Custom Italian Travel Planning for Unforgettable Moments
Through the Arch
Ciao!
Last month, I was skiing in the Dolomites, and I NEED to talk about this trip.
First, the concept: a ski safari. You ski from place to place while your luggage is simultaneously transported to your next hotel. No schlepping bags in and out of trains or cars. Just you, the slopes, and some of the most incredible scenery you've ever seen.
It's brilliant.
What made this trip work so seamlessly? My partners on the ground. They handle the logistics so you can focus on the experience. The guides know which runs to hit, where to stop for lunch, and how to navigate the Sella Ronda like a pro. This is the kind of local knowledge you can't Google your way into. Watch the highlights here!
If you've been thinking about a ski trip that's a little more interesting than your standard resort week out west or in Vermont, let's have a serious talk.
This region is spectacular in BOTH seasons (check out my summer highlightsone, two, three, four), but the way you experience it changes completely.
The Dolomites are also incredibly easy to combine with other northern Italian destinations. Fly into Milan for a few days of aperitivo and culture. Spend a long weekend in Venice. Add Lake Como or Verona to the mix. The Dolomites aren't some far-flung corner of Italy; they're a natural extension of any northern Italy itinerary.
I can't wait for you ALL to experience their magic too!
Now onto Abruzzo.
Discover: Abruzzo
Capital: L'Aquila
Known for: Being the region everyone forgets about until they see photos and kick themselves for skipping it. Abruzzo has the highest peaks in the Apennines, medieval hill towns that time forgot, national parks full of wildlife, and a coastline on the Adriatic. Locals will tell you it's "forte e gentile" (strong and kind), which tracks. Consider visiting: June-September for hiking and beaches, December-March for skiing.
Stay
A restored 18th-century farmhouse in the hills between the mountains and the sea that is both elegant and completely unpretentious. Close enough to the coast for a beach day, close enough to the mountains for a hike, perfect for doing absolutely nothing.
The property has all the perfect components to create Italian countryside magic - stone walls, terracotta floors, antique furniture, a pool, gardens, and views over olive groves and vineyards. The restaurant focuses on Abruzzo's traditional dishes made with ingredients from their own farm and local producers.
Rooms start at LESS than $400/night in the peak of summer - an absolute STEAL for a property with a Michelin Key. And that, my friends, is the reward for taking the Italy less traveled.
Visit
A perfectly preserved medieval hill town at 1,250 meters that looks like a movie set but is real. The buildings are made from local white stone, the streets are cobblestoned and steep, and there are only about 115 residents.
The village was once nearly abandoned and has been restored carefully. There are no modern facades, no gift shops selling cheap souvenirs, and NO Sephoras. It feels authentically frozen in time.
Stay over in a restored medieval house or visit for lunch, walk the stone streets, and take approximately one thousand photos.
Experience
Trabocchi are traditional wooden fishing platforms that jut out over the Adriatic on stilts and look like something out of a fairy tale. They were built centuries ago for fishing with nets, and now many of them have been converted into seafood restaurants where you eat literally over the water.
The fish is as fresh as it gets, caught that morning and sometimes by the same family running the restaurant. You'll eat brodetto (fish stew), grilled seafood, pasta with clams, and whatever else came out of the sea that day. The whole experience is unforgettable: wooden planks under your feet, waves below, sunset over the water, and seafood that tastes like the ocean.
Book ahead. These fill up fast in summer for obvious reasons.
Taste
Tiny skewers of lamb grilled over an open flame and eaten by the dozen. They're an Abruzzo tradition, usually cooked on a special long narrow grill called a fornacella, and served with nothing but salt and maybe some bread.
The meat is cut from castrated sheep, which is a weird thing to mention, but “castrated sheep yield better meat." WHAT a marketing slogan!
You'll find them at roadside stands, mountain rifugios, and family restaurants. Order way more than you think you'll need. They're small, they're delicious, and you will absolutely want more.
Drink
A sweet cherry liqueur made from sour cherries, Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine, and whatever else is in the family recipe that no one will fully share with you. It's deep red, aromatic, and tastes like grown-up cherry candy.
Traditionally served as a digestivo after dinner, my move would be to pour it over vanilla gelato and watching it turn into an instant affogato situation without the caffeine.
Every family in Abruzzo seems to have their own version, and they're all convinced theirs is the best. They might all be right, but how will you know if you don't so some extensive research and test the claims.
Ciao for now!
Ashley
Don’t just dream about it.
Let’s design the Italian trip you've always imagined!
