Small Towns
 

Hi, Favorite little towns.I posted this before with no answer. Mine is San Leo in Marche, whats yours?

Pienza in Tuscany

If it has to be Italy, then Bassano del Grappa. Unless you mean teeny tiny, the I'd say Orvinio.<BR><BR>Other great ones are St. Hippolyte (F), Tourettes (F), Ecos (also F, but not for tourists), Seu d'Urgell (E) and Oberkirch (D).<BR><BR>Best wishes,<BR><BR>Rex<BR>

Harbor Springs, Michigan!!!!!

Sorry....I mean't in Italy.......

Anymore?<BR>

Montereggioni in Tuscany. Just a piazza, a couple of restuarants and stores, a handful of homes, and fortified walls. Great views!!

Myra, When you say small I think of villages less than 5000. In Italy, mine would include Orta San Giulio, Portovenere, Montalcino, Ravello, and the really small Civita. But, where do you stop? Let me add Castelrotto, Sperlonga and Volterra as unique settings that I love. Wouldn't it be fun to plan an itinerary to only include these small jewels.

Bob. Thats what I mean...Small villages. I will be looking forward to Castelrotto. What about Orteisei? Thanks

Malcontenta in the Veneto

I think that many of us are eager to add to the list of small places we have been - - not only in Italy, but in all of Europe, It's a challenge for me - - as I am with a small group of never-been-there travelers, from time to time - - and it's very hard to talk up a longer stay in a little town when others are eager to see the Colosseum.<BR><BR>Besides the two I mentioned, I have been in Menaggio, Bellagio, Varenna, Monza, Bergamo (those three very briefly), Garda, Trento, Sirmione (day visits those last two), Malcesine (short stop), Ambra, Bucine, Ravenna and Vietra sul Mare (short stop). I'd like to go back to almost everyone of these, and add more to the list of little places I have been.<BR><BR>Unless you're staying to participate in the activities of "daily living" (grocery shopping or other household needs, locals-type bars and restaurants, or go to church) - - it can be difficult to find a lot of charm some of the time. Of the places mentioned above, Ambra and Bucine both fall into this category - - and almost all the others are known for a certain amount of tourism industry.<BR><BR>That's why I picked BdG and Orvinio. Orvinio, in particular, has NO tourist infrastructire whatsoever, and darn near zero "touristic attractions". But my wife and I spent a great overnight and half-day there - - chiefly thanks to one guy and his wife who are sort of self-appointed ambassadors, whenever "gli stranieri" make into their town.<BR>

Even though it is no longer a small town, in the late 60s I lived in Fuengirola, Spain. We lived right on the beach next to where the river came into the sea. There was a ruined castle up on the hill across the river..it was such a wonderful time and such a delightful undiscovered (mostly) litle town. I dream about it often.<BR><BR>Strive

up into them little hills and hollers, in search of...<BR>

I'm with Rex Bassano del Grappa. Spent 6 nights their in Feb.

It's so much fun to see some of your own personal favorites pop up on other people's lists. In Italy we like Orta San Guilio, Mennagio, Bellagio, Varenna, Positano, Camogli (I've still not gotten to the Cinque Terre so I can't list any of those 5 places, but I'm surprised that others haven't since I see so much about it on this site), Montefellonico, Pienza. Elsewhere we've enjoyed Cassis, Obernai and Kayserberg, France; Pedraza de la Sierra, Cadaques,and Hondarribia, Spain, Karlovy Vary, Telc and Cesky Krumlov, Czech Republic; St. Hubert and St. Nikklaas, Belgium; Oia, Greek Islands; Chateaux d'Oex, Switzerland; Ettlingen, Germany. While some of these are destinations, others are places that we stopped because they were between other places we wanted to go to and found charming in their own right. Sometimes the serendipity makes things special.

Oops, forgot the beautiful little villages of Provence, expecially Gordes and Roussillon, and also St. Paul de Vence, all in France.

Hello Rex, where in Italy is Bassano del Grappa? Thanks.

North of Verona, a little bit east of Lake Garda and the Valpolicella region.<BR>

Hello Rex, is it too long of a car ride from Italian Riviera for a visit? Thank you.

