Top 5 incentive travel destinations in Italy for next spring

Top 5 incentive travel destinations in Italy for next spring

Verona – Veneto

Most tourists, when visiting the north-east of Italy, head straight for Venice. Which is perfectly understandable: Venice is a unique city and possibly the most sought-after holiday destination in the world. However, it would be a mistake to overlook the surroundings. Veneto is an amazing region, rich in history and culture, naturally beautiful and also bustling with business opportunities. The city of Verona embodies all of these qualities. As romantic as Venice – this is, after all, Romeo and Juliet’s hometown – every spring it is also home to one of the most famous international tradeshows in the food and wine industry: Vinitaly. Verona’s city centre is a listed UNESCO heritage site: its unique architecture and graceful bridges draw thousands of tourists every year. Many of them converge around Piazza delle Erbe and via Castello, where the building that has been identified as Juliet’s house stands. The famous balcony is one of the most photographed pieces of architecture in the world. The city offers a vast choice of museums and entertainment options, the most popular of which is the Arena, a majestic Roman theatre still used for massive concerts and monumental opera productions.

Grosseto – Tuscany

It’s impossible to draw a list of incentive travel destinations in Italy without including Tuscany. For next spring, however, we would like to suggest an unusual one: Grosseto. The city centre is one of the rare examples of medieval settlements perfectly preserved: visiting it is like stepping back in time. The massive city walls date back to the Renaissance and were built by the Medici family. We also recommend you take a day off to visit the Saturnia Waterfalls (Cascate del Mulino). Here, the falling water creates natural pools, and hot springs transform the whole area into nothing short of a natural Spa. After immersing yourself metaphorically in Grosseto’s art, history and culture and physically in the thermal waters of Saturnia, you should treat yourself to the culinary experience of a lifetime. Grosseto is located in the Tuscan subregion of Maremma, which has a long-standing tradition for outstanding food and wine. Make sure you sample the local cheese and cured meats, to be complimented by a rich red wine.

Agrigento – Sicily

If you want your incentive travel experience to be both inspiring and relaxing, Agrigento is the destination you are looking for. Allow yourself to be amazed, as you behold the unique rock formation known as “the Turkish steps”, that was climbed by countless armies of invaders and pirate crews over the centuries. If you climb it too, following in those adventurer’s steps, you will be rewarded by the breath-taking view of the vivid blue sea clashing against the dazzling white shore. Agrigento has as much to offer in terms of man-made wonders as natural ones. Its history and culture are deeply rooted in the ancient days of Greek domination of the island, but proudly bear the traces and influences of countless conquests: from the Romans to the Normans, from the Arabs to the Turks, several civilisations left their mark on this land, clearly visible in the unique architectural mixture that is old Agrigento. If you only have one day to spend in here, visit the Valley of the Temples: probably the most stunning and best preserved testimonies of the magnificence of Hellenic civilisation to be found outside of Greece.

Crotone – Calabria

It’s not uncommon for an Italian city to have a foundation myth and Crotone’s is particularly fascinating, as it attributes the city’s foundation to Roman hero Hercules. Historically, this part of Calabria was a Greek colony long before the Romans reached it, and it was home to the Pythagorean school. To this day, an educational garden is dedicated to the famous mathematician: here children (and grownups too) are welcome to acquaint themselves with Pythagoras’ intellectual achievements through interactive installations. Traces of this glorious past are exhibited at the local archeological museum. If you want to delve deeper into Crotone’s ancient history, you should also visit Capo Colonna Park, which contains the ruins of a temple dedicated to the cult of Greek goddess Hera. As an incentive travel destination, Crotone is ideal for nature and art lovers, as it offers plenty of hiking possibilities on the local mountains, as well as long beach walks and unique sightseeing in the city. The local Cathedral dates back to the XV Century (built on an original layout from the IX Century) and it contains the statue of the famous “Black Virgin Mary”.

Viterbo – Lazio

Viterbo is a small but stunning medieval city, 50 miles north of Rome. Most of the city is still contained within the original medieval walls and the city centre is perfectly preserved. Viterbo is also known as “the city of Popes”, as it was home to several pontifices through the centuries and it still has its own Papal Palace. The earliest settlements in this area, however, date farther back than any Pope and than Christianity itself: visit the Etruscan Necropolis and discover some of the most ancient traces of civilisation on the Italian peninsula. Nature lovers will enjoy hiking on the nearby Cimini Mountains or visiting the beautiful Vico Lake. If you book your incentive travel package for the spring, we recommend a boat trip on the lake, followed by lunch at one of the many little lakeside restaurants, which specialise in traditional cuisine with locally sourced ingredients. The city of Viterbo is also famous for its thermal springs: when looking for accommodation, consider one of the local spas.