Discover Florence during the 8 December Immaculate Conception long weekend and enjoy the city at its most festive. The ideal choice is to stay at the Brunelleschi Hotel which has exclusive packages that are a mix of relaxation and fun. What better than these special offers and this 4-day weekend to dedicate to the exploration of Florence’s incredible artistic heritage?  

Christmas lights on the main monuments

Florence’s Christmas atmosphere starts in early December with the traditional Christmas markets, and to make the atmosphere even more festive the Moon F-Light Festival’s Christmas lights and projections light up the main monuments such as the Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Vecchio, Palazzo dei Medici and Piazza Santa Maria Novella. 

Art galleries open on 8 December 

The longest ice skating rink in Europe in the garden of the Fortress is another major attraction together with the famous Santa Claus Village, where you can enjoy excellent street food, and get to meet Santa Claus.  In addition to strolling around the old centre and Christmas shopping in the traditional Christmas markets, you must also visit the city’s famous museums and art galleries, from the Uffizi Gallery to the Palatine to the Accademia, all of which will be open on 8 December.

A signature restaurant with two Michelin stars

The Brunelleschi Hotel is the perfect solution for fully immersing yourself in the magical atmosphere of Christmas in Florence. Located in the heart of the historic centre the hotel has been renovated in an extremely elegant contemporary yet classic style. The Santa Elisabetta is the hotel's gourmet restaurant. It is one of the top gastronomic addresses in Florence, and was awarded its second Michelin star in 2021 The property’s more informal Osteria Pagliazza has a delicious menu based on local ingredients. 

Special packages from 3 to 11 December

To mark this year's Immaculate Conception festivities The Brunelleschi has a special offer for its guests. The Immaculate Conception Package includes one or more nights in the room of your choice, breakfast, free Wi-Fi, use of the fitness area, and a sweet gift with a cup of hot chocolate at the Tower Bar on 8 December. Prices in double rooms start from €398.00 and are valid for stays from 3 to 11 December. 

The online travel agency (OTA) Portale Sardegna, announces that it has created the company Welcomely S.r.l. with the aim of developing the non-hotel sector, in continuity with the growth and consolidation of Portale Sardegna Point and the Welcome to Italy project. The company was founded by two partners: l’Emittente, and Bentu Experience.

Network Expansion and strengthening connections

Welcomely's idea is to act as a driver of local innovation and to expand the network between holiday home owners and local Italian experts. The aim is to provide wide visibility and the necessary support to the members of the Welcome to Italy supply chain. Welcomely will create links and strengthen connections between the different "Welcome to Italy Points,” through their Local Experts and the local supply chain: owners of holiday apartments, Bed & Breakfasts, tour operators, organisers of leisure, cultural, gastronomic and wine experiences.

Confidence from the CEO of Portale Sardegna

Massimiliano Cossu, CEO of Portale Sardegna: "The great work that our Local Experts are doing on the island shows us that we are on the right track. We are confident that with Bentu Experience, as of today our new partner in Welcomely, we will significantly accelerate the objectives of the Welcome to Italy project in terms of hotel extras.  Marco Celani, CEO of Italianway: "We are delighted to continue supporting the development of the Local Expert network under the new Welcomely brand. We expect exponential growth both in the number of accommodations managed and in the value of bookings attracted.”

Although Ticino is known for its lakeside Mediterranean winters, it also offers the opportunity to enjoy nature in the stunning snow-capped mountains. Every year new hiking and snowshoeing trails await you. Monoski courses in Airolo extend the largest Ticino skiing district’s opportunities to those with disabilities. This special device allows for speed and mobility while also remaining compatible with ski lifts. Traditional dualskiing is also offered, both guided and unguided, accommodating all levels of autonomy.

New winter hiking trail to the Capanna Gorda

The new 6.23 km long winter hiking trail of the Bleno Valley, leads to the seasonal Gorda Cabin with an elevation change of roughly 600 metres. Tours set off from Camperio and go through an enchanting fir forest to the cabin, while overnight stays are available in the heated neighbouring building named GAIA.

Snowshoe tours and swings overlooking Nara

Nara is a sun-kissed, small, enchanting ski district in the Valle di Blenio. This winter Ticino’s winter sports offer will include a new 6-km snowshoeing circuit. The tour sets off by chairlift from Leontica to the station at Cancorì, where the new snowshoe route begins and ends.

Mono-skis and guides

Airolo is the largest skiing area in Ticino. The mono-ski, which is for people with limitations in the lower limbs, is the same as classic skiing, but those who prefer two skis can opt for dual skiing, with a guide or alone. And for the ascent they can use the chairlifts or the ski lifts. www.tirex.ch

Zoomarine will be the first amusement park in Italy, near Rome, entirely accessible to the deaf and hearing-impaired, with all activities translated and communicated in sign language (LIS) thanks to the Park’s commitment to social inclusion practices. The first steps include all animal demonstrations being translated into the LIS language while all videos broadcast on social media will be subtitled.

