City of Vicenza

Vicenza is one of the main cities in the region of the Veneto in the northeast of Italy.

You will find Vicenza along the main transportation line between Venice and Verona. The city is an easy train ride or bike ride away from a number of the largest and most famous Italian cities like Verona, Padua, and Venice. Vicenza is also about an hour away from Lago di Garda – Italy’s largest lake.

Great place to stop over during a bike tour or day trip from another location.  September and October are good bike riding months.  

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Some of Italy's Top Golf Courses

Royal Golf and Country Club

The current host to the Italian Open is located near Turin in Piedmont. Designed in 1971 by Robert Trent Jones Sr, it is set neatly into the undulating landscape of La Mandria National Park. The course itself presents a strategic challenge with its innovative use of bunkers and water hazards. Piedmont offers some of the best cuisine in all of Italy and the home of Slow Food and Braollo can offer you a culinary experience to rival anything you experience on the course.
Stay at the Romantik Hotel Fumo
For more info go to the Royal Golf and Country Club website.

 

Biella

Known locally as ‘Le Betulle’ the John Morrison-designed course at Valcarozza was built in the 50′s and is set in the slopes of the Sera Moraine. A 73 par course at altitude along the Biellese Alps it is a stunning backdrop to one of the more testing rounds in Italy. Not only will you have the cuisine of Liguria to distract you but the area is renowned for its history and culture. Picture Medieval monasteries set in bleak wintery landscapes, stunning architecture and Unesco sites abound. Play in Autumn to coincide with the season of truffles and mushrooms.
Stay at the club.
For more info visit the club’s website.

 

Villa d’Este
A very challenging par 69 course designed by Peter Gannon. The setting is stunning, set amongst the Como hills with panoramic views of lake Montorfano. Clean Alpine air and lush greenery provide respite from the intense summer heat. A prestigious club in the heart of one of Italy’s most historically prosperous regions.
Stay at Villa d’Este and relive a bygone era of Northern Italian opulence.
For more info, visit the club’s website.

 

Is Arenas 

A beautiful combination of sand, forest and water provide almost the perfect golfing experience. Situated on the West coast of the beautiful island of Sardinia you will avoid the visiting hordes even in peak season. Designed by golf course architects Von Hagge, Smelek and Baril it is well integrated into a landscape that is as yet still untouched and undiscovered. A serene vacation on the Mediterranean with perfect links golf could be paradise on earth.

Stay at the Golf Hotel Is Arenas
For more info visit the club’s website. 

 

Pevero

Commissioned by the Aga Kahn the course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Snr and opened in 1972. It has been one of Italy’s best-kept golf secrets for over 40 years where Italy’s jet-set anchored their yachts and enjoyed La Bella Vita. The Mistral – the northern wind which shaped the rocks of the area adds another dimension to play on the Par 72 course.

Stay at the Pevero club hotel.
For more info visit the club’s website.

 

Milano Golf Club

Milan’s most prestigious golf club and one with quite a bit of history to boast about the Milano Golf Club for many is the rightful home of golf in Italy. The course is a bit flat but very pleasantly wooded it is the perfect place to do business just outside Italy’s centre of commerce and industry.
Stay in the city at the Hotel Principe di Savoia
For more info, visit the club’s website.

 

Is Molas
Another of Sardinia’s hidden gems the microclimate means it is perfect for golf the whole year round. The largest and oldest course on the island it is somewhat American in style, but the surrounding countryside and the history and food of the Sardinian island are anything but.
Stay at the Is Molas Resort Hotel
For more info, visit the club’s website.

 

Terme di Saturnia

Set in the exquisite environs of Tuscany, close to the sea the site ha a long history and association with the Romans who believed it to be the birthplace of Saturn. The whole area is dotted with natural hot springs so after wearing yourself out on the course relax in the splendour of the natural spas as the Romans did. Relaxing, that is, not golfing. More than a golfing experience, a vacation to really rest and replenish.
Stay on site in the resort.
For more info, visit the club’s website.

 

Lido di Venezia

The exclusivity of Italian golf is physical here as you need to take a boat to the Lido di Venezia to play the 18 hole golf course. A sandbar situated within site of the city of Venice was supposed to have been constructed in the 1930′s at the request of Henry Ford who wanted to play golf while visiting Venice. One of the most incredible cities in the world also hosts an excellent course within touching distance.
Stay at the Hotel Danieli.
For more info, visit the club’s website. 

