Slow Drive, which offers unparalleled itineraries in self-drive vintage cars, is a company that takes you off the beaten path.

Driving to some of Italy’s iconic destinations

It allows you to embark on exciting journeys from some of the most stunning destinations in Northern Italy. Slow Drive provides a range of captivating options, in self-drive vintage cars, such as starting from beautiful Lake Garda to reach Brescia, the Italian Capital of Culture 2023, or exploring the likes of Bergamo, Lake Como, Florence, Pisa, Siena, Verona, the Valpolicella region, Padua, or Savona.

Renting striking vintage cars

At each location, where you can rent a striking self-drive vintage car, such as the vibrant fire red Alfa Romeo Duetto Osso di Seppia or the elegant convertible Giulietta Spider, you'll discover both familiar and lesser-known routes to be shared with your partner, friends, family, or even enjoyed alone. Slow Drive has an array of vehicles to choose from, including the sparkling Triumph Spitfire that pairs perfectly with vintage sunglasses and gloves, or the iconic VW Beetle Cabriolet, or even the timeless VW T2 minibus for a day on the road. Slow Drive ensures that there is a car to match your style.

Thematic guided vintage tours

In addition to car rentals, Slow Drive also offers captivating guided vintage tours. By visiting their website, www.classiccartour.eu, you can select your preferred car model and the duration of the trip (half day, full day, or weekend), and embark on a thematic and original itinerary led by Slow Drive's knowledgeable guides. These tours take you away from the bustling traffic, allowing you to fully enjoy the pleasure of driving through the picturesque landscapes and hidden villages of Tuscany, or the enchanting beauty of Lake Garda. Availability can be checked online, and bookings can be made directly through the website www.slowdrive.it. For information: http://www.noleggioautodepoca.eu/

The Ferragnez with Slow Drive

Sicily’s Noto and the entire valley have espouses a project aimed at LBGT+ visitors. 

A new site backed by mayors and Archigay

The mayors of Noto, Siracusa, Avola, Pachino and the Arcigay Association have backed a project to expand the LGBT+ tourist offer in the Val Di Noto area by boosting, and creating new services, cultural and recreational features and facilities. A new site is already online linking the various commercial and cultural activities and allowing visitors to book, buy and manage their holidays.

“Making LGBT+ tourists feel at home” 

“The nice thing is that the cities of Siracusa, Avola and Pachino have clustered around Noto to make LGBT+ tourists feel at home, without running risks or encountering problems, while breaking down any prejudices. All over the world, first Greece, then Spain, then the US, have gained a lot from LBGT+friendly tourism”, said the journalist Alessandro Cecchi Pavone.

The first Noto Pride

“We have created an internet platform that networks the institutions and the commercial and cultural activities in the area with the first Noto Pride and with cultural events for the LGBT+ community”, said Armando Caravini, president of Arcigay Siracusa.   

Hotel Chalet Mirabell’s mountain hut BBQ with a personal chef is at 1700 metres asl in South Tyrol.

An idyllic setting in the Alpes

Set amidst towering trees and breathtaking Alpine peaks, the Malga Chalet "M" is a serene haven. Formerly a private hunting lodge, it is now an exclusive venue accessible only by private shuttle. Reserved for guests of Hotel Chalet Mirabell in Avelengo, above Merano, in the picturesque South Tyrol region. This idyllic spot can be rented for a minimum of 3 days  - from April to October -  providing a unique experience that seamlessly blends dreams with tradition.

BBQs with a private chef

Inside the warm and inviting "stube" with pine wood features and a traditional wood-burning stove, the bedrooms are intimate and tastefully furnished, exuding the charm of the Alps. Guests can also enjoy the panoramic view from the sauna and a veranda is a mesmerizing setting to observe wildlife. There is also a larch tub for rejuvenating Kneipp baths and a brick barbecue for delightful BBQ parties (including the option to hire a private chef). The BBQ menu includes a variety of grilled meats, sausages, potato salads, grilled vegetables, and delectable homemade bread. Prices start from €84 for 2 people.

