Legendary soccer clubs
Juventus Turin. Affectionately known as "the old lady" by its fans, the historic team of Turin was born in 1897. A mythical soccer club, "Juve" in the black and white jersey has won all the greatest trophies that club soccer can offer. It is the most popular and most successful Italian team with 36 league titles (mid-2023) and 2 Champions Leagues. It must be said that legendary players have worn the famous Bianconeri shirt, such as Dino Zoff, Roberto Baggio, Zinedine Zidane, Pavel Nedved, Alessandro Del Piero, Gianluigi Buffon ...
AC Milan. Founded in 1899, AC Milan is the club of the rossoneri, the Red and Black. A shirt worn by some of the greatest names in the history of soccer, such as Maldini, Van Basten, Gullit, Weah, Shevchenko, Kaka, Ronaldinho, Ibrahimovic... A legendary club that has won 7 Champions Leagues and 18 Italian Championships.
Inter Milan. The Nerazzurri of Inter, the Black and Blue, have amassed a total of 3 Champions Leagues and 18 championships. Well helped by the soccer stars that have walked the pitch of the Giuseppe-Meazza stadium (called San Siro when the rival AC Milan is playing): Ronaldo, Lothar Matthäus, Jürgen Klinsmann, Javier Zanetti, Youri Djorkaeff, Luigi Di Biagio, Christian Vieri..
A reference in winter sports
From Trentino Alto Adige to Valle d'Aosta, passing through Piedmont, Veneto and Lombardy, winter sports enthusiasts can enjoy themselves in the Italian Alps and Dolomites. While the vast majority prefer downhill skiing, the hundreds of Italian resorts offer all the winter pleasures to vacationers: freeride, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, ice skating, etc.
The ultimate proof of the quality of these northern Italian resorts is that the 2026 Winter Olympics will be held between Milan ( Livigno and Bormio resorts) and Cortina d'Ampezzo, just twenty years after the 2006 Turin Olympics, which took place around Sestrieres, a resort built by members of the famous Agnelli family (owners of Fiat and the Juventus Turin soccer club). The best season is from December to March for winter sports. Despite some snowfall in March, the snow disappears from April onwards.
In summer, the mountains are also in the spotlight
In the summer, the ski slopes become spectacular and easily accessible hiking trails and walkers come from all over the world. A climb in the high mountains, stopping at one of the many mountain huts or bivouacs, is the perfect opportunity to get to know the Italian Alps, whose natural heritage is accompanied by precious testimonies from the past.
These trails are also fun to ride on a horse or a mountain bike. They are very well signposted throughout the region and cross breathtaking landscapes. On the other hand, the Alpine rivers are seeing an increasing number of extreme sports enthusiasts such as kayaking, rafting and canyoning, and there are many associations that organize courses for beginners. Climbing also attracts its share of enthusiasts. Like the vias ferratas, which, between hiking and climbing, promise a great thrill and grandiose landscapes. These "railroads" appeared in the 19th century in the Dolomites and are in fact trails built with ladders and cables that allow you to cross steep hills. There are about sixty vias ferratas in the Dolomites. Some are truly emblematic. Many expeditions can be organized from Cortina d'Ampezzo. First of all, the unmissable and magnificent via ferrata Ivano Dibona, which starts from Cortina and climbs to the top of the wonderful Mount Cristallo at about 3,000 meters above sea level. Also in the vicinity of Cortina d'Ampezzo, the via ferrata Giovanni Lipella is also a great classic. Still in the same area, the via ferrata Luca-Innerkofler is emblematic, but this time around the famous Tre Cime "the Three Peaks", three iconic mountains of the Dolomites. In the Dolomites of Trentino Alto Adige, there are other exceptional vias ferratas to discover the highest peaks like Mount Marmolada. There is a route that allows you to get close to this precious peak, the "via ferrata della Cresta Occidentale".
Around the lakes, hiking and lounging on the program
The incredible natural setting, between lakes and mountains, and the mild climate have made the Italian Great Lakes a superb open-air sports ground, between hiking, biking or horseback riding, climbing or even rafting and canyoning. Around the lakes that are spread out at the foot of the Alps and on the heights, walkers, horseback riders and cyclists have a vast network of paths and trails. Among these are Verbania on Lake Maggiore, Sarnico on Lake Iseo, Salo and Riva del Garda on Lake Garda, Como on Lake Como and Lugano (Switzerland). There are also many beautiful views from the surrounding hills. There are also great opportunities in the parks and nature reserves, including the Val Grande National Park, one of the wildest in the country, located north of Lake Maggiore.
