Experience Venice with the eyes of a native with The Luminaire’s immersive journey into the beating heart of the floating city during the prestigious Biennale exhibition, this year entitled The Milk of Dreams.

For the event, which will run from April to November, and feature works by over two hundred artists from 58 countries, the new UK-based luxury travel company is reinventing the concept of cultural and stimulating travel with a personalised journey in the company of a truly remarkable Venetian. 

A renowned architect and Venice native accompanies guests

The Luminaire’s Venice Biennale journey has a suggested timeframe of May or June 2022, and an ideal length of one week. Home will be a luxury suite in one of Venice’s most prestigious hotels and renowned architect, author and Venice native Francesco Da Mosto will accompany guests, starting with a welcome dinner at one of his favourite Venetian restaurants.  

Francesco da Mosto

Expeditions on the lagoon and to hidden corners of Venice

The week will unroll with a special evening at the La Fenice Opera House, and viewings at the Accademia Art Gallery and the Peggy Guggenheim Museum with art historian Giulia Martina Watson. There will also be visits to master artisans as they restore priceless treasures and artworks, and an intimate look into the city’s greatest landmark, St Mark’s Basilica. Da Mosto will accompany guests for expeditions on the lagoon and to hidden corners of Venice for a true insider’s view of the city, its history, its people and customs, its food and wines. 

Journeys to Antarctica, Florence, Japan and Cairo are planned

Also on The Luminaire’s 2022 schedule, the Antarctica with Sir Ranulph Finnes, the world’s greatest living explorer and a photographic expedition with the famous photographer Sir Don McCullin. Florence, Paris, Japan, Cairo and Luxor are also planned, but The Luminaire will create personalized experiences in any cultural hub in the world, designing journeys that explore the individual interests of each of its guests. These one-off travel experiences are for people who want to make their travel passions come true, and include private access to select locations and properties, bringing cultural and educational travel to new levels of specialization as they reveal the world through a new and exciting lens. 

“Our mission is to make intellectual travel cool”

Adam Sebba, the Luminaire’s co-founder and CEO, who has worked over a 20-year career in luxury travel and fashion says:

 “We’ve built the Luminaire for a new archetype of traveller. We know the next generation has a strong passion for knowledge, expects and values deep personalisation, and has a wide and eclectic range of interests. Our mission is to make intellectual travel cool, and we don’t see anyone else doing that.” 

For more information visit the website: https://www.theluminaire.com

 

Take a leap back in time to discover the most beautiful historic houses and castles in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region. On Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 April, the much-awaited Castelli Aperti FVG event returns. Now in its 37th edition this is a unique opportunity to discover the history of this region in the far north-east of Italy by visiting manor houses, castles, residences, gardens and parks that are normally closed to the public.

Owners and tour guides will show visitors around 

With 19 castles opening for two days throughout the region, thanks to the Consortium for the Protection of Friuli Venezia Giulia's Historic Castles visitors will be shown around by the owners of these historic properties or by professional guides. They will hear fascinating stories about the history of each castle, on journeys of culture and art, but also of curiosities and anecdotes handed down from generation to generation.

Strassoldo Castle

The province of Udine has 13 castles

There are 13 castles in the province of Udine: Aiello Castle, Ahrensperg Castle (Pulfero), San Pietro di Ragogna Castle, Strassoldo di Sopra Castle, Strassoldo di Sotto Castle, Susans Castle (Majano), Villalta Castle (Fagagna), Casaforte la Brunelde (Fagagna), Rocca Bernarda (Premariacco), Palazzo Steffaneo Roncato (Crauglio di S. Vito al Torre), Palazzo Romano Roncato (Crauglio di S. Vito al Torre), Rocca Bernarda (Premariacco). Vito al Torre), Palazzo Romano (Manzano), Castello di Flambruzzo (Rivignano Teor) and the Castello Savorgnan di Brazzà (Brazzacco). 

Spilimbergo Castle - credits Ciol

There are 6 castles in the provinces of Pordenone and Gorizia 

While in the province of Pordenone, in addition to Spilimbergo Castle, Palazzo Panigai Ovio (Pravisdomini) and Cordovado Castle will open their doors, and in the province of Gorizia the Rocca di Monfalcone, Castello di San Floriano del Collio and Palazzo Lantieri (Gorizia) will also be open to visitors.

Some castles are open only by appointment

For safety reasons visits will be organised in small groups, with each residence managing access in different ways according to needs and space, and some open only by appointment. A list of participating castles, access regulations and individual initiatives are published on the website www.consorziocastelli.it. The price of admission varies from €7 to €10 and €3.5 for children aged 7 to 12. For information: e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

In collaboration with Eataly, the Green Line Tours sightseeing company launches its new Destination Eataly coach tours. This immersive new experience on board open-top double-decker buses in hop-on-off style will allow visitors to discover quality Italian food.

