How many times have you been to Italy? What is its charm?

When chatting with people who like to travel, a question often comes up: Which country has the most impressive impression among the countries you have visited. I found that many people’s answer is: Italy.

Usually, it is difficult for me to have the urge to go to a place I have visited once. But Italy is a bit like Xinjiang in China. Even if you have been there many times, it is worth going back again and again. According to a friend, his friend went at least 20 times. There is also an unreliable couple around me. They fell in love after going there. They sold their house in Beijing and went to Italy to buy a house. Although they lost money as expected, they still regarded Florence as a holy place in their hearts. .

Why Italy?

Italy ranks only fifth in the world’s ranking of inbound tourism countries. The top five are France, the United States, Spain and China. In Italy, news about poor public security and theft of Chinese people's belongings have frequently made the news. Even once when I was on the Austrian-Italian border, an Italian friend pointed to the south and said to me: Look, there is a country full of thieves ahead. Even the Italians make fun of themselves.

Due to the epidemic, I have not been able to go abroad for a long time. Although I have been there five or six times, when asked where I want to go most, it is still Italy.

The reason is probably that Italy is very suitable for tourists in terms of food, scenery, history, humanities, etc. The greatest significance of tourism lies in the differences and unforgettable information points that tourists are looking for. In this regard, Italy's tourism resources are really too rich.

China and Italy are the two countries with the most world heritage sites on earth (I think the evaluation of world heritage sites has been a bit slow). But what is different from China is that although Italy has many world heritage sites that are "just a few", from north to south, every place in the country seems to have its own characteristics, rather than being the same, and the ancient towns also have their own characteristics. feature.

Who would have thought? Italy first originated from a small city-state in the Roman region, and later gradually became a super empire spanning Asia, Africa and Latin America. The reason why Italian cities are unique is that European cities have preserved their historical heritage relatively well. Many old houses and churches have a history of hundreds or even thousands of years. Our country is at a disadvantage in this regard, because Europeans use stone to build houses, but we use wood. A fire can burn the Epang Palace, but not the Great Wall. In addition, the Renaissance also started in Italy. From ancient Rome to the Renaissance, the fame of each era is vividly displayed in different cities.

Usually, if tourists follow the regular tour group route, it must be Rome-Florence-Siena-Venice (plus Milan + Cinque Terre if time is sufficient). But for Italy travel, this is not enough.

The first time I went to Italy was by train from Austria. The first place I arrived was the place where the famous song was sung: Bressanone. Famous cities in the north include the fashion capital Milan, as well as the world heritage cities of Vicenza, Verona, Padua and Venice. Just walking around these places makes a huge difference. Women who like shopping will definitely like Milan and Venice, where you can browse endless shops. If you like history and culture, then these world heritage cities have their own characteristics, such as the oldest botanical gardens and Gothic buildings that have been left for thousands of years. Next to Milan is the beautiful Lake Como.

If you are of a certain age and like football, you will definitely like Italy. Since Serie A broadcasts entered China in the late 1980s, the first ones Chinese audiences saw were Milan, Juventus, Napoli, etc. To the west of Milan is Turin, where Juventus is located, to the south is Genoa, and further south are Cinque Terre and Pisa. The two largest cities in the southeast center of Milan are Parma and Bologna. It is said that Parma has the best ice cream in the world (of course we can't use the word "most" to be strict), and Bologna is also a medieval ancient city with rich heritage. It is also a transit point, usually heading east along the Adriatic Sea. You can start your trip from here. To the east are the tourist resorts of Rimini and the tiny country of San Marino. I remember that at the launch of the Winter Olympics, 30,000 San Marino shooters actually won 3 medals. Further south from here is the beautiful city on the east coast of Italy, with stunning scenery, but relatively little fame.

If the north is centered on Milan, Venice or Bologna, then the central north is centered on Florence. The countryside of Florence is so beautiful. You can watch the movie "Under the Tuscan Sun". The endless fields hide countless ancient medieval cities: San Gemignano, Monteriggioni and a lot of unpronounceable names. There is a mature tourist city south of Florence, which is the thousand-year-old ancient city of Siena.

The central region is centered on Rome, and all roads lead to Rome. This is the purpose of the Romans to manage their huge empire and ensure smooth transportation. But now, this famous saying has also been extended to: If you want to achieve a goal, there are many ways, don't stick to one of them.

