Ortisei Christmas Village

Like every year in December, Ortisei turns into the “Christmas Village” and is definitely on of the top Christmas Markets in Italy. In the wooden huts you can discover sculptures, candles and glass objects made by master craftsmen but also South Tyrolean spirits and wines. The Christmas Village combines the historical traditions of Val Gardena with the elegance and exclusivity of the range of products. The “Lodenlounges”, cosy and comfortable wooden huts, invite visitors to experience the market with all five senses, by tasting local products and gastronomic delicacies in a romantic atmosphere.

In the streets of the town, the exhibition of the nativity scenes displayed in the showcase booths is also worth visiting and, as every year, an additional human-sized wooden statue will be added to enrich the largest nativity scene in the world. Open until January 4, 2026.

Merano Christmas Market

Merano in South Tyrol is a town known as a place for relaxation and well-being. They carry this way of life into the holiday season by hosting a market that captures the magic of Christmas. Experience snow reaching the summit of the alpine peaks, community togetherness, and the smell of cinnamon and fresh pastries. The whole town is embellished for the season, and in the central square you can watch figure skating shows or hit the ice yourself. Afterwards, warm up with a cup of tea or mulled wine in the heated booths, while admiring the backdrop of snow-tipped mountains. The sparkling Christmas lights at night are enough to bring visitors, but they also do us a huge favor in selling locally made woolen and wooden goods, in addition to other local crafts. The Merano Christmas Market is open until January 6, 2026

For the three weeks before Christmas – until December 24th – Campo Santo Stefano in Venice is transformed into a Christmas Village,  entirely filled with craftsmen and food producers, whose displays are housed in 30 little wooden cabins. The square is lined with a backdrop picturing Venetian palaces, giving the whole scene a festival atmosphere.

The Venice Christmas Market features Christmas ornaments and decorations of Murano glass, traditional carnival masks, ceramics, jewelry, marbled paper and other Venetian craft specialties. Murano glass is also used in jewelry, alone or worked into designs with silver and gold. Carnival masks can be as simple as the red, gold and black eye masks or elaborate creations from the studios of all the town.

One section of the Campo San Stefano market is devoted to Italian specialty foods – traditional cakes and sweets, fine olive oils, vintage balsamic vinegars and other locally made gourmet products fill the booths. Look for creamy white almond-studded nougat, fruit-filled Panettone from nearby Verona, bags of specialty Pastas, tiny Biscotti, dried Porcini Mushrooms, candied Chestnuts and delicacies made with precious white Truffles from Alba. Open until December 24, 2025.

Rome Christmas Market

The Eternal City’s most famous markets are in the Piazza Navona, built on the site of the Stadium of Domitian and now home to three spectacular fountains. During the season, the square transforms into a bustling, colorful shopping spot, selling nativity scenes and Christmas sweets, like biscuits and nougat. Wander around and watch the street artists and acrobats and of course, visit Santa Claus. But be sure to come back on January 6, when Befana hands out presents to good kids and coal to the not-so-good ones. Rome’s Christmas Market (the link on Rome’s website has not been updated yet) at Piazza Navona is open until January 6, 2026.

Naples Nativity Scene

Known for its rich history, incredible architecture and mouth-watering Neapolitan cuisine, Naples city center is bustling with vibrant energy, creating a unique holiday experience. In December, the city becomes a festive hub at the Naples Christmas Market, where visitors can explore wooden stalls filled with artisanal crafts and traditional Italian holiday foods. Definitely one of the top Christmas Markets.

If you’re one of those people who think Christmas is over too quickly, Naples is the city for you! Famous for their nativity scenes, or presepi, they have a year-round Christmas “market”. Shops and entire streets offer the traditional figurines every month of the year. Starting around mid-November, the street Via San Gregorio truly enhances the holiday feels! Get lost among the many market stands and shops selling local treats. Stroll down the narrow alleyways and then check out the live nativity scene is Piazza S. Gaetano.

Taormina Christmas Market

Taormina, though beautiful all year round, becomes even more magical in Christmas time, and it’s a great spot for those who prefer mild temperatures to snow. During December and through Epiphany, a folkloric atmosphere takes over the small, hilltop town with concerts, exhibitions, nativity scenes, and historical enactments. The stands are full of sweets, like Sicilian cakes, crafts, and everything you need to decorate for the season.

Trace your way through history while navigating the medieval streets in the ‘Presepe Vivente’ where the nativity scene comes to life throughout the city, incorporating the entire community. Enjoy the symbolic tradition of lighting the Christmas bonfire in front of Duomo di Taormina. While enjoying the breathtaking sea views and Mt. Etna from the city center and admiring the twinkling lights and decorations interwoven with the ancient buildings, Taormina is the embodiment of Christmas time. Open until January 6, 2026.