A private shuttle to the hotel

Accommodation prices at the malga, which can accommodate 2 to 6 people, begin at €675 for a 3-night stay for the entire malga with overnight accommodations only, including one evening dedicated to a BBQ. Guests have the option to use the private shuttle to descend to the hotel for dining at the restaurant or indulging in a relaxing day at the spa.  For information: https://www.residence-mirabell.com

EasyJet has inaugurated the new summer route from Edinburgh to Catania, the first connection between Scotland and north-eastern Sicily.

EasyJet has over 220 routes to and from 20 Italian airports

The route, which is served with two weekly flights every Monday and Friday, is added to the carrier's vast network from Fontanarossa airport, which counts 17 destinations. There are domestic Milan Malpensa and Naples Capodichino (easyJet's two Italian bases) services to numerous international destinations spread across the continent including Amsterdam, Berlin, Paris, Nice, Bordeaux, London, Manchester and Zurich. And now the new Edinburgh-Catania adds to the more than 220 routes that the low-cost airline operates to and from 20 Italian airports.

“We are contributing to the tourist development of the island”

"Since the start of operations from Catania airport we have already transported almost 12 million passengers. With the launch of this brand new route we intend to renew our commitment and investment in Sicily, increasing the number of destinations, and also contributing to the tourist development of the island," said Lorenzo Lagorio, easyJet Italy country manager.

The first flights between Scotland and Catania

"The new and eagerly awaited flights from Edinburgh to Catania, which has never before been directly connected to Scotland, is yet another confirmation of the central role of our airport,-  said Nico Torrisi, Sac’s CEO. "This new route will allow even more tourists to easily reach Sicily and Scotland is an evocative destination with history and culture, but also nature.”  

Double debut in Italy for Minor’s Anantara Group in Rome and in Amalfi. 

Two new Italian hotels in quick succession

The Minor brand, which also includes the NH brand, has opened, in quick succession, the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi in Rome and the Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel. The Rome property, featuring the Ineo fine dining restaurant and the Anantara Spa, also celebrated the opening of its new panoramic terrace with Ineo and the Seen rooftop bar. The property has 232 rooms and suites, and a gym

Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel

Two of Italy’s most iconic destinations

"The opening of the Anantara Palazzo Naiadi comes after extensive renovation which has preserved the architectural beauty of the building, whilst redefining its spaces, and the philosophy of 5-star hospitality services", explains Minor Group CEO Dilip Rajakarier. 

Anantara Convento di Amalfi

A new Anantara for the Amalfi Coast

In Campania the Anantara Convento di Amalfi Grand Hotel has opened its doors, the result of the rebranding operation of the former NH Collection hotel. Intense renovation led to the complete renewal of its 52 rooms and suites. Guests have access to the Anantara Spa, a swimming pool, and an outdoor gym.

Anantara Convento di Amalfi

Dining by Design is Anantara’s signature private dining

The Cappuccini restaurant is led by executive chef Claudio Lanuto and guests can also enjoy cooking classes, tours, and tastings. The Anantara signature private dining experience, Dining by Design, invites couples to enjoy a personalized menu, served by a private butler in a setting of their choice.

Comacchio, or the Little Venice as it is often called, is in the province of Ferrara in the Emilia Romagna region, an enchanting little lagoon town with a network of canals which is famous for its eel dishes. 

Bridges and handsome old palaces

Packed with history and less than an hour from the Adriatic seaboard Compacchio, known as the Little Venice, is considered the capital of the Po Delta Park. The town expresses the best of both water and land and from the Ponte degli Sbirri bridge you get the most spectacular view: on one side the Antico Ospedale degli Infermi, and on the other the 19th century Palazzo Bellini and the famous Trepponti bridge, the symbol of Comacchio. The ancient Manifattura dei Marinati, which is now a museum, tells the story of Comacchio’s centuries-old link to eels and you can visit the Sala dei Fuochi which has 12 fireplaces used for spit-roasting eels before marinating them.

