Hilton Rome Airport presents the new AIR-aperitif, a moment of relaxation designed for travellers and those waiting at arrivals at Rome Fiumicino airport. 

The AIR-aperitif formula includes private parking 

In the hotel's Artists' Bar, the AIR-aperitif is served every evening from 5pm and on Fridays it is accompanied by live music. The aperitif is accompanied by four tastings such as a savoury croissant with prosciutto and stracciatella cheese, a parmesan cheese version, a bao bun with pulled chicken and vegan lime mayonnaise, and seafood flavoured bruschetta. And there is also a taste of typical Roman dishes and pizza to share. This new aperitif formula with private parking included, costs just €35.

Hilton Rome Airport Artists Bar Aperitif

The Hilton Rome Airport is celebrating its 25th year

The AIR-peritivo is designed for those looking for a quiet break away from the chaos of the airport, both for those travelling through the airport and for those waiting for friends and family.  The Hilton Rome Airport, which this year celebrates its 25th year, is the only hotel directly connected to Leonardo da Vinci airport. With 517 rooms, a restaurant, bar, fitness room and indoor swimming pool it also has 22 meeting rooms that can accommodate up to 800 people.

With the arrival of spring, plants and flowers from all over the world bloom in the gardens of Rome and its surroundings.

Cherry blossoms in Rome

Lovers of Hanami, the traditional Japanese cherry blossom viewing, will find several places where they can admire this spectacle like the EUR lake, the La Sapienza University Botanical Garden and the Appia Antica Park. Another place not to be missed is the garden of the Japanese Cultural Institute, designed by Ken Nakajima, which celebrates Japanese culture and the beauty of cherry blossoms.

Rome has spectacular rose and tulip displays

But spring in Rome is not just about cherry trees: the Municipal Rose Garden of Rome, on the Aventine Hill has 1,100 types of roses that bloom between April and May. And, just over an hour from the city, the Roseto Vacunae Rosae in Roccantica, in the Sabine hills, is home to over 5500 varieties of roses from all over the world. Rome also has a TuliPark and extensive tulip fields to photograph and pick. In April the park also offers engaging events and activities for families, and tulips are also on display at Tuscia Flower, near Viterbo, along with sunflowers and gladioli.

The FH55 Grand Hotel Palatino 

For orchid lovers, the “Orchidee dal Mondo” event is not to be missed; taking place in April in Monte Porzio Catone, just outside Rome, it features a wide variety of orchid species from all over the world. To enjoy these flower-filled months in the Eternal City the FH55 Grand Hotel Palatino is a 4-star in the Monti district, a short walk from the Coliseum and the Imperial Fora, and close to the Circus Maximus and the Baths of Caracalla. The hotel's restaurant, Le Spighe, is open for lunch and dinner with tasting menus and à la carte, also for non-residents.

The island of Montecristo,in the Tuscan archipelago, is a protected area with legends and history and access by permit only. 

Visits to Montecristo require paid permits 

Visits to Montecristo are only possible after requesting a paid permit from the secretariat of the State Forestry Corps in Follonica. Well-known to many thanks to the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas, the island has unique flora and wildlife, and is one of the main nature reserves in the Tyrrhenian Sea. 

Reservations for trekking with rangers 

In addition to its crystal-clear waters, it is also the protagonist of stories and legends, and is home to the monastery of San Mamiliano and the convent and grotto of the saint, both of which can be reached by following two trekking routes, accompanied by Forest Rangers for which reservations are required.

The Sense Experience Resort on the Tuscan Coast

The five-star Sense Experience Resort is the ideal place to stay to experience the island. This exclusive retreat in the heart of the Tuscan Maremma, is in a privileged location within a nature park. The 112 rooms in the five buildings go from Comfort, Deluxe and Superior to Themed Suites and Two Bedroom Suites with sea view and outdoor whirlpool tubs. There is also a private beach and a heated outdoor pool. The Experience Specialist replaces the traditional concierge, and the gastronomic offering includes the à la carte Dimorà restaurant and the fine dining Eatè, directly on the beach.

