Emily & Zachary
Things To Do
Metropolitan City of Florence
Florence is a 1.5 hour train ride away from the venue. Home to Renaissance art, architecture, and incredible food. It's most iconic sight is the Duomo, a cathedral in the center of the city that you can climb to the top of for amazing panoramic views. At the Galleria dell'Accademia you can see Michelangelo’s “David” sculpture.
Metropolitan City of Venice
A little further away by train at 4 hours, Venice is known for its iconic waterway streets - which you can travel on by gondola! Gondola rides are a must if you go here, and usually not too pricy (sometimes your gondolier will even serenade you!) A must see is Piazza San Marco (St. Marks Square) - this is the heart of the city and where people gather to drink, talk, take photos, or have lunch. Spanning the Grand Canal, the Ponte di Rialto is Venice’s most popular bridge. From the top of the bridge, you can enjoy another fantastic, iconic view of this city. It's best at sunset before heading to dinner.
Province of Siena
If you're looking for a more quaint, relaxing spot, Sienna is it. A 2hr 40min train from the venue, this town is known for its medieval brick buildings and central square, Piazza del Campo - lined with restaurants serving amazing charcuterie and wine. Here there are many museums and shops to explore. You can also enjoy a lifechanging meal at Ristorante Tar Tufo on Via del Sole, known for truffles and northern Italian cuisine - try to get a seat outside for views across Sienna's rolling hills and farmland.
Cinque Terre
For coastal views in one of the most unique place in the world, you can head to Cinque Terre on a 3 hour train. Cinque Terre is a string of 5 towns (cinque) on the rocky coastline (terre) of the Italian Riviera. Cliffside hiking trails (or a convenient and cheap monorail) can get you to and from the fie towns: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Vernazza, Corniglia, and Monterosso al Mare. If you want to do the full hike, start early and plan 5 hours (worth it!) - and end at Monterosso al Mare (also accessible by the monorail) and head to the beach dotted with iconic striped umbrellas. There are countless restaurants and bars nestled into all the towns, each with views you'll never forget.
Metropolitan City of Milan
A 3 hour train ride away, Milan is the Italian capital of fashion and design. If Italy had a New York City with better food, wine, cheese, and museums, this would be it. The Gothic Duomo di Milano cathedral sits at the center of the town and the Santa Maria delle Grazie museum is home to Leonardo da Vinci's "The Last Supper". The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele is a beautiful mall that contains Italian designer shops like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Bvlgari, and Prada. It's also lovely to stroll through to window shop before heading to lunch or dinner. For views of the Duomo at night and great photos, go to Terraza Aperol on the main square.
Montepulciano
Another medieval Italian town in Tuscany, Montepulciano is known for its wine and 14th century Palazzo Comunal. It must be special because they filmed Twilight New Moon here. The Montepulciano grape is used to create a Vino Nobile, one of Italy's best reds. This is a great spot for food lovers (as if all of Italy isn't?) because the town is renowned for its pork, cheese, "pici" pasta, lentils, and honey as well as its wine - did I mention wine already? You can explore underground wine cellars and go on wine tours. There are also many family owned shops and restaurants on Il Corso (main street), as well as an overlook perfect to watch the sunset at - Orfanotrofio Antoniano.