Romantic getaways in Italy off the beaten path.
Less-touristed romantic getaways in Italy, for travelers seeking fewer crowds but all the beauty.
Castelmezzano rises above the jagged rock formations of the Dolomiti Lucane while Bevagna, unusually flat among Umbria's hill towns, scatters Roman columns and friezes through its centre — two anchors in a list of 114 that ranges from the Alpine valley village of Saint-Pierre to the Tyrrhenian shoreline at Bagnara Calabra. Perugia, Grosseto, and Viterbo each contribute a cluster of picks, and the breadth of landscapes across them makes a strong case for slow, unhurried travel through Italy's less-visited provinces.
Castelmezzano
Above the jagged rock formations of the Dolomiti Lucane, Castelmezzano is a particularly photogenic village in Basilicata's Potenza province, recognised in I…
Brienno
This tiny hamlet sits directly on the western shore of Lake Como in Lombardy, with a concentration of churches and a handful of cafés and restaurants that ou…
Clusone
Particularly photogenic small town in Lombardy's Val Seriana, Clusone sits along the River Serio in mountain country with scenic viewpoints and a compact his…
Vogogna
This photogenic village in the Val d'Ossola, Piedmont, sits at the water's edge with mountain terrain rising behind it, partly within the Val Grande National…
Pacentro
This particularly photogenic medieval village in Abruzzo's Maiella National Park, Pacentro sits a short distance from Sulmona and holds a concentration of hi…
Saint-Pierre
A medieval castle rises dramatically above this compact Alpine valley village in Italy's Aosta Valley, where snow-dusted terraced hillsides, a lively café sc…
Bevagna
A flat Umbrian town in the Topino river plain — unusual among the hill towns of the region — Bevagna is listed among Italy's most beautiful borghi and carrie…
Bagnara Calabra
This small Tyrrhenian coast town in Calabria's southernmost stretch, Bagnara Calabra sits directly on the water with vineyards in the surrounding hills and v…
Anghiari
A particularly photogenic hill village in Tuscany's Arezzo province, Anghiari has an unusual concentration of churches and cafés for its size, along with sce…
Lovere
At the northwest tip of Lake Iseo in Lombardy, Lovere is a particularly photogenic small town whose streetscape blends overhanging wooden roofs with heavy st…
Kastelruth
Photogenic village in the South Tyrolean Dolomites, Kastelruth sits at around 1,000 metres elevation near the Seiser Alm alpine meadow and is a recognised me…
Città della Pieve
This photogenic hilltop town in Umbria, Città della Pieve sits on a ridge overlooking the Val di Chiana near the Umbria-Tuscany border, built largely from ex…
Montefalco
Wine country defines this small Umbrian hill town, which anchors the production zone for Sagrantino di Montefalco and Montefalco Rosso — both built around th…
Vietri sul Mare
Polychrome ceramics have been made in Vietri sul Mare since at least the 15th century, and the tradition remains central to this little Campanian town at the…
Bertinoro
A hilltop wine-country village in Emilia-Romagna with an unusually lively café and restaurant scene for its size, Bertinoro sits atop Monte Cesubeo with view…
Trevi
Commanding views across the Umbrian plain — said to extend over much of the valley in westerly directions — this medieval hill town on the lower flank of Mou…
Cortona
A photogenic hilltop town in Tuscany's Val di Chiana, Cortona sits high enough to offer panoramic views in every direction and holds an unusual concentration…
Maratea
Basilicata's only town on the Tyrrhenian coast, Maratea is a particularly photogenic pocket-sized town with an unusual concentration of churches and chapels…
Arrone
Small Umbrian village on the Nera river in the Valnerina, Arrone holds several historic churches and scenic viewpoints for its size, along with a handful of…
Pergola
This small town in the Marche region of Italy, Pergola holds a museum displaying the Gilt Bronzes of Cartoceto di Pergola, a set of ancient gilded bronze fig…
Pitigliano
Known as "the little Jerusalem" for its historic Jewish community and working synagogue, Pitigliano is a small Tuscan hill town in the province of Grosseto s…
Varenna
Sitting directly on the eastern shore of Lake Como in Lombardy, Varenna is a modest lakeside village with a heritage-dense centre of medieval churches, histo…
Massa Marittima
Small Tuscan hill town in the Metalliferous Hills of Grosseto, Massa Marittima sits at the centre of a mining region historically rich in iron, mercury, copp…
Fénis
Fénis Castle, a well-preserved medieval fortress in the Aosta Valley of north-western Italy, is the main draw to this small village, which also sits in wine…
Bosa
Sitting on the north bank of the Temo River — the only river-built town on Sardinia — Bosa is a little Sardinian settlement with a strong café and restaurant…
Pieve Tesino
Birthplace of Alcide De Gasperi — Italy's first post-war prime minister, born here on 3 April 1881 — this small mountain village in Trentino sits at the geog…
Alassio