Here is my list, the villages are divided into two categories, the letter K as for known shows the very well known one, sometime very touristy but yet still beautifull, the letter U (unknown, undiscovered) is for the very well keptsecret:<BR><BR>Italia riviera- K : Camogli, Portofino, S. Margherita, Cinque Terre, Porto Venere<BR>-U: Lerici (near La Spezia), Varese Ligure (north east inland of Sestri Levante)<BR><BR>Tuscany- K: S. Gimignano, Montalcino, Greve, Radda, Montepulciano, Pienza, Bagno Vignoni, Monteriggioni<BR>-U: Piazza (chianti), Lucignano D'Asso (near Pienza), Castiglioncello del Trinoro (val d'Orcia) Cetona, Fighine and S. Casciano dei Bagni (south of Tuscany), Sorano, Pitigliano, Sovana and Montemerano (all in Maremma)<BR><BR>Umbria -K: Assisi, Spello, Gubbio, Spoleto, Todi<BR>-U: Titignano + Castello di Vibio + Massa Martana (near Todi), Scoppio + Vallo d. Nera (near Spoleto), Norcia, Todiano, Preci, Campi Vecchi and Castelluccio.

Lazio –K: Civita di Bagnoreggio, Sperlonga, Island of Ponza (a little Paradise)<BR>-U: Farnese + Tuscania(near tuscany Maremma), Bomarzo + Soriano + Orte (Near Viterbo), Civita Castellana + Nepi+ Calcata (east of Bracciano Lake), Island of Ventotene<BR><BR>Campania – K: Ischia, Capri, all of the villages of the Amalfi Coast<BR>-U: Procida, Pisciotta + Marina di Camerota + the ghost town of Roscigno (Cilento)<BR><BR>Basilicata – K: Maratea and the others tiny villages along that coast, Matera<BR>-U: Trecchina + Rivello + Lagonegro (inland of Maratea)<BR><BR>Calabria: -U: Morano Calabro (inland north of Calabria)<BR><BR>Puglia: - K: Ostuni + Martina Franca + Alberobello (inland of Brindisi), Otranto + Gallipoli (Salento), Vieste (Gargano), Trani, Polignano a Mare (south of Bari)<BR>U: Vico + Monte S. Angelo + Peschici(Gargano), Sant’Agata in Puglia (east of Foggia), Cisternino (Near Ostuni)<BR>

to Mari:<BR><BR>Yes, I suspect that it would seem like a long way to go for the amount of charm that it has (and certainly not uniquely so). 4 hours each way perhaps?) depends on where you are starting on the Italian Riviera. You could try www.viamichelin.com or www.mappy.com to check any two points' distance from each other.<BR><BR>How about Pavia, home of the Certosa (just south of Milan)? - - closer, though I have never actually been there.<BR>

Mine is Orvieto

Julie, I see you mentioned Chateau d'oex Switzerland. A few months ago I asked for suggestions for Swiss towns, I got a lot of great suggestions, but you were the only one to mention Chateau d'oex. After researching all the towns I decided to go there and Kandersteg. Thanks for the tip, I leave on June 15. Can't wait.

up<BR>

San Salvatore di Fitalia

Pietrapertosa

Never met a small town in Italy that I didn't like. Such atmosphere!

Teensy weensy places I have stayed in Italy that I liked:<BR><BR>Corenno Plinio (on Lake Como)<BR><BR>Madruzzo (in Trentino)<BR><BR>Private homes in both instances. Surely no hotel in Corenno, possibly one in Madruzzo.

Montefalco in Umbria, Camogli in Liguria, and Camaiore and Barga, and Pontremoli in Tuscany---last two really off beaten track.

Piu, piu!<BR><BR>Ma non troppo grande!<BR><BR>

Agree w/Rex. Gotta be Bassano del Grappa and the fabulous Marostica right next to Bassano w/its beautiful castle. However, I'm a bit biased given that I'm from Vicenza (about 45 minutes from Bassano) and my mom's side of the family is from Bassano. But then I could also add Solagna, which is really tiny (15 minutes from Bassano) and all the small, tiny towns after that going towards Belluno...With the river Brenta, it's fab! Ciao!

Thank you Jean for mentioning several towns in this area in northern Lazio known as Tuscia or Etruria ...Orte,Soriano,Bomarzo, Viterbo, Vetralla... .you win a copy of my book-"Affreschi-Exploring Etruria" . Send me your address and I'll mail you a free copy so you can see what other wonderful towns (and the people and history!) we have.<BR>

Sandanski in Bulgaria

Polignano di Mare, just south of Bari, Italy on the Adriatic. <BR>(More about this place when I get going on the rest of my last trip reports.)

Camogli!

<BR>quintodecimo - le marche - italy<BR><BR>

Topping for a friend, but I'll add Gerra-Gambarogno on Lago Maggiore.

We just returned from Italy and of the towns we visited I would say my favorites were:<BR>Tuscany - Montalcino<BR>Umbria - Todi and Bevagna<BR>P.S. Also, enjoyed Portovenere

Great choices Trish--you must have had a wonderful trip.