Training in the sign language for Zoomarine’s personnel

Following training in sign language the Zoomarine staff will be able to communicate and assist deaf and hearing-impaired visitors, making their visit a complete and satisfying experience.

The training course is due to start on 29 November and will continue until spring 2022. At the end of the course each department involved with the public will have a contact person who can welcome deaf visitors. This is an unprecedented innovation in the world of Italian parks.

Every weekend from until 28 November young and old visitors to Gardaland can enjoy live shows, special decorations and meet-&-greets with the most loved characters, and there are also many fun animations. This is Gardaland’s first edition of Prezzemolo & Friends with new special openings in November dedicated in particular to the little ones.

Open until 28 November

For the first time ever Gardaland Resort is extending the opening beyond Halloween, relaunching a season that started with a considerable delay and is now going to run through November, a month that tempts families to get out of doors on weekends, as the temperatures on the lake are often milder than in the city.

Combined tickets for two parks and the aquarium

For Prezzemolo & Friends the combined €25 euro ticket for adults and €22 euro reduced, will include Gardaland Park, Miniland and also Gardaland Sea Lige Aquarium, the themed aquarium with over 5,000 marine creatures, including cute sea lions. The park will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 5pm, and Gardaland Sea Life Aquarium will open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 5pm.

When the Boscareto Resort & Spa reopens in spring 2022, chef Michelangelo Mammoliti will take over at the helm of its gourmet restaurant.  Following recent extensive renovations to the property, the Dogliani family has announced the arrival of the Piedmont chef at its new restaurant, La Rei Natura by Michelangelo Mammoliti.

New menus and a new kitchen brigade

“We are thrilled to collaborate with one of the most talented chefs in Italy. There are also new things happening in the other restaurants in our 5-star resort, and we will be announcing these soon,” said Valentina Dogliani, managing director Il Boscareto Resort & Spa Michelangelo Mammoliti will take over at the Boscareto Resort & Spa from the beginning of February 2022, and there will be changes not only to the menus but also to the kitchen brigade.  

Locally-grown and raised products on the menu 

“So many changes! But what does not change is my concept of ​​cooking and my approach to raw materials. While the neurogastronomic derivation of the dishes will not change, what will change is how we exalt the natural element,” commented Mammoliti.  This union of two worlds - Il Boscareto Resort & Spa and chef Mammoliti - is set to develop into a multi-year project focusing on nature and on the region to which it belongs.

There is an alternative way to discover the fabulous landscapes of Sardinia. Just tak the Trenino Verde (Little Green Train) that connects the coast to the hinterland. Traveling along the historic Trenino Verde railway line, that for 130 years has connected the interior of Sardinia to the coast, you will discover villages suspended in time, breathtaking landscapes and spectacular views along this journey to a very authentic and lesser-known side of the island.

Narrow-gauge tracks and unhurried journeys

The Trenino Verde is the longest tourist railway network in Europe, measures 438 kilometres and has five different branches. This line that will lead you to the heart of the region originates from the old narrow-gauge tracks built between the 19th and 20th centuries, days in which rail travel was unhurried and along winding routes towards marvellous landscaped areas.

There are five routes from the coast into the interior

During the 1980s these old complementary routes got a new lease of life with the Trenino Verde, so called because of the many stretches rich in vegetation encountered along the way.  There are five lines and the train operates all year round carrying passengers from the coastal areas towards the interior of Sardinia.

Palau

Palau - Tempio

This part of the route crosses the whole of the Gallura region along the Sassari-Palau railway line. The journey is 59 kilometres long and lasts about three and a half hours. The train leaves from Palau and arrives in Tempio, the highest point on the line at over 500 meters asl.

Bosa

Macomer - Bosa

This route is 46 kilometres long and takes an hour and fifty minutes. On the first part of the journey it passes through the Campeda Plateau, at over 500 meters asl, before descending towards Tresnuraghes and the sea at ​​Bosa.

Mandas - Laconi

The itinerary from Mandas to Laconi is 37 kilometres long and passes through the beautiful Sarcidano and Barbagia di Belvì areas, taking two hours and forty-five minutes.  

Mandas - Seui

This route is 72 kilometres long and takes three hours and forty minutes, passing through the Gennargentu mountain range, past the Flumendosa river and into the wild mountains of the Barbagia region.

Arbatax

Arbatax - Gairo

This 62-kilometre route takes three hours and a half with the Trenino Verde passing through the mountain villages of Elini and Lanusei, past the Lago Alto del Flumendosa lake and arriving in Gairo Taquisara, where you can experience the unusual and fascinating circumstance of visiting the ghost villages of Osini Vecchio and Gairo Vecchio.