A sandy-beached resort town on the Italian Riviera in Liguria, Alassio draws visitors year-round — as a bathing destination in summer and a health resort in…
Susa
This little town in the Susa Valley west of Turin, at the foot of the Cottian Alps, with a concentration of Roman and medieval monuments that reflects its an…
Barga
A medieval hill town in the Serchio valley of Tuscany, Barga holds an unusual concentration of historic churches for its size, a small central core with café…
Sutri
Sutri's ancient remains — a Roman amphitheatre carved directly into tuff rock, an Etruscan necropolis of rock-cut tombs, and a Mithraeum embedded in the cryp…
Santa Lucia del Mela
This densely built hilltop town in Sicily's Messina province, its stone houses climbing toward a medieval fortress above tree-covered slopes, with surroundin…
Orvinio
This small hilltop village in the Rieti province of Lazio, northeast of Rome, is listed among I Borghi più belli d'Italia — Italy's register of its most beau…
Tenno
A small Trentino village a few kilometres from Riva del Garda, Tenno sits on the slopes above Lake Garda and is home to Lake Tenno, known for its vivid blue-…
Militello in Val di Catania
One of eight Sicilian towns granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2002 for their late Baroque architecture, Militello in Val di Catania sits on the lower s…
Bobbio
Founded around the Abbey of San Colombano in 614, Bobbio is a medieval village in the Trebbia River valley in Piacenza province, with a historic centre that…
Castiglion Fiorentino
A walled Tuscan hill town in the province of Arezzo, Castiglion Fiorentino sits between Arezzo and Cortona in wine-growing country, with an Etruscan archaeol…
Castel San Pietro Romano
Small hilltop village east of Rome recognised among Italy's most beautiful villages and, since 2019, named the most beautiful village in the Mediterranean —…
Sperlonga
This photogenic coastal town on the Tyrrhenian Sea, roughly midway between Rome and Naples, Sperlonga is best known for the ancient Roman sea grotto found wi…
Apricale
A small hilltop village in Liguria's Imperia province, Apricale sits in mountain country with scenic viewpoints, surrounding vineyards, and a striking number…
Numana
This compact Adriatic village on the Conero Riviera in the Marche region, Numana sits directly on the water with vineyards nearby and scenic viewpoints along…
Canelli
Canelli, on a bend of the river Belbo in Piedmont's Alto Monferrato, is widely regarded as the birthplace of Italian sparkling wine: the Moscato grape used t…
Scalea
A tiny coastal town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian shore, Scalea pairs a modern beach resort strip — developed since the 1960s along the Riviera dei Cedri — with a…
Caprarola
Villa Farnese dominates this compact Lazio town in the Cimini volcanic hills, a large Renaissance mansion begun in 1530 as a fortress for Cardinal Alessandro…
Castelsardo
A photogenic coastal town on Sardinia's northwest shore, at the eastern end of the Gulf of Asinara, Castelsardo sits right on the water with scenic viewpoint…
Spello
This small walled hill town on the southern flank of Monte Subasio in Umbria, Spello has an unusually dense concentration of historic churches and a café and…
Tricarico
This modest Basilicata town in the province of Matera holds one of the best-preserved medieval historic centres in Lucania, shaped by an Arab-Norman past and…
Norcia
Norcia, a small Umbrian town on the edge of the Monti Sibillini mountains, is widely known across Italy for its cured meats and sausages — so much so that th…
Conca dei Marini
A compact village on the Amalfi Coast between Amalfi and Furore, sitting directly on the water with scenic viewpoints nearby and an unusually dense cluster o…
Amelia
A compact Umbrian hill town crowned by domed churches and stone buildings that cascade down a wooded hillside, Amelia rewards visitors with multiple religiou…
Fossombrone
Compact Marche town where a river curves through a red-tile historic centre, backed by vineyard-covered hills, with a good café and restaurant scene and a no…
Scanno
A modest Abruzzo village with a strong photographic reputation, Scanno sits beside a lake in the mountains of the L'Aquila province, partly within the bounda…
Avigliana
Two volcanic maar lakes — Lago Grande and Lago Piccolo — sit at the edge of this modest Piedmontese town in the Susa valley, west of Turin, with the medieval…
Cividale del Friuli
Founded by Julius Caesar as Forum Iulii — the name that eventually gave the entire Friuli region its identity — Cividale del Friuli later became the capital…
Camerino
A little Apennine hill town in the Marche region of central-eastern Italy, Camerino is home to a medieval university and has a café and restaurant scene that…
Varzi
This certified member of Italy's "Most Beautiful Villages" circuit, Varzi sits in the Oltrepò Pavese wine country of Lombardy's Pavia province, along the Sta…
Civita
Founded in the 15th century by Albanian refugees fleeing the Ottoman invasion, Civita is a hill village in Calabria's Pollino National Park whose Albanian-or…
Sennori