A Day Exploring The Dorsoduro Sestiere of Venice

Hordes of tourists and high prices put many people off Venice, but you don’t have to venture far from San Marco to find quiet streets, locals’ haunts and bargains. One of the Six Sestiere that is a great day visit is Dorsoduro, over the Accademia bridge from San Marco or get off the main vaparetto line at the Accademia stop to start your tour.  Dorsoduro  has as many great museums, galleries and churches, but a fraction of the crowds and costs. In the last few years artists and designers have been moving into this eastern end of the sestiere , while the north-western tip has the city’s liveliest nightlife centered in the alleyways around a large student square of the University.

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 Gallerie dell'Accademia in Venice. Photograph: Sarah Lee/Venice

1. Start at the Gallerie dell’Accademia (€15), which has an enormous collection of artworks by the Venetian greats – Titian, Veronese, Tintoretto, Tiepolo. The Accademia’s 20-plus rooms can be a little overwhelming, so you might want to break up your visit into two sessions, one in the morning and then later in the afternoon. As long as you notify the desk at the entry they are generally ok with this. The gallery opens at 8.15am – get there early to beat the crowds and then return later in the afternoon to finish off your visit.

2. Head down Calle Sant’Agnese (which turns into Piscina Forner) for some souvenir shopping: a cluster of shops sell tasteful items at reasonable prices with no hard sell. You might pick up simple Murano glass earrings for €12, or traditional silk slippers, or a carnevale mask. Further on are small, modern galleries, including Venice Projects and Bac Art. Stop for a coffee at the misleadingly named Corner Pub at 684 Calle della Chiesa, a hole-in-the-wall bar/cafe with a few stools outside – there’s no signage, so keep your eyes peeled.

3. The Peggy Guggenheim Collection (€14) is Venice’s major modern art gallery, with a piece or two by most 20th-centuries masters; Jackson Pollock gets a whole room. Marino Marini’s Angel of the Citadel will make you smile (it’s a man on a horse with arms widespread and a huge erection), and is on a lovely terrace backing on to the Grand Canal. The Guggenheim also has great temporary exhibitions – the current one, For Your Eyes Only (until 31 August), is a brilliant private collection spanning mannerism to surrealism.

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4. Dorsoduro has lots of atmospheric bacari, bars that serve cheap ciccheti (small snacks) all day, so a bacaro crawl is a great option for lunch. The best in the area isCantina del Vino Già Schiavi (992 Fondamenta Nani), aka Cantinone or Al Bottegon, a wine shop-cum-bar. Crostini are topped with salt cod and wild garlic, pistachio cream or alioli with flower petals; local customers include dapper older gentlemen and jovial police officers. A few doors along is Osteria al Squero, which is even cheaper: crostini are €1 and wine is from €1.20 a glass. At both spots you can eat outside by the canal; the latter is opposite the city’s oldest working gondola yard, the 17th-century Squero di San Trovaso. It’s one of just two surviving squeri in Venice – look out for Lorenzo, the master boatbuilder, hard at work.

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5. You can’t go to Venice without visiting at least one palazzo museum, and Ca’ Rezzonico (€8) is much more manageable than the more famous Palazzo Ducale or Museo Correr in San Marco. The splendid marble-fronted building houses the city’s 18th-century artefacts, including paintings and frescoes by Tiepolo, antique furniture and Venetian glass.

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6. You are similarly spoiled for choice when it comes to churches, but Dorsoduro has a real gem: San Sebastiano, the parish church of Veronese. His paintings adorn the sacristy and nave ceilings, the walls, the organ shutters and around the altar. Being tucked away at the western end of Dorsoduro, it attracts far fewer visitors than, say, San Rocco in San Polo, which is famed for its Tintorettos.

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 Gelati Nico, the famous ice-cream parlour. Photograph: Sarah Lee

7. After all that culture, it must be time for an ice-cream. Gelateria Nico opened in 1937 and is still serving its speciality, praline with cream. Eat it as you stroll along the Fondamenta Zattere, the waterfront on the Canale della Giudecca (separating Dorsoduro from Giudecca island). You can stop for a prosecco at Laguna, next to the vaporetto stop. It’s not the cheapest spot – prosecco is €4 – but it’s a great place for people-watching, as is Al Chioschetto, a little pavement kiosk that often has a live band, and whose outdoor tables are always packed with people drinking the ubiquitous orange spritz aperitifs. From Zattere you can take a free shuttle boat to the Hilton Molino Stucky which has a rooftop bar and was converted from a huge flour mill.