A daily fish market and an October eel festival

Today the town’s seafaring traditions still live in the Antica Pescheria, a beautiful 17th-century building, which is now home to the daily fish market.  Archaeology lovers should not miss the Museo Delta Antico, in the imposing neoclassical 18th-century Ospedale degli Infermi (1771/1784), which has on display many archaeological artefacts brought to light in the area.  In the many local restaurants you find appetizers of scallops, shrimps and clams. First courses include seafood risottos and spaghetti with shellfish and then come grilled eel dishes accompanied by polenta, as well as sole, mullet, turbot, gilthead bream and stuffed cuttlefish. Foodies should note that the first two weekends in October are dedicated to the Eel Festival with food tastings and street performances.

Ferrara and Ravenna are near by

The Comacchio Valleys south of the town centre are a must and can be visited by bicycle or motorboat to admire the lavorieri traps for catching fish, the beautiful vegetation and the chance to spot pink flamingoes. The handsome UNESCO city of Ferrara is less than an hour away, and worth visiting for the magnificent Castello degli Estensi, to stroll through the picturesque medieval streets or cycle along the imposing Renaissance walls. And Ravenna, with its splendid Byzantine mosaics is even closer - just half an hour by car.  For information: https://emiliaromagnaturismo.it/it/localita/comacchio

Three Space Hotels Group hotels  are included in the ranking of Tripadvisor’s top 25 Best of the Best hotels  in Italy.

Tripadvisor’s accolades for three Space Hotels properties

The Travellers' Choice Best of the Best award from Tripadvisor goes to hotels with a high number of excellent reviews and opinions from the community over a 12-month period, and represents the highest level of excellence in the hospitality industry. Among the various award-winning hotels around the world, three members of the Space Hotels group are among the 25 best hotels in Italy. 

The Turin Palace, with 127 rooms, has been recently renovated

For 49 years, the Space Hotels Group has been at the service of travellers: a portfolio of 50 hotels throughout Italy  distinguished by outstanding service. The three award winners are in Turin, Florence and Rome. The Turin Palace Hotel, a 4-star strategically located in front of the Porta Nuova station, is first and foremost a historic hotel dating back to 1872, and has been recently renovated. The 127 rooms are inspired by the 1920s and 1930s, and the Bistrot Les Petites Madeleines and the Spa with its terrace and panoramic views complete the facilties.

Spadai Firenze Space Hotels

Florence’s Hotel Spadai and the Hotel Artemide in Rome are historic properties

In Florence the Hotel Spadai, which opened in 2015, is a new 4-star boutique hotel in the centre of the Tuscan city, the result of the complete restoration of an imposing Renaissance palace just 100 metres from the cathedral. The rooms and suites are luxurious and inspired  by 15th-century materials blended with sophisticated contemporary furnishings. The Hotel Artemide in downtown Rome is in a splendid late-1800s Art Nouveau building, and has comfortable, elegantly furnished and soundproofed rooms. The Restaurant & Bar on the terrace has a refined menu, and the area dedicated to the Spa is a cosy refuge in which to regenerate and relax. 

Pantelleria, one of Italy’s best-kept secrets, is a volcanic island, known as The Black Pearl of the Mediterranean.

The Castle of Pantelleris hosts events in summer

Just 37 miles from Cape Mustafà in Tunisia, and about 47 miles from the Sicilian coast, with its 83 sq kms, Pantelleria is the largest of the Sicilian islands, and the fifth largest island in Italy. To get to Pantelleria there are both flights into the little airport and ferries that leave from Trapani in Sicily. Arriving by sea, the first striking view is of the imposing Castle of Pantelleria. Built in medieval days and made of lava stone it had a defensive function and was used as a prison up to 1975. Today it is a museum and in the summer months it hosts numerous events.

Pantelleria

Don’t expect long sandy beaches

The island’s highest point is the Montagna Grande peak at 836 metres asl. In the south-east we find the crater of Monte Gibele which is visited by flamingos and in which a small green lake forms during Pantelleria’s wet winters. This island is not for anyone looking for a traditional beach holiday, as it is distinctly lacking in the typical Adriatic kind of sandy beaches. Instead the impressive coastline is dotted with marine grottos and rocky bluffs that lead down to hidden coves and caves, so it is much loved by divers. 