A small wine-country town in northern Sardinia, Sennori has been a member of Italy's national association of wine towns since the association's founding in 1…
Itri
Sitting in a valley between the Monti Aurunci and the Gulf of Gaeta, Itri is a tiny agricultural town in Lazio's Latina province with a photogenic medieval c…
Marostica
Every two years, on the second weekend of September in even-numbered years, Marostica's central square fills with costumed performers re-enacting a live ches…
Barolo
Barolo, a little Piedmontese village in the Province of Cuneo, lends its name to one of Italy's most celebrated red wines, and the surrounding Langhe vineyar…
Pescocostanzo
This photogenic village in Abruzzo's Maiella National Park, Pescocostanzo has an unusual concentration of historic churches and a pocket-sized but real café…
Borgomaro
Stone-built houses and a medieval bridge line a clear river in this pocket-sized Ligurian village, backed by forested hills, with a church spire rising above…
Piuro
On 4 September 1618, a catastrophic landslide completely buried the village of Piuro — then part of the Three Leagues — killing between 1,000 and 2,500 peopl…
Bolsena
On the eastern shore of Lake Bolsena in northern Lazio, this compact town is known across the Catholic world as the site of the Eucharistic miracle that led…
Diamante
This pocket-sized coastal town on Calabria's Tyrrhenian shore, Diamante lends its name to the Diamante citron, a variety still grown in the region.
Buccheri
This little Sicilian village in the Iblean Mountains is the highest settlement in the Syracuse area, with several historic churches and a handful of cafés an…
Pỏlezzaygjd
A compact town on the shore of Lake Lugano in Lombardy's Province of Como, Porlezza has a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, several hist…
Sarnico
This tiny lakeside town on the western shore of Lake Iseo in Lombardy's Bergamo province, where the lake meets the River Oglio, Sarnico has a café and restau…
Sovana
This tiny hamlet in southern Tuscany's wine country carries a history well beyond its size: an Etruscan centre, a medieval and Renaissance settlement, and a…
Gerace
This compact Calabrian hill village sits atop a vertical rock formation in the Aspromonte National Park, with views stretching to the coast and the town of L…
Polcenigo
Springs, streams, and lake-like pools feed the headwaters of the Livenza river at Polcenigo, a little Friuli-Venezia Giulia village on the slopes of the West…
Peccioli
Small Tuscan village in the Province of Pisa with an unusually lively food and café scene for its size, set among vineyards with scenic views of the surround…
Sorano
Built on a tuff outcrop above the Lente River, this medieval hill village in southern Tuscany sits in mountain wine country with scenic views across the surr…
Fosdinovo
From the 14th to the 18th century, Fosdinovo served as the capital of an independent marquisate ruled by the Malaspina family, whose imperial standing was su…
Ripatransone
This small hilltop village in the Marche region of central Italy holds an unusual number of churches for its size, alongside a real café and restaurant scene.
Castelmola
Tiny hilltop village above Taormina on Sicily's east coast, Castelmola occupies the site of ancient Taormina's acropolis and is listed among Italy's most bea…
Montone
This walled medieval hill village in Umbria, north of Perugia, sits at the high point of a ridge above the confluence of two Tiber tributaries, with scenic v…
Ronciglione
This modest town in the Cimini mountains of Lazio, Ronciglione sits on tuff scarps above Lake Vico, the crater lake of a former volcano, and holds membership…
Corinaldo
Birthplace of Saint Maria Goretti and producer of Verdicchio wine, Corinaldo is a pocket-sized walled town in the Marche region of central Italy, listed amon…
San Leo
Perched above the Marecchia valley on a dramatic rocky outcrop, San Leo is a tiny hilltop village in the Rimini province of Emilia-Romagna and the historic c…
Peschici
This small coastal town on the Gargano promontory in Puglia, Peschici sits within the Gargano National Park and has built a reputation as a seaside resort si…
Procida
This little island off the Naples coast, between Cape Miseno and Ischia, has a café and restaurant scene, a concentration of historic churches, and vineyards…
Offida
This modest hill village in the Marche region of Italy, Offida sits on a rocky spur between two river valleys with mountain views, and holds an unusual conce…
San Romano in Garfagnana
Pocket-sized Tuscan village in the Garfagnana, San Romano sits within the Tuscan-Emilian Apennine National Park and offers a surprising number of churches an…
Santa Fiora
This small Tuscan village on the slopes of Monte Amiata, in the province of Grosseto, holds an unusual number of churches for its size alongside a genuine ca…
San Daniele del Friuli
San Daniele del Friuli, a little town in Friuli-Venezia Giulia northwest of Udine, is best known as the production centre of its eponymous DOP prosciutto, ce…
Bojano
A little town in Molise's Campobasso province with a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size, and an unusual concentration of historic churches.
