Italy, a European country with a long Mediterranean coastline, has beautiful places and remarkable sights. LA BELLA ITALIA is geographically divided into twenty regions and each region has a capital. The regions are as follows: Valle d'Aosta, Piedmont, Liguria, Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Emilia Romagna, Tuscany, Umbria, Marche, Lazio, Abruzzo, Molise, Campania, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy's capital, Rome, is home to the Vatican as well as landmark art and ancient ruins.

The seas that bathe the Italian coasts are six: the Adriatic, the Ionian Sea, the Tyrrhenian Sea, the Ligurian Sea, the Sicilian Sea and the Sardinian Sea. To the north lie the alps and the germanic nations of Austria and Switzerland. To the est lies the Balkans, to the west France and several African nations to the south. The inside of Italy is usually mountainous, with the exception of the Po valley to the north. In southern Italy are many signs of volcanic activities such as Mount Etna. The variety is quite amazing, from sandy, palm lined beaches to Swiss like mountain pastures with cows and everything in between.

Italy is probably the friendliest place to cycle in Europe. Italian people are warm curious and friendly. As in most European nations, real cycling is considered racing. This incredible country has everything and is very highly rated in my point of view for any cycle tour of Europe. As in most European nations, cycling is a national sport, on weekends you are sure to encounters group's of racing cyclists - of all ages any sexes!

The Italian peninsula is shaped like a boot and between landscapes, cities, culture, art, cultural variety in terrain, and climate, this country has a lot to offer!