The Divinity Restaurant & Lounge Bar, on the rooftop of The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel, pays homage to Picasso with special evening aperitifs and brings the sea to the table during sunny Roman Sunday lunches.

Two exciting new food and wine experiences

Chef Francesco Apreda, with the guidance of Resident Chef Luca Decembrino, offers the new food and wine experiences “Picasso - a Divinity Experience” and “Sea on the Rooftops.”. The first is a tribute to the great artist, conceived on the occasion of the exhibition “Picasso the Foreigner.” scheduled to open in Rome at Palazzo Cipolla. Every evening, the aperitif combines the traditions of Italy and Spain with three refined signature cocktails inspired by significant moments of the spring that Picasso spent in the Eternal City. The cocktails are accompanied by three meat, fish and vegetarian tapas.

Marine flavours for Sunday lunches in March 

“Mare sui Tetti’ is the fish menu every Sunday in March: a gastronomic experience with marine flavours in the heart of the city. Located on the sixth floor of the five-star luxury hotel, the Divinity Restaurant & Lounge Bar offers a stunning view of the Pantheon, in the centre of Rome. The Pantheon Iconic Rome Hotel is also home to the Michelin-star Idylio by Apreda restaurant.   

The Bergamo area has a range of historical walking paths and opportunities for waterway wanderings.

Marian shrines and hospitality for pilgrims

Rich in places of worship, with a long religious tradition, Italy can also be explored along  its spiritual paths, routes of faith and pilgrimages, to be rediscovered also on the occasion of the Jubilee 2025. In the Diocese of Bergamo the Alta Via delle Grazie (High Way of Grace) is a 271 km walk in the Orobic heart of Lombardy. The brainchild of Gabriella Castelli and Giovanni Battista Merelli, after the experience of Santiago de Compostela, like the famous Spanish route it offers hospitality to pilgrims. 

Pilgrims are welcomed into convents and family homes

Along the 13 stages, convents, monasteries, parish centres and family homes open their doors to welcome pilgrims, transforming the experience of the journey into an opportunity for relationships and sharing. Along the route there are 18 Marian shrines, but the spirituality is intertwined and enriched by the natural and cultural dimension of the experience. 

Via Valeriana

Legendary paths in the places of Charlemagne

A route that takes its name from an ancient legend is the Route of Charlemagne proposed by the Cammini Amici della Via Valeriana (Friends of the Valerian Way Routes). It is said that Charlemagne, along his path of conquest, forced the local lords who lived in castles to convert and had numerous churches built to celebrate his victories, sometimes on the ruins of the destroyed castles. 

In the footsteps of the Holy Roman Emperor

The route, created by Antonio Votino and Andrea Grava, follows in the footsteps of the historical figure of Charlemagne, the Holy Roman Emperor, and starts from Bergamo, crossing the municipalities along the Serio river, the Valli d'Argon, the Val Cavallina, the Val Borlezza, the Valle Camonica, the Val di Sole and the Val Rendena up to Carisolo in Trentino. Expanded over the years, today it is some 140 miles long and has twelve stages. The route, which is unidirectional and of medium difficulty, winds for the most part along the hillside of the mountain ranges, with some challenging climbs. 

Waterways: on foot and by bike along the Adda river

Walking along a stream, listening to the sound of the water, reaching a lake and sitting on the shore, dipping your feet in the icy water, or marvelling at the roar of a waterfall. Waterways offer an infinite variety of landscapes and experiences in contact with nature.  Among the waterway trails proposed by the FAI – Fondo per l'Ambiente Italiano (Italian National Trust) we find the Path along the Adda, which from Villa d'Adda  reaches Crespi d'Adda, in the province of Bergamo. Both the footpath and the cycle path follow the course of the river, allowing nature enthusiasts to enjoy landscapes of great natural beauty. What's more, the route also goes through places that are symbolic of Lombard history, such as the ferry designed by Leonardo da Vinci in Imbersago (LC), the Crespi d'Adda workers' village and the Carlo Esterle Edison power station. 