Lesa
This small village on the Piedmontese shore of Lake Maggiore sits at the water's edge with an unusual number of cafés, restaurants, and churches for its size…
Otranto
Italy's easternmost town, Otranto sits on the Adriatic coast of the Salento peninsula in Apulia, with a café and restaurant scene that holds a surprising num…
Griante
A small Lake Como village on the western shore, Griante sits directly on the water between Menaggio and Tremezzo, with scenic viewpoints across the lake towa…
Ferla
This little Sicilian village in the Province of Syracuse sits at the edge of the Necropolis of Pantalica, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site shared with…
Ozieri
Ozieri, in Sardinia's Logudoro region, is the centre of the earliest known archaeological culture on the island — the Ozieri culture — giving it a deep prehi…
Radda in Chianti
This small Tuscan village in the heart of Chianti wine country, between Florence and Siena, with a café and restaurant scene that is unusually rich for its s…
Chiaramonti
A compact Sardinian hill village of terracotta rooftops and pastel facades rising toward the ruins of a hilltop castle, with rolling upland country stretchin…
Bene Lario
This small lakeside hamlet in Lombardy's Val Menaggio, north of Como, with a handful of cafés and restaurants and several churches for a settlement of its size.
Ferentillo
Split by the Nera river into two small borghi — Matterella and Precetto — this Umbrian village sits in a river valley in the Province of Terni, with vineyard…
Atina
A small village in Frosinone province, Lazio, with several historic churches and a café and restaurant scene that punches above its size.
Carloforte
Carloforte occupies the whole of Isola di San Pietro, off Sardinia's southwestern coast, and combines a waterfront café and restaurant scene with wild cliffs…
Erice
Sitting on the summit of Monte Erice above Trapani in western Sicily, this medieval hilltop village retains its ancient Elymian-Punic fortifications, cobbled…
Poggio Mirteto
Little Tiber Valley town in Lazio's Rieti province, Poggio Mirteto sits on a knoll northeast of Rome amid wine country, with scenic views across the surround…
Lipari
The largest of the seven Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea off northern Sicily, Lipari is the main gateway to the archipelago and the administrative cent…
Guardiagrele
Poet Gabriele d'Annunzio called Guardiagrele "Abruzzo's terrace" for the sweeping views of the Maiella mountain it commands from its hilltop position in the…
Calcata
After the Italian government condemned its volcanic-cliff foundations in the 1930s and residents relocated, Calcata's medieval stone centre was left empty —…
Isola Bella
One of the Borromean Islands on Lake Maggiore, Isola Bella is a small island a short distance from the lakeside town of Stresa, divided between the Borromeo…
Castiglione di Sicilia
This compact Sicilian village in mountain terrain above Catania holds an unusually high number of churches for its size, a handful of cafés and restaurants,…
Montevecchia
A modest Lombardy village in the hills of the Brianza northeast of Milan, Montevecchia sits at the centre of a regional park — the Parco regionale di Monteve…
Abbadia Lariana
A pocket-sized lakeside village on the shore of Lake Como in Lombardy's Lecco province, Abbadia Lariana has an unusual number of cafés, restaurants, and chur…
Orosei
This small Sardinian town on the Gulf of Orosei, with beaches including Cala Ginepro, Cala Liberotto, and the Bidderosa Oasis stretching along a long coastline.
Bienno
Tiny Val Camonica town in the Brescia province of Lombardy, Bienno sits in mountain terrain with a café and restaurant scene and a concentration of historic…
Castiglione della Pescaia
A Tuscan seaside town in the Grossetan Maremma, Castiglione della Pescaia grew around a 12th-century medieval fortress and a large fishery — the latter givin…
Sermoneta
Walled hill village in Lazio's Latina province, Sermoneta is anchored by a massive castle built by the Annibaldi family and expanded by the Caetani in the 13…
Palazzolo Acreide
A UNESCO World Heritage baroque town in Sicily's Hyblean Mountains, Palazzolo Acreide has Greek roots stretching back to antiquity and a historic centre dens…
Maccagno
Small lakeside village on Lake Maggiore in Lombardy's Varese province, Maccagno has a notable concentration of churches and cafés for its size, along with sc…
Codrongianos
Compact Sardinian village spread across rolling upland country near Sassari, with terracotta rooftops visible from the surrounding hills, several historic ch…