Authentic experiences and curiosities

It is known that the travel and experience represent a source of personal enrichment and growth.

Living and exploring the artistic, cultural and landscape heritage of the place you visit and getting yourself in the everyday life of the locals through different type of experiences, these will be able to  capture the essence of various habits and customs. You will be involved in authentic and genuine experiences able to give you not only unique and funny moments but also making you feel part of the host community.

Whether you are travelling for business or pleasure, here are some local experiences you can enjoy. Let’s start from Italy: from North to South, Islands included.

Walking in the heart of Milan, for example, you will discover the hand-crafted soul still present in fascinating historical workshops and laboratories, where the ancient passion for craftmanships is handed down from generation to generation. A tour between ancient and modern history of real artisan excellence.

Alternatively, you can get lost in the maze of alleys and discover art, culture, curious anecdotes, historical palaces and secret gardens and conclude the day with a typical Milanese aperitif!

If you are in Venice, you can go on a journey in a typical Venetian atmosphere of the ‘700. You will discover the traditions of the Venetian Carnival through masks and costumes, balls and surprises. An experience where you will be transformed into an authentic Venetian nobleman or noblewoman ready for the Grand Ball!

If you are in Genoa, you can discover the charming medieval old town and visit a wonderful private Renaissance palace listed by UNESCO, where you will meet a pesto expert. He will welcome you and will unveil the secrets of how to prepare the real  pesto souce recipe and the secrets of pestle and mortar.

If you travel to the land of 1,000 souls you will discover Parma (and surroundings), which has got a special UNESCO award as “the creative city of gastronomy”. You can visit an authentic dairy factory to observe the artisanal processing of the King of Cheese (Parmiggiano Reggiano DOP), a ham factory or aging cellars for the culatello of Zibello and you can also taste and enjoy these delicacies!

Otherwise you can put your hands in the dough and learn how to prepare the traditional sfogline pasta or observe the ability of an expert of tortellini and try to prepare and cook them by yourself!

Let’s move to South of Italy with stop to the lively Naples, whose historical city centre is the biggest in Europe and has been declared UNESCO world heritage. Let’s get into the Neapolitan spirit with a cup of coffee in one of the historical places and then you will  go and discover the magic of crib art famous all over the world, chatting with their artists. The tour cannot end without a pizza taste, going to meet one of the oldest families of Pizza makers. Enjoy your lunch!

Another pleasant walking tour brings you through the narrow streets of Naples and the ancient tradition of its amulets against bad luck.

Continuing the travel to South you get to the beautiful  Lecce, city of baroque, where you can discover which mysteries and methapors are hidden behind the masks of noble palaces of 1600 and 1800.

And now let’s move to an island which has an ancient history, still rich in traditions and folklore and which has always preserved its own identity: Sardinia.

As firts experience, immerse yourself in its natural beauty and steep landscapes: the sea with torquoise and lapis color, evocative panoramic sights with rocks sculpted by the wind, white dunes and beaches, spectacular bays, a Mediterranean maquis rich in scent of juniper, mirtle and wild tyme; natural reserve and different caves. You can breath the authenticity of a very beautiful and magic island!

Another experience which brings you to a far and surprising past traces the nuragic civilization. Indeed, thanks to new archeological discoveries the traveller can live a special unique trip experience.

Talking about ancient traditions, you can live experential itineraries discovering the art of weaving. Thanks to the manual skills handed down from generations, the creation of Sardinian baskets represents one of the most ancient artisan activities of this land. Skilled artisans will tell you the history of basketry, the tecniques, types and usages, living demonstrations of how a typical Sardinian basket is made. Maybe, you might make one too!

A very interesting and particular experience is to discover the very old tradition of bread-making. The Sardinian bread hands down cultural values and significant symbols. There is also a museum which exhibits about 400 different type of bread. In the museum or visiting laboratories you can undertake a course on different type of bread both for the ingredients and on the base of social classes and ceremonies. You can actively partecipate to the preparation of bread together with bakeries and learn the art of decorations.

Another nice experience might be the meeting with an embroiderer. The art of beautiful embroidered shawls seems to be willing to disappear. You must be very skillful and have infinite patience. Only expert hands with needle and thread, silk and wool can creat real masterpieces!