The shores of Lake Maggiore, Lake Como, Lake Iseo and Lake Garda form a real inland sea and the many water sports centers around these lakes are a delight for those who love to relax and enjoy water sports. Sailing, windsurfing, funboarding and kitesurfing are especially popular around Lake Garda (especially in Riva, Torbole, Gargnano, Toscolano-Maderno and Malcesine) and north of Lake Maggiore towards Cannobio; wakeboarding and water-skiing are available in Gravedona, north of Lake Como. But everywhere it is possible to rent small boats, kayaks, canoes, pedal boats or paddles.
Seaside and water sports
Of course, the seaside is also ideal for relaxing and practicing water sports.
On the Tyrrhenian coast, the Cinque Terre is a real paradise for divers: the coast of the region is protected and the marine fauna and flora are flourishing. And without tanks, you can have just as much fun with a mask and snorkel. And after walking the hundred or so kilometers of hiking trails in the Cinque Terre National Park, the wide beach of Monterosso al Mare (the only sandy one) and the rocky coves of the other seaside villages are just waiting for swimmers to have a good swim. You can easily rent kayaks and canoes to explore the coast.
In Tuscany, the seaside resorts of Marina di Massa, Viareggio, Forte dei Marmi, the Etruscan coastline and the island of Elba offer pleasant cruises, diving sessions and numerous water sports.
On the Adriatic coast , the coastline around Trieste, with its pebble beaches, coves and rocky capes, is ideal for relaxing and water sports. Not far away, sailing enthusiasts should not miss a stopover in the town of Barcola, known for its beach, which is very popular with the Triestinians, and for its marina. The spot is world famous for hosting the largest regatta in the Mediterranean basin, the Barcolana, on the second Sunday of October. Further on, on the other side of the gulf, the Friulian coast begins, with its long sandy beaches and natural reserves populated by numerous species of birds. The lagoons of Marano and Grado are the ideal refuge for those who want to avoid crowded beaches and enjoy the coastline with herons and cormorants.
After a detour to the famous Lido beach in front of Venice, head for Emilia-Romagna and Rimini. A city that comes alive in the summer and attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists (there are more than 5,000 hotels in the area!) thanks to its large sandy beaches. Riccione, Cattolica, Rimini... There are many possibilities in this Italian region to practice water sports. Water-skiing, wakeboarding, scuba diving, sailing, are just some of the disciplines that the coastline offers to vacationers in search of seaside pleasures.
Finally, in the Marche region, you should definitely head for the Conero natural park, near Ancona. Beyond the pine forests, this park offers a beautiful opening onto a coastline with breathtaking landscapes. This protected area offers unique landscapes, beaches, vegetation and sea beds. In summer, the fine sandy beaches of Porto Novo attract many people, and for those who want a little peace and quiet, they can reach the beautiful beach of Due Sorelle, accessible by boat from Numana.
In the hinterland, beautiful nature activities
Inland, between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic Seas, the development of agriturismo (green tourism) is ever increasing (a good option for horseback riding, by the way) and national and regional parks and protected reserves allow the practice of hiking, birdwatching, mountain biking, river fishing and all kinds of nature leisure.
In Emilia Romagna, the Apennines National Park, shared with neighboring Tuscany, offers hikers a landscape of mountains, forests, lakes and waterfalls where wolves, deer and mouflons roam, closely watched by golden eagles. The other national park is the Casentinesi Forests, which is home to the best preserved forests in Italy, if not Europe. Finally, in the north, the regional park of the Po Delta also offers superb landscapes, rich in pine forests and marshes. A dream playground for birdwatching enthusiasts!
In the Appenine Mountains, the town of Norcia in Umbria can be an ideal back-up base for accessing the Sibylline Mountains National Park, although most (80%) of this natural site covers the land of the neighboring region, the Marche. This national park is a prime spot for hiking in the heart of a wilderness with exceptional flora and fauna.
Tuscany's beautiful landscapes are perfect for hiking, horseback riding, biking and even hot air ballooning. The Via Francigena, one of the most important pilgrimage routes in Europe, offers a great opportunity for hiking. Like the Chianti region, where you can wander from vineyards to charming villages.