A beach in the caldera of a volcano

Pantelleria’s most famous beach is the Specchio di Venere (Mirror of Venus) which is the only sandy beach on the island. It is not on the sea but is a lake in the caldera of an ancient volcano, and the reflections on its surface do indeed make it resemble a mirror. The Bue Marino beach is the most famous of the sea beaches. With its shallow waters it is protected from the winds so it is very popular with families and children.

Pantelleria

Boats tours of the island

You cannot leave Pantelleria without having taken a tour of the island by boat. This is the other Pantelleria with a high coastline dropping into the sea, vertiginous cliffs guarding quiet coves of incredible colours and mysterious sea caves alternating with gently sloping rocky esplanades. And if you’re lucky you may come across sea turtles, small tuna and playful dolphins.

Mouthwatering local delicacies, from wine to capers and cheeses

The Zibibbo grape arrived on the island from distant Mesopotamia or perhaps from Egypt, and is used to produce the delicious passito sweet dessert wine, considered the nectar of the gods. The island can also boast the large juicy Pantelleria caper which is used with meats and fish and in salads, also together with fragrant oregano and tumma, a fresh local cheese. The local pesto has an intense aroma. Made from raw tomatoes, garlic, basil and chilli pepper it is used to season pasta or served with roasted fish. Couscous, which came to Pantelleria from Africa is also popular, as is the tasty caponata of local vegetables, known as sciakisciuka. 

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The MSC Euribia, a ship designed for the sustainability of the future, has been delivered in Saint-Nazaire.

A ship built wìth the future in mind

MSC Euribia, the twenty-second vessel in the cruise company's fleet, is the latest evolution of the Meraviglia class and the second MSC vessel to be powered by LNG, after the World Europa. With numerous cutting-edge environmental technologies on board, including advanced waste-water treatment and waste management systems, it has also been designed with the future in mind, so that it can easily incorporate innovations such as zero-emission synthetic fuels and other alternative propellants.  The Euribia outperforms the latest Imo Energy efficiency design index requirements: when in service, it emits up to 19% less greenhouse gases (Ghg) per passenger per day than ships using conventional marine fuels. 

“Our goal is zero net greenhouse gas emissions”

"With the delivery of the Euribia, we have taken another huge step towards our goal of zero net greenhouse gas emissions," says Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of the MSC Group's cruise division. "In addition to environmental innovations it also features an energy-efficient design that will greatly reduce emissions over its lifetime. With its entry into service we celebrate a further step towards our goal of achieving zero-GHG marine operations by 2050. We also want to ensure rapid retrofitting to new technologies that will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions until they are completely eliminated."

"Beauty, with a capital B, is the driving force behind the economic and social development of the Marche Nord region". 

The golden bronzes from Cartoceto di Pergola

A guide featuring 21 Pesaro and Urbino municipalities

“The Marche Nord’s Itinerary of Beauty guide is unique in that it is a communications project conceived by a trade association," said Amerigo Varotti, director of Confcommercio Marche Nord presenting the sixth edition of the itinerary promoting the province of Pesaro and Urbino. “It uses all the tools of tourism marketing to enhance the artistic, environmental, and gastronomic heritage of the network of member municipalities." 

“We made the municipalities understand the need to work together”

The 160-page guide, complete with photos and texts from the 21 municipalities that have so far joined the initiative, is distributed at major Italian and foreign trade fairs, and in local tourism offices. 
"The real result of our six years of work," continued Varotti, "is having made large and small municipalities understand the need to present themselves on the tourism market with an integrated proposal.”

Pesaro will be Italy’s Capital of Culture 2024

Matteo Ricci, mayor of Pesaro (Marche)

Matteo Ricci, mayor of Pesaro, who also spoke at the presentation, recalled that next year the city of Pesaro will be Italy’s Capital of Culture 2024.
“We will also be promoting our other cities and towns, one a week together with Pesaro. For example, during the week dedicated to Pesaro and Pergola, our administration will finance and organize transport to connect Pesaro to the little town which famous for its golden bronze statues.”