6Venice, Lido, Veneto
Lido di Venezia became the first European seaside resort in the 19th century when the British poet and romantic Lord Byron was the first famous foreign tourist to arrive. As a result, the place developed into a fashionable seaside resort with luxurious hotels.
Lido was also the setting for the novella of Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice and is the venue for the Venice International Film Festival.
Lido itself is a seven-mile stretch of beach off Venice. Together with the islands of Pellestrina and Sottomarina to the south and the Cavallino headland to the north, the spit forms the outer boundary of the Venice lagoon.
As if Venice wasn’t already beautiful enough, Lido adds one more charm to La Serenissima. For celebrities like Serge Diaghilev, Coco Chanel, and Thomas Mann in particular, the seaside resort became an attractive destination.
7Portofino, Italian Riviera
Portofino became famous for la dolce vita in the 1950s and ‘60s, when movie stars such as Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor, and Sophia Loren vacationed here. The town is still a star-studded destination—Madonna, Cate Blanchett, Heidi Klum, and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been photographed in the Italian fishing village in recent years. Long ago, Portofino was an ancient Roman colony, seized by the Republic of Genoa in 1229. The French, Spanish, English, Austrians, and a 16th-century band of pirates have all taken their turn at ruling Portofino.
Insider Tip: Portofino caters to its affluent visitors, so if you’re traveling on a budget, you may want to stay in nearby Camogli or Santa Maria Ligure.