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Slowing down

“Slowing down for a better life” is the motto of the Ca’ Corniani bike station near Caorle. Giving up the rush, learning to slow down, finally enjoying the journey… getting back in tune with our sensations and feeling forgotten emotions again. It’s not only while cycling that travelers can experience great nature observations in peace and mindfulness. Rowing, sailing, SUP, boating or hiking are also ways to enjoy life in slow motion.

The people of Caorle have made it their mission to open their surroundings and nature to respectful visitors, allowing them to spend pleasurable days in peaceful tranquility, away from the merry beach culture. Here, guests can also expect unspoiled beaches free of sun umbrellas. In addition, you will find centuries-old forgotten natural landscapes, fragrant pine forests, fertile fields, cantinas and farms that invite you to discover. On foot, by bike or on the water.

To the nature reserve by traghetto and bicycle

In the past, you had to travel 26 miles by car simply to get to the picturesque nature reserve of Vallevecchia near Caorle. It is actually only 500 feet away as the crow flies, but cut off by the mouth of the river Canalon. Today, visitors can take the Traghetto from Caorle to the lagoon and the beautiful natural beach of Brussa and on to Bibione. You can also rent a bike and take the bicycle ferry “Caorle – Vallevecchia – Bibione”. Vallevecchia is an 2,200 acre big enchanted island, surrounded by the sea and lagoon rivers. An ecosystem that has been able to develop in peace during centuries of seclusion, in the middle of the lively Adriatic Sea. The island, the dunes and the natural, clean beach are considered the only undeveloped part of the upper Adriatic. From the birdwatching spots visitors observe cormorants and herons, meet the proverbial foxes and hares, deer or – in the brackish water – crabs, eels and other exciting creatures. Whether on foot, e-bike or bicycle, this island is a perfect retreat for people who love peaceful nature and tranquility.

Paddling through the silence of the romantic lagoon

Allow half a day for this extraordinary tour by stand up paddleboard which is a 9-mile nature-based excursion into silence and fantastic vegetation. It leads through large canals and rivers and through small waterways. It is recommended to travel in pairs or, even in a group, and not rely only on one board. This way, if something happens, you don’t have to wait alone for one of the passing boats. Make sure you have some food and water, sun protection and a hat on board. SUP experience is not necessary – if need be you can paddle sitting down – but medium athleticism would be recommended. Since the rivers that frame Caorle change direction with the tides, it makes sense to let the tide take you into the river and after a few hours paddle back out with the tide towards the sea and the beach at Falconera. The ideal starting point is the parking lot behind the Campground Falconera, and with a bit of luck, after the halfway point, the Mazarack restaurant will be open, which can also be visited from the board.

Biking the scenic route

Conquer Caorle and the picturesque surroundings by bike. There are several different bike tours from Caorle for those who like to explore the city and the countryside quietly and under their own power. Visitors can, for example, cycle the route across Caorle to the lagoon, for which beautiful new and wide bike paths have been built. Or go as far as Concordia Sagittaria, enjoy an Espresso or Cappuccino and watch the hustle and bustle of the streets. More challenging tours of up to 40 miles lead to Brussa and Portogruaro. Even within the city – or thanks to the ferry in the lagoon – you can experience the scents, sounds and gentle wind that make cycling in the region so pleasant. Do you love wine? Then ride your bicycle from one wine estate to another, and load up your luggage baskets with the region’s delicious specialties – above all the region’s white Lison.

An exciting short trip of just 2.5 miles leads to Ca’ Corniani, where visitors can expect not only an excellent wine cantina and restaurant, but also a unique bike station, where you can rent e-bikes and bicycles, and even take a shower or, if necessary, have your bike repaired. The Ca’ Corniani agricultural development project has already had six miles of a 20-mile planned bike path laid out, past flower meadows full of poppies and chamomile, bee-friendly plantings, and 30,000 newly planted trees and shrubs.

Sailing the Adriatic Sea

Whether with or without a skipper, sailing on the Adriatic between May and October is considered one of the most beautiful experiences par excellence. The sun is shining, the air is warm and the sea invites you to jump in and take a swim. Mistral, Jugo and Bora are the names of the prevailing winds that make the Adriatic a sailing paradise. The latter often arises when the air pressure is high and blows out onto the sea from a northwestern direction. The visibility becomes as clear as the water. In spring and fall you can enjoy the Scirocco, a warm wind coming in from the southwest and ideal for sailing professionals. Excellent sailing conditions in the summer month are provided by the Mistral which blows reliably from the northwest and makes sailing particularly pleasant. It is a fair-weather wind that comes up in the morning and dies down in the evening, so that the sundowner can be enjoyed on the beach or in the street café in the warmth of the evening.