Summer in the South Tyrolean Dolomites is not only about mountains, but also multicultural and transdisciplinary events like music and art festivals.

Events begin in spring with LanaLive

LanaLive is a transdisciplinary cultural festival held in and around Lana and focuses thematically on the region. Through artistic interventions, performances, music, debates and lectures, LanaLive will explore the creative power of public space from 16 to 25 May.

Jazz with the Südtirol Jazz Festival and MeranOJazz

From city centres to mountains, from squares to castles, every location becomes a stage during the Südtirol Jazzfestival. From the last Friday in June to the first Sunday in July for ten days over 50 concerts and more than 150 artists from all over the world will feature in an event that involves an entire region, combining music, culture and local traditions. In July, another unmissable event for jazz lovers is MeranOJazz which will host world-famous artists in the field of improvised Afro-American music. The festival also includes master classes and workshops for professionals and beginners of all ages. 

Music, art and performances with a contemporary twist

The Südtirol Festival Merano, from 16 August to 22 September, offers a varied programme of classical and baroque music, jazz, chamber and vocal music with concerts in churches in the spa town of Merano. Also on the programme are film screenings, for experiences that combine musical excellence and local charm with breathtaking locations.  Transart closes the summer season and is a multidisciplinary festival ranging from music to dance, figurative arts and new technologies, with a focus on the contemporary. The Vigilius Mountain Resort in Lana, near Bolzano, is an ideal starting point from which to enjoy these events.

This year celebrating its 10th edition, the Agritravel Expo - Fair of the Territories and Slow Tourism will be held from 4 to 6 April 2025 at the Bergamo Promoberg Exhibition Centre.

Slow tourism generated 1,350,000 overnights in 2023

The fair will focus on the trails, paths and waterways that cross Italy and are the basic components of slow tourism, a sector in continuous growth. According to the latest annual survey from Terre di mezzo Editore, in 2023 for the first time the credentials, or pilgrim passports given to walkers, exceeded 100.000. This was A 25% increase over 2022, generating an indirect impact of at least 1,350,000 overnight stays.  These numbers show how Italy lends itself to being crossed at a slow pace, confirming the ability of the Italian regions in promoting the rediscovery of slow tourism  - which means walking and hiking excursions, tours and holidays. 

ph credits: Lorenzo Figaroli

ph credits: Alice Russolo

ph credits: Consorzio Turistico Valchiavenna

The event is in the Bergamo, not far from the international airport

The Agritravel Expo will be in the heart of Lombardy, a few minutes from the centre of Bergamo and the city’s railway station, as well as within easy reach of Milan-Bergamo airport (BGY), the first Italian and international bike-friendly airport and the third national hub in terms of annual passenger numbers.

The Path of the Terre Sospese 

Slow tourism is a privileged way of getting to know a region, and central to the Cittàslow (Slow Cities) circuit which will be at the Agritravel Expo together with municipalities from all over Italy. Among these will be the little village of Grumes in Trentino Alto Adige, the arrival point of the 4th Path of the Terre Sospese, a 90-kilometre route that crosses the Val di Cembra valley through hamlets and farmsteads that appear to be suspended in time (hence the name Terre Sospese). Visitors discover ever-changing landscapes, and venture along little-known paths in contact with the culture and identity of the region.. An experience that becomes a community project promoting a more sustainable development of the territory and favouring soft mobility and slow tourism.   

Walking is the essence of slow tourism, and Sardinia’s Sinis Peninsula offers a variety of trails and paths. 

Travelling at a slow pace to savour unique places

Walking to experience a territory in depth, to unveil its culture, to learn about it traditions, to savour unique places and to meet people. Travelling at a slow pace, along more or less well-known routes, is an authentic and conscious experience, whatever the motivation: to immerse oneself in history, to follow in the footsteps of a culture, to find oneself or to establish contact with nature. 

Experiential and customized itineraries 

Excursions and stays in touch with nature and local communities are increasingly sought after. Like Sinis in Sardinia, in the province of Oristano which is promoted by Sinis, your secret Experience in Sardinia. “Extraordinary experiences in authentic contact with places and inhabitants” is the slogan that encapsulates the philosophy and this group of companies involved in proposing a series of different approaches from agriculture, product processing and accommodation, to catering, team building, crafts, education and environmental sustainability. For experiential and inclusive itineraries which can also be customized.

