Finding Italy’s best secret spots
Weka Travel’s Josh Loughnan shares some of his favourite off-the-beaten-track experiences in Italy
Travelling through the painterly landscapes, coastal towns and sun-kissed stone villages of Italy is a life-affirming, illuminating experience. But how to navigate it without the crowds and find the hidden gems? Travel expert and former resident Josh Loughnan, founder of Weka Travel, has some top tips.
EAT LIKE A LOCAL IN VENICE
Cicchetti – it’s a word to savour. Beloved by Venetians, cicchetti are small plates using fresh seasonal ingredients – think squid and fish, breads, polenta, aubergine, cheeses, ham, or figs. Classics include mortadella sausage, baccalà mantecato (creamed salt cod) or sarde in saor (sardines in sweet and sour sauce). You can find these local delicacies in bacari, or backstreet taverns. Best enjoyed standing, alongside the locals, while you sip an ombra – a small glass of local vino.
CITY OF WINE
Wine connoisseurs rejoice – each September in an ancient city southeast of Rome is the Sagra dell’Uva – a festival celebrating the grape harvest, with wine, food and dancing, which takes over the city for four days a year. The best bit? You can eat as many free grapes as you wish, and the city’s fountains literally flow with free wine for the duration of the festival. Saluti!
MAGICAL LAKE MAGGIORE
If you want the beauty of Lake Como without the crowds, then Lake Maggiore is idyllic. Its pristine water is surrounded by palazzi and villas, lush forest walks and views of the towering Alps. Dine on Isola dei Pescatori, or Fisherman’s Island, where you can choose from the day’s fresh catch served in the trattorie and ristoranti which line the cobbled lanes.
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