There is plenty to do and to see. And, of course, there is also Venice nearby. A city that is a must-see on top of every visitor’s bucket list.

For more information check https://www.caorle.eu/en

Photos: Caorle Tourism

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Monet in Milan

Claude Monet’s impressionism, including his famous Water Lilies, is the protagonist at Palazzo Reale in Milan until January 30, 2022. Promoted by the Municipality of Milan and produced by Palazzo Reale and Arthemisia, the exhibition is curated by Marianne Mathieu and it is created in collaboration with the Musée Marmottan Monet in Paris, from which the entire body of works comes, and with the Académie Des Beaux-Arts, Institut de France.

The halls of the Royal Palace will welcome the public with 53 works by Monet, including his Water Lilies (1916-1919), The Parliament. Reflections on the Thames (1905) and The roses (1925-1926), his last and magical work: an extraordinary loan not only because it brings together some of the spearheads of Monet’s artistic production, but also for the enormous difficulty of this period in making the works travel from one country to another.

Jeff Koons in Florence

Contemporary art is the protagonist in Florence with Jeff Koons. The large sculptures and installations of the American artist will be open until January 30, 2022. Shine, the exhibition curated by Arturo Galansino and Joachim Pissarro, developed in close dialogue with the artist, the exhibition hosts loans from the most important collections and major international museums, proposing the original interpretation of Koons’ art concept of shine understood as a game of ambiguity between splendor and glow, being and appearing. The highlights are works that tell the story of over 40 years of career, from the famous sculptures in perfectly polished metal that replicate luxury objects, such as the Baccarat Crystal Set (1986) or the iconic inflatable toys such as the famous Rabbit (1986) and Balloon Dog (Red) (1994-2000), up to the interpretation of pop culture characters such as Hulk (Tubas) (2004-2018).

Escher in Genoa

Optical illusions and impossible geometries, here is Escher, who has landed at Palazzo Ducale in Genoa in a major exhibition until February 20, 2022. It is the largest and most complete anthological exhibition dedicated to the Dutch genius Maurits Cornelis Escher. In the city of the Lantern, it is possible to admire over 200 of his works and works, from Hand with a reflecting sphere (1935) to Vincolo d’unione (1956), to Metamorphosis II (1939), Giorno e notte (1938) and the series of the Emblemata, to discover the perspective, geometric and compositional paradoxes that have inspired many artists to follow. And on show you can also literally immerse yourself in his illusions and his universe thanks to immersive rooms and impossible structures, which will be compared with works by great artists such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720 – 1778) and Victor Vasarely (1906 – 1997).

Klimt in Rome

The Viennese art of the Secession animates the Museum of Rome. Klimt, the Secession and Italy is the name of the exhibition that brings Gustav Klimt back to Italy 110 years after his participation in the 1911 International Art Exhibition. The Capital will host in this exhibition some of the artist’s masterpieces from the Belvedere Museum of Vienna, from the Klimt Foundation and from public and private collections such as the Neue Galerie Graz. The exhibition traces the life and artistic production of Klimt, underlining his role as co-founder of the Viennese Secession and investigating his relationship with Italy, the destination of his travels and the place of some of his exhibition successes. There are about 200 works on display, including paintings, drawings, vintage posters and sculptures by Klimt and the artists of his circle. In addition to iconic works such as the famous Giuditta I, Signora in bianco, Amiche I (Le Sorelle) and Amalie Zuckerkandl, it is also possible to admire quite exceptional loans such as The Bride of the Klimt Foundation and Portrait of a Lady, stolen from the Ricci Oddi Gallery in Piacenza in 1997 and fortunately recovered in 2019.

Venice at the Doge’s Palace

This is the year of the Serenissima and the foundation of the lagoon city is also celebrated through its art. Venetia. 1600 Births and Rebirths is the exhibition that can be visited until 25 March 2022 in Venice, Palazzo Ducale – Doge’s Apartment. A journey through the events of Venice, between moments of crisis and ruptures, and phases of regeneration and renewal. To illustrate the salient moments of the history and identity of Venice, there will be works by great artists, architects and men of letters who worked in the lagoon over almost a millennium. These are names such as Carpaccio, Tiziano, Veronese, Tiepolo, Canaletto,Guardi and others, along with a selection of miniatures, prints, drawings, fabrics, sculptures, ceramics, architectural models, glass and everyday objects. Focus on some iconic monuments, first and foremost the Basilica of San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, the Rialto Bridge, the Fondaco dei Tedeschi, the churches of the Redentore and Santa Maria della Salute, the Gran Teatro la Fenice and the Campanile of San Marco.

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