Walking routes through intact ecosystems

The Sinis peninsula is a natural paradise that encompasses intact ecosystems: landscapes of sea and lagoon, salt pans, sand dunes and beaches. And it has some of the main routes recognized and promoted by the Region with the programme ‘Noi camminiamo in Sardegna’ (We Walk in Sardinia). These include the Cammino 100 Torri (100 Towers Route), the Via dei Santuari (Sanctuary Route) among others, follow the coast or go inland, through small villages and authentic hamlets, discovering traditions and artisan crafts, and the local flora and fauna. 

Cultural walks to the Monastery of Borutta

Among the themed itineraries that cross Italy, perhaps the most numerous category is that represented by the cultural routes in places rich in history, art, spirituality and nature.  Like the village of Borutta in the province of Sassari, in Sardinia which preserves the remains of over thirty nuraghe and ten tombs of giants. The heart of Borutta is the Benedictine monastery of San Pietro di Sorres, one of the most important examples of Romanesque architecture in Sardinia. Dating back to the 11th century, in 1894 it was declared an Italian national monument and houses the Benedictine Library, a collection of about 70,000 volumes including many unique specimens. 

Romanesque monasteries and paths of faith 

The Monastery of Borutta is a crossroads of itineraries of immense beauty that wind their way through the region, under the slogan We Walk in Sardinia. The path of Santu Jacu, and the Basilicas of Nostra Signora del Regno in Ardara, San Pietro di Sorres in Borutta and Santissima Trinità di Saccargia in Codrongianos encapsulate the soul of the island, the path of faith and devotion of a community.

The Wintergarden has made its debut at Terme Merano: an elegant and sustainable structure with large windows overlooking the  park. 

A sauna, snow room and honey steam bath 

With heated floors in winter and at one with the park in summer, the Wintergarden is the ideal place for a relaxing break in a natural setting, and is also perfect for a gourmet stop at the self-service restaurant. Highlights for Terme guests are the bathing room, the sauna with the -10°C snow room and the exclusive South Tyrolean honey steam bath. There are personalized treatments at the MySpa including back massages with hot lava stones, packages with an infrared cabin and a selection of massages.

©KOTTERSTEGER

For sporting and cultural holidays 

Merano is the ideal destination for a holiday combining relaxation and sporting activities. Sports enthusiasts can enjoy skiing, snowboarding, tobogganing and winter hiking in the Merano 2000 ski area, which can be reached in just a few minutes by cable car. Those in search of historical and cultural entertainment will find the Women's Museum, the Prince's Castle, the Kunsthaus, a platform for contemporary art and more, the Palais Mamming Museum and the Rametz Castle with its Wine Museum where wine tastings and wine history events are organized. Until 6 January, the town will host its traditional Christmas markets featuring ancient customs and local food and wines. 

CioccolaTò, the chocolate festival will return to Turin from 27 February to 2 March

It all started in 1560 with a cup of chocolate

The relationship between Turin and chocolate began in 1560 when, according to legend, Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy offered citizens a cup of chocolate to celebrate the transfer of the ducal capital from Chambéry to Turin. And from this legend Piedmontese chocolate has gone on to become an excellence that has given rise to some world-famous specialties such as the Gianduiotto, the world's first chocolate, the Cremino a three-layer chocolate, and the Bicerin, a hot drink made with coffee, cocoa and cream. 

CioccolaTò will open the doors of Turin laboratories and factories 

CioccolaTò will offer the curious and professionals a multi-sensory experience in which chocolate will merge with the city's rich historical and cultural heritage. Museums, historical palaces and the city's elegant cafés, as well as such iconic locations such as the Circolo dei Lettori, the Gallerie d'Italia and the cinema Massimo, will be venues for tastings, and there will also be events for children, shows and meetings with Turin's, Italy's and the world's best master chocolate makers.