If you’re like us, the turn of the New Year has us dreaming of all the adventures that the year 2022 will bring. And even though, yes, 2022 is pronounced “2020, too”, we’re determined to make next year one to remember for the best reasons possible! So grab that suitcase, brush up on your Italian, and get ready to discover the LGBTQ+ side of Italy with these 4 LGBTQ-Inspired Trips to Italy for the New Year.
1. LGBTQ+ Friendly Piedmont and Much More!
Any season is a good season to visit Piedmont. Winter is amazing for ski lovers; spring is the green season and the region blossoms in all shades of colors; summer is the season to go and visit vineyards or travel to discover small hamlets and their castles; and Autumn is vintage time in the wineries and when you can experience truffle hunting. Turin, Piedmont’s capital, is now well renowned for its palaces and royal residences like Venaria Reale, as well as for its International Movie Museum, and for it’s baroque architecture. Discover the best of LGBTQ+ friendly Piedmont in this 14-day tour that brings you to Turin, The Alps, Alba, Lake Maggiore, and much more!
While any time of year is a great time to visit the island just under the “Italian boot” separated by the Messina Strait, join us in September when the weather is still quite hot in Sicily, and the sea is crystalline blue. Throughout history, the island was conquered by Normans, Spaniards, French, and Arabs, making it a melting pot with great cultural and natural heritage. It is also a cradle of LGBTQ+ experiences, with the town of Catania being considered the most gay-friendly town in the island. This tour spans eight days in Sicily, in Catania, with excursions to the Volcano Mt. Etna on 4×4 Jeep as a full day excursion and a sea tour to Taormina the pearl of the Mediterranean, a “buen retiro” for many gay artists during the 19th and 20th century.
3. Gay and Lesbian Italian Life by High-Speed Train
This experience gets travelers deep inside the gay and lesbian Italian life while admiring three of the most appreciated cities in Italy: Milan, Florence and Rome. This one is for the arts and culture lovers, as you’ll discover some of the most definitive artworks that have made these cities so much appreciated by everyone. LGBTQ+ expert-led tours will let you walk in the footsteps of great queer personalities of the past, from Leonardo da Vinci in Milan to Michelangelo in Rome, passing through the wonderful Tuscany, one of the most gay-friendly regions in Italy. And you’ll see it all via high-speed train, where you can sit back, relax, and take in Italy’s gorgeous landscapes.
Known as the City of Romance, there’s no better spot than Venice to connect with your partner and immerse yourself in a city that feels like nowhere else in the world. Venice was once the first gay community in Europe, always welcoming the “others” since it’s founding by refugees in the fifth century A.C. Lord Byron was one of the mentors of the European high society arriving in Venice in 1816, and this tour visits Palazzo Mocenigo, where Lord Byron lived, wrote, and loved in a sixteenth century building. Then from the Rialto Bridge, a must-visit in Venice, our trail unveils both historic places of gay meetings and courtyards (‘Campi’, ‘Campielli’) where prostitution was fostered and well-accepted, and ends with the story of the Adventures of Casanova.
More details on all the tours mentioned can be found at Quiiky.com/en, where you can book each one individually. Also, if you’re looking for something more suited to your needs – whatever those may be – get in touch to book one of Quiiky’s Tailor-Made Tours of Italy. Our LGBTQ+ travel experts will work with you to create a custom itinerary based on your tastes.
Here’s to a happy and healthy and adventure-filled 2022!