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8. For dinner, try Calle Lunga San Barnaba, a cobbled street full of restaurants. Al Profeta, on the left at its eastern end, serves fantastic meat dishes – deep-fried, mince-stuffed olives, giant ravioli with sweetbreads, duck ragù, venison with porcini (main courses around €13, litre of house wine €10) – in a big courtyard garden.

Hiking the Italian Dolomites: 10 Tips or Things to Consider

1. Invest in some trekking poles.

If you haven’t used trekking poles before, have no fear. You’ll figure out how to use them right away. The Dolomites Alta Via 1 is a difficult trail with varying terrain and steep ascents and descents. Trekking poles will help you power up hill, keep your balance when you slip in mud, and reduce the strain on your knees and feet with every step you take. I had good luck with Leki poles, but any poles will be better than none.

2. Pack light.

Scrutinize every item you bring and bring only the essentials. Remember, you’ll be carrying whatever you pack for around 90 miles and for 6 – 12 hours each day through the challenging Dolomites.

3. Bring sandals.

Most the rifugios require you to remove your boots before entering the main areas of the hut. Also, you’ll want them for showering to avoid getting athlete’s foot. Plus, they are great for taking your shoes off on longer breaks or when you find a nice cold stream to soak them in.

4. Quick drying clothes.

Since carrying a full wardrobe would make your pack unnecessarily heavy, bring clothes that are quick drying so you can wash them at the rifugios at the end of each day’s hike. Ex Officio make some great clothes that will be comfortable and designed for adventure travelers. Don’t forget your quick drying towel either.

5. Don’t skimp on socks.

Be sure to bring multiple pairs of hiking socks. I recommend swapping them out for a fresh pair at lunch – I promise that your feet will thank you. Hang your old ones off the back of your pack so they will air out and dry. It’s amazing the difference that a pair of new socks can make for your comfort.

NEED HELP PLANNING YOUR ITALIAN ADVENTURE CHECK OUT ITALIAOUTDOOORS FOR TRIP PLANNING, TRAVEL GUIDES, AND TRIP REPORTS.

6. Get a pack that fits comfortably. 

A quality hiking pack that properly fits can make or break the comfort of your trip. You’ll most likely be carrying around 25-35 lbs for 90 miles, so get a pack that fits you. Gregory and Osprey both make some quality packs that are priced well. Go to a store and check them out by filling them up with gear and walking around for a few minutes to see if they are comfortable.

7. Prevent chaffing and blisters.

This a topic that most don’t want to talk about, but let’s face it, after hiking 90 miles there will be some parts of you that rub a bit. Whether it’s blisters on your feet or chaffing in your thighs, some preventive maintenance with products like chaffing creams and body rubs can prevent a miserable experience before it starts. Body Glide andGold Bond both make anti-chafe products that apply like a deodorant and work great.

8. Trail runners vs. hiking boots.

Personally I recommend some comfortable hiking shoes or trail runners. Boots tend to be heavy, trap heat in, and after a long day in them you’re going to have some lazy feet (as I call it) and start stumbling on the trail. A pair of quality trail runners will be lightweight, comfortable, and give you great grip. I had great luck with my Vasque trail-running shoes but footwear really comes down to personal fit. Just make sure you choose something that fits well and give it a test hike prior to your trip. My last footwear tip is to ensure you trim your toenails prior to the hike. The steep downhills on Dolomites Alta Via 1 trails can put a pounding on your toes and even cause you to loose toenails over the course of the trip if they aren’t trimmed.

9. Get an early start.

Afternoon storms are the norm in the Dolomites and the northern areas in Italy, so start your hike early in the day. That leaves you a safety cushion should you get delayed during the hike and also leaves you more time to relax in the wonderful atmosphere at the Refugio's.

10. Enjoy the food.

Refugio's make some great food that will certainly satisfy your appetite on the trail. If you normally eat a big meal, consider the half-board option. It usually comes with a pasta as a starter then a hearty meat course like goulash stew or local sausage. Plus, it comes with a dessert. If you don’t want to pack lunches for the whole trip, just plan your route to stop at a rifugio for lunch as well. They make some great sandwiches take along in your pack to enjoy on a peak or vista..