8 Best Sights in Italy

The first thing Mayor Luigi de Magistris did after his 2011 election was to banish traffic from the city's seafront. Strolling, skating, or biking along Via Caracciolo and Via Partenope with Capri, Vesuvius, and the Castel dell'Ovo in your sights is a favorite Neapolitan pastime.

A stroll along one of Merano's well-marked, impossibly pleasant promenades may yield even better relaxation than time in its famous spa. Passeggiata Tappeiner (Tappeiner's Promenade) is a 3-km (2-mile) path with panoramic views from the hills north of the Duomo and diverse botanical pleasures along the way. Passeggiata d'Estate (Summer Promenade) runs along the shaded south bank of the Passirio River, and the Passeggiata d'Inverno (Winter Promenade), on the exposed north bank, provides more warmth and the Wandelhalle—a sunny area decorated with idyllic paintings of surrounding villages. The popular Austrian empress Sissi (Elisabeth of Wittelsbach, 1837–98) put Merano on the map as a spa destination; a trail named in her honor, the Sentiero di Sissi (Sissi's Walk), follows a path from Castel Trauttmansdorff to the heart of Merano.

Just before the ferry ticket booths to the right of Spiaggia Grande, a tiny road that is the loveliest seaside walkway on the entire coast rises up and borders the cliffs leading to Fornillo Beach. The road is named for the town's large number of 19th-century emigrants to the United States—Positano virtually survived during World War II thanks to the money and packages their descendants sent back home. Halfway up the path lies the Torre Trasìta (Trasìta Tower), the most distinctive of Positano's three coastline defense towers. Now a residence occasionally available for summer rental, the tower was used to spot pirate raids. As you continue along the Via Positanesi d'America, you'll pass a tiny inlet and an emerald cove before Fornillo Beach comes into view.

This broad, bustling waterfront promenade is one of Venice's prime stretches for strolling; thanks to its southern orientation along the Giudecca Canal, it is full of families, students, children, and dogs whenever there is the slightest ray of sunshine. Come in spring or winter to warm up a little, or in the summer to cool off under café umbrellas with drinks or gelato. Restaurant terraces over the water lure diners until late. The name Zattere means "rafts," and this was the area designated by the Venetian government for storing the vast platforms of tree trunks that were floated down rivers from the nearby Alps destined to become pilings, beams, ships, or any other item made of wood.

Running parallel to the ocean, Lungomare Argentina is a pleasant 1½-km (1-mile) promenade, which begins at the western end of the town and provides good views westward to the French Côte d'Azur. Most Thursday mornings it's also the site of a bustling outdoor market.

Capo d’Orlando has a long strip of beachfront to explore, stretching out in both directions along the coast. The lungomare is the town's main strip, with plenty to entertain tourists in the high season, including restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and kiosks where you can buy anything needed for a day on the beach. The promenade is especially popular in the cooler post-sunset hours, when locals and tourists alike enjoy a passeggiata, bike ride, or jog. At the eastern end near the lighthouse, the path ends, but you can carefully walk by the road as far as San Gregorio, famed for the 1960s smash hit "Sapore di Sale," and its eponymous gelateria. Farther on is the sleek but soulless marina, which opened in 2017 and is lined with some interesting vessels, a motel, and a handful of uninspiring shops and eateries.

Reggio's panoramic palm tree--lined promenade, with views across the Straits of Messina toward Sicily and Etna (on nice days), is named after the former mayor who helped the city's 1990s "Reggio Spring" rebirth. Join the joggers, teens, and families along the 1.6-km (1-mile) route taking in the sea air, handsome Stile Liberty architecture, and Arena dello Stretto, an open-air Greek-style theater, which hosts summer events, performances, and concerts.

An 8-km (5-mile) botanical promenade dating from 1892 ends with a panoramic view of Bolzano. Recent updates include signposting for various species of plants and trees, as well as benches and picnic tables. You can choose to return to town along the same path, or you can walk along the River Fago and end up back in the center of Bolzano.