How to talk about Rome? For me, if I were to give you only one city in the world that you must visit, I would choose Rome.

The Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Vatican, the Pantheon, Castel Sant'Angelo, Piazza di Spagna, Piazza Venezia, Trevi Fountain... I think a week might not be enough to see Rome in detail. But before going to Rome, you must watch the old movie "Roman Holiday" starring Parker and Hepburn. As night fell, I walked in the ruins of ancient Rome, looking at the statues of Caesar and Trajan, as well as the remains of ancient Rome behind me. At that moment, I really felt that I had traveled back to the past, and everything seemed to be gone. So incredible. Even though a place like the Mouth of Truth is a bit boring, with Roman Holiday in the mix, how could you not take a photo?

The transportation in Rome is also very convenient. I used my free time to go to Perugia, the capital of the Umbria region, in one day. This city is actually on a mountain, and there is an automatic elevator that can go up the mountain. ; Another day I went to Assisi, the place where St. Francis was born. Both places are very beautiful, especially Assisi, which is very picturesque. I also met a marathon, and foreigners really love to hold sports competitions.

The largest city south of Rome is Naples. It is one of the three cities with night views in the world. It is famous for its chaotic thieves and many robberies. Of course, I think it also has a very famous person: Ma Ladonna. Naples is the starting point for the paradise-like Amalfi Coast, Pompeii, Caprini, and Sorrento. The beauty of Amalfi and the Cinque Terre echo from north to south, and Vesuvius once destroyed Pompeii overnight. . The famous Spartacus also fled to the volcano. You can watch this American TV series, but try not to watch it in public.

There is probably nothing further south in the western region. I like the Bali region in the east very much. It just became popular in China when the epidemic came. Matera, a thousand-year-old city south of Bari, was featured in the last episode of 007 not long ago. Alberobello, a small village in the southeast that is as poetic as a fairy tale, has many small mushroom-like houses, and many surrounding villages. Very beautiful. Lecce, the largest city in the southeast region, has a football team known as the "Little Peppers" in Serie A. I wonder if anyone still remembers it?

At this point, I feel like I have written a long account, but there is still the last Sicily left. Sicily has too many literary works, mafia stories, the filming location of Aquaman, the Sicilian trilogy of film and television works, etc. For example, Palermo, Cefalu and Siracusa are mentioned in the movie, as well as the legendary sky city Ragusa, the chocolate city Modica, and the ancient Greek city Agrigento. I want If you play it thoroughly, a week may not be enough. In fact, there are two options to go south from Sicily. One is Lampedusa, a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean. The Rabbit Beach here is rated as the most beautiful beach in the world by European media. The other is to go to Malta, a small country in the Mediterranean. I hesitated for a long time and decided to go to Malta. This small country is so beautiful.

Italians influence the Western world not only with the influence of Rome, but also with pizza, pasta, ice cream, chocolate, etc. The food here is quite suitable for our Chinese appetites. And it is true that there are many thieves and robbers, and it is better for girls to go together. However, except for a few big cities, the people in most areas are still very enthusiastic, especially the more enthusiastic you go south. Of course, the farther south you go, the less reliable you are and the less time-abiding you go.

It is difficult to evaluate what kind of country Italy is now. It was so powerful in ancient Rome, but during World War II it became an out-and-out loser. Today it is still considered a dragnet of the European Union. You say he is powerful. There are so many thieves and homeless people. In the south, there are many big-shouldered young men asking for money. In the morning market in the north, "Pierre Cardin" is sold as a famous brand. You say he is poor. He is highly developed. is a capitalist country whose yachts, cruise ships, furniture, and leather shoes are all world-class, as well as a large number of luxury brands such as Gucci, Versace, Prada, Valentino, and Fendi.

Italians are also called the Chinese in Europe. In addition to having the same long history, many customs and habits are very similar, including bad habits such as noisy and not liking to line up. Of course, these are also inherent impressions. Strong contrasts, long history, rich food, and rich little thoughts, I think these may be the reasons why Italy is most popular among Chinese people. Of course, the above only represents my personal opinion. I always feel that sometimes when traveling, you discover yourself from certain points, or in other words, the world is so big, how to find your place.