With the return of sunny days, the ideal climate also returns for visiting cities, discovering new places and organizing trips out of town surrounded by nature. In fact, spring has always been the perfect season to organize a holiday, even if it is short. We have thought of five different destinations to experience for a long weekend away from home: in Italy and in Europe, in the city or outdoors, by car or by bike.
Slovenia on the road
Parks, lakes, caves, waterfalls, beaches: Slovenia, easily reachable by car especially from Northern Italy, offers a perfect natural landscape to explore with a road trip For example, Lake Bled and Lake Bohinj at the foot of the mountains and their surroundings are must-see destinations. Moving towards summer, the Slovenian sea and its pebble beaches have little to envy as regards the best seaside resorts in the Mediterranean. The capital Ljubljana, then, is one of the most beautiful European cities, ideal for a two-day visit
Bergamo, Brescia and Valcamonica
For the first time since the institution of this title, Italy has decided to nominate not one, but two cities as Capital of Culture: Bergamo and Brescia. A pairing designed to regenerate two places that have experienced a complicated period with the pandemic, but which have a lot to offer on a cultural, artistic and food and wine level, and above all a great desire to be reborn. For the occasion, there are many appointments and events not to be missed, while moving from one city to another, you can immerse yourself in the delightful Valcamonica and take a break on the shores of Lake Iseo.
Valencia
Among the many European cities, and in particular in Spain, which deserve a long weekend, we have chosen Valencia for its mild climate, its beaches, its markets, its paella and the futuristic complex of the City of Arts and Sciences, designed by the architects Calatrava and Candela. Furthermore, owing to its commitment to the fight against the climate and environmental crisis, Valencia was named European Green Capital 2024 by the Commission.
The white roads of Tuscany by bicycle
The landscapes and colours of the Tuscan hills are something unique, and It is a slow tourism experience, a perfect alternative to mass tourism, among vineyards, ancient villages and tastings at the end of the ride. For the more sporty, there is the opportunity is to try their hand on the same route as the Strade Bianche, the cycling race now considered by all to be the "sixth" great classic, which in recent years has in fact become an unmissable appointment for all the big names on the World Tour.
The Baltics, also only one of the three
We often mention them together, sometimes without having a clear and vivid distinction between them: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania. But even if with a past and characteristics in common, the three Baltic republics, to which the guideThe Passengerhas dedicated its latest issue, have unique habits customs and places to be discovered. You can choose to visit them together, or to discover only one, not just to stop at the capitals (Vilnius, Tallinn or Riga, all three still very beautiful) but to discover the luxuriant nature and the picturesque countryside towns.