They will also discover some of the less-trodden neighbourhoods of the Eternal City such as Testaccio and Garbatella which have been revitalised over the last ten years, also thanks to the presence of Eataly.

Discounted Vatican and Coliseum tours and an Eataly tote bag

The itinerary will complement Green Line Tours’ Discover Rome tours, which take in many of the capital's main places and monuments of interest. Eataly Roma, in the former Ostiense Air Terminal, will be the terminus of the new tours, which will depart in the morning at 10am and end at 8.30pm. Audio guides in 16 languages will be available on board and clients will be offered a number of benefits such as an extension of the ticket duration, a 30% discount on guided tours of the Vatican Museums and the Coliseum, and an Eataly Tote Bag. 

Eataly is an awesome food emporium on four levels

And of course they will have the chance to stop and savour the best of the gastronomic traditions of Roman and Italian cuisine in Eataly's Roman headquarters, which is on four levels over 16 ,000 square metres: an awesome emporium with Italian food and wines, restaurants and classrooms for training courses and presentations. "With Eataly as a new destination we wanted to enhance the already varied traditional bus tours we operate in Rome. This new sensory experience is linked to the excellence of Italian food and wine,” says Emanuele Orlando Desideri, Managing Director of Green Line Tours. 

The two most popular sides of tourism in Italy: culture and food

“Rome offers tourists endless surprises and we provide a comfortable and efficient way to explore the city.   Now with this new project we are giving visitors an opportunity that combines the two most popular sides of tourism in Italy: culture and food. In the high season we plan to make this a night tour; our passengers are mainly from European markets but there is growing interest from Italian visitors."

“The very best of Italian food and wine”

“We are delighted to be part of this project, which we hope will mark the start of a real upturn for tourism in Rome," says Fabio Rossi, Eataly Roma’s store manager. "In our store we strive to offer the very best of Italian food and wine both in our retail marketplace outlets and in our restaurants. We are convinced that it is a great added value for visitors to be able to combine an experience like this with a tour of Rome.”

Find out more at "Destination Eataly".

The Easter holidays and family time in a South Tyrolean farm are an especially appealing idea with spring and the warm season fast approaching. This year Easter will fall in the middle of April making it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend Easter with your family delighting in the nature of the South Tyrol.

Farmhouse holidays in natural surroundings  

Blue skies, green meadows, fresh waters, dense forests, towering mountains with still snow-capped peaks and animals in abundance - this authentic nature can be enjoyed to the full by staying in a local farmhouse, such as those that are part of the Gallo Rosso group.

Assisting farmers and learning farming lore

The Gallo Rosso brand of the South Tyrolean farmers’ union, has been promoting and encouraging the activities of 1,600 farmhouses in South Tyrol since 1998. Gallo Rosso partners introduce visitors to the way of life of South Tyrolean farmers, giving the farmers new sources of income, while consumers are given the opportunity to learn about farming in the South Tyrol.

A dream holiday for families

On a Gallo Rosso farm, an Easter vacation means spending time with your family while also living with another family. A farm vacation is every child's dream come true: getting up close with farm animals, making friends with other visitors or with the farmers' children, and playing in the invigorating mountain air.

Learning about ancient traditions

On a farm at Easter you can also learn about South Tyrol's ancient farming traditions first-hand. For example, using natural materials to colour Easter eggs from your own chicken coop, or participating in an egg hunt around the farm. Guests will also learn that the Palmesel, or palm donkey, is the last one to wake up on Palm Sunday, so it is best to get up early. Another enjoyable Easter tradition is the Eier pecken or egg fight. Each contestant gets an egg, and the person who manages to keep his egg from getting broken is the winner.   

The winner of the 2022 Unconventional Breakfast Awards, the competition presenting breakfasts for travellers with specific dietary needs or preferences, was the Campania region. The winning recipe was a vegan and gluten-free Torta Caprese and the regional contestants presented it in a fun and engaging storytelling way that harked back to the days of Al Capone. 

Lombardy, Piedmont and Apulia also triumphed

Lombardy and Piedmont tied in second place with Lombardy’s Rice Porridge with Saffron and Dried and Dehydrated Fruit, and Piedmont’s IGP Hazelnut Cake. Both regions produced versions suitable for unconventional foodies from vegan to gluten-free and lactose-free as well as foods for athletes and that are halal and kosher-friendly. Apulia placed third with the Carrubotto, a new and unprecedented version of the Pasticciotto using a carob.  

Eco-sustainability and the non-waste were important elements

All nine regional teams taking part in the challenge, devised by Concetta D'Emma, were praised by the 13 judges for the originality of their creations. The judges also based the rankings on the history of the products, their connection to the participating regions, their eco-sustainability and the non-waste methods adopted by the contestants. 

Hotel guests become regional ambassadors

“The beauty of this challenge is that it provided a new awareness for those who work in tourism, of the need to go beyond the status quo, involving hotel guests in the process by turning them into  testimonials of the properties as well as regional ambassadors for the local specialities,” added Concetta D’Emma.