered the vocabularly, and it does not just mean working at home, as many people like to work in city parks, in bars, on trains and other forms of transport.

A 2021 study by Inapp showed that over 7.2 million people work in remote, and 61% of them do it at least three days a week, but to make the most of it you really need to have right equipment.

A comfortable working area and noise-cancelling headphones

D-Link, a world leader in network technology and connectivity has come up with the pefect kit for the office-on-the-go.  No matter where you choose to work a comfortable chair and adequate space are essential to start with, and of course the light is also important. And better if it is natural!  On a business call and the person next to you starts a videocall? Or maybe you just need to concentrate and avoid being distracted by what is going on around you?  Being able to isolate noise is essential and so a good set of noise-cancelling headphones is a must.

Hubs, USB-Cs and low blue light glasses 

How often have you checked into a hotel to find that the outlets are not suitable for your computer? The answer is a hub like D-Link’s DUB series that amplifies connectivity and boosts productivity. It can add a seond screen and facilitate data and file transfer and power delivery. Low Blue Light filters a blue light that can be bad for your eyesight. The solution is to wear a pair of speial glasses with lens that will ensure you do not tire your eyes.

Public Wi-Fi and the importance of a power bank 

Always check the quality of the Wifi line, using a line with an access password  and performing a speed test to make sure it is reliable.  Or you could use a mobile router like the DWR-2101 that also provides 5G,  Wi-Fi 6 and new safety standards.  Suddenly you find yourself with just 5% power left on your PC (and maybe also on your smartphone) and you did not bring the right cables with you?  The answer is to have a powerful powerbank that can reharge your laptop and other devices.   

A cup of coffee and a quick chat 

These are two essential elements in the kit because they are guaranteed to rechare your energy levels. Every two to three hours take a break, enjoy a cup of hot or cold coffee and have a chat.  A bit of networking never does any harm!  D-Link is a global leader in wireless technology and connectivity; its range of solutions are geared to both  domestic and professional users. 

Information:   This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Palazzo di Varignana‘s new Il Grifone fine dining restauranti is a journey in time and space. In an historical 18th-century Bologna mansion the experience of the senses awaiting at table has been created by Executive Chef Davide Rialti together with Chef de Cuisine Francesco Manograsso. 

A choice of three dining venues

Set between the rolling hills of the central Italian Emilian region and the sea of the neighbouring Romagna, the menus at Il Grifone are an ideal blend of these two elements, with creations based on meat and fish with sweet and flavoursome elements that enhance the perfume of the sea and have a surf-and-turf consistency.  A style of cuisine inspired by the location of Palazzo di Varignana, the fruits of its farmlands and its extra virgin olive oil, all of which can be found in Il Grifone, but also in the oil-specialized contemporary Aurevo Restaurant and in Le Marzoline which is specialized in traditional Emilian cuisine.

Seasonal creations

The vine-covered hills, the herbs from the gardens, forgotten fruits like goji berries and the resort’s home-grown saffron are given a new look, paired with the meat and fish dishes in Il Grifone.  Seasonal dishes like the Tartare con maionese di mais, tartufo nero dell’appennino tosco emiliano e giardiniera di verdure a tartare with mayonnaise made from the corn grown on the estate, blending with the intensity of the black truffles and the vegetables which vary from season to season.  

Four unique dishes

The Chef’s philosophy is best brought to the fore in four dishes:  Anguilla e Alici with eels from the nearby Comachio Valley that are roasted with anchovies that are dry-marinated in sugar and salt on a tomato cream and sweet potatoes; Risotto del Podere Rio Rosso, a risotto with green herb pesto, almond milk and lemon gel, Capocollo di Mora Romagnola, a local cured pork meat with mushrooms, carrots and horseradish and Come un Babà a light sponge imbued with a saffron and peach-flavoured liqueur. 

Discover Lignano Sabbiadoro's sea, art and food with Sea&Taste, a series of excursions and guided tours combining the art and excellence of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Wine and Flavours Trail.  

Walking and cycling tours and food and wine tastings

This is a secret Lignano Sabbiadoro, made of places, sculptures and colours, that deserve to be experienced. Such as the marvellous mosaics that are liberally scattered along the promenade. But Lignano has more to offer: from the guided tours of the Sea & Taste programme that combine walking and cycling tours accompanied by experts, to delicious tastings of the products on the Friuli Venezia Giulia Wine and Flavours Trail.

The villas, mosaics and sculptures of Lignano Pineta 

Guided walking tours on 12, 19, 26 July and 2, 9 and 30 August feature the art forms of the present and the recent past that have made the seaside resort of Lignano Pineta famous. Lignano Pineta’s visionary spiral-shaped plan was designed by architect Marcello D'Olivo and it has pine forests dotted with large villas like the circular-shaped Villa Mainardis, one of the most important 20th-century beachside buildings in the entire Mediterranean. Then there is the Parco del Mare, an open-air urban container of sculptures and installations by leading Italian and international artists.

The streets of history of Lignano  

Walking and cycling routes on 8, 15, 22 July and 5 and 26 August are a way to discover the history and origins of Lignano Sabbiadoro. Accompanied by a guide visit the first wooden bathing establishment, Art Nouveau buildings and various projects and insights that have made this one of the most popular seaside resorts on the Adriatic. Along the itinerary traces of the past are also to be found in the oldest sacred vestiges, such as the little church of Santa Maria del Mare. The tour ends with an aperitif-tasting at one of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Wine and Flavours Trail venues.

Discover the lagoon and Aquileia

These excursions are part of the Sea&Taste programme of activities, which can be viewed online, combining sea-related historical and cultural experiences with the products of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Wine and Flavours Trail. In addition to the new, purely city, excursions Lignano also offers, routes to discover its lagoon, treasures such as Aquileia or some of Trieste's wonders. Prices: €5 for children, €15 for adults. FVG Card holders: 50%.

For more information:  https://www.lignanoholiday.com/it/escursioni-e-natura 

Oriana Suites opens Homel serviced apartments in Turin, a property which has all the comfort of a home and the services of a hotel.

"The term Suites was too inflated, and I could not find a competitor that came close to the even more sophisticated concept of Oriana Suites," explains Domenico D'Oriano, one of the three partners (together with Marco Fogliamanzillo and Pasquale d'Esposito) of the company that manages designer apartments in prestigious historic buildings owned by Reale Immobili. 

Properties in Rome, Verona, Udine and Turin 

The two companies have been actively collaborating since 2015 and in the last seven years have created four prestigious facilities in Rome, Verona, Udine and now Turin.  In the Piedmont capital they have redeveloped a  building built by the aristocratic Costa Carrù family in 1769: an example of continuity between 18th-century classicism and Piedmont neoclassicism. 

Eight residential units and an internal courtyard

The restructuring has transformed what were once old stables and granaries into eight residential units: one, two and three-room apartments with every comfort, bedrooms, living areas with a kitchenette and two bathrooms. The old cellars in the basement are now used as public areas and the internal courtyard was reconstructed using sustainable and eco-friendly materials.

“Oriana is a new concept that involves young people”

"The ribbon cutting of Palazzo Costa Carrù represents a key moment in my entrepreneurial career and in that of my partners - adds d’Esposito. – When we opened the doors of this magnificent building to guests from all over the world, we presented our new concept of hospitality. We have many projects planned for the next few years. Oriana is a new concept, made up of young people who have solid experience in the world of hôtellerie."