Reisinformatie: Italy

This stunning, Mediterranean peninsula is cut off from its northern neighbours by the colossal Alpine range.

From here, the verdant Apennine mountains run the entire length of Italy to the southern Reggio Calabria and the Strait of Messina. After the fall of the Roman Empire, this region consisted of feuding city-states and kingdoms, until they were unified under King Vittorio Emanuele II in 1871. It was only after the Second World War that Italy evolved into today’s democratic republic. This cultural melting pot of related but independent ethnicities has made exceptional contributions to western civilisation: the enduring legacy of Imperial Rome, the art and science of the Renaissance and world-celebrated food, wine, opera and cinema, to name just a few.