Is Italy Still Worth Visiting — Or Are We Just Obsessed With Its Past?

Is Italy overrated or just not listening? We keep visiting the same old places, but maybe the real Italy is hiding somewhere else. There’s more to Italy than clichés and crowded sights.

Italy is often celebrated for its timeless art, history, and cuisine, but what truly makes this country special are the smaller, quieter experiences that usually go unnoticed. As an expat living amidst the Alps, I’ve discovered that there are countless opportunities to connect with nature, local traditions, and the changing seasons even in regions famed for their tourist attractions.

I forgot to tell you about my favourite event of the year here in the Alps: the narcissus flowering. There is something magical about seeing infinite meadows and feeling their perfume… By the way, I have a problem: I do not support many odors but the scent of narcissus I like and that is why I can say you that there is a big difference between the flowers that were 50 years ago and today: many flowers (and narcissus among them) do not have their fantastic profume they had when I was a girl.

But the narcissus in the Alpine meadows is still natural with its natural smell. You go there, in the middle, and wait for the wind. A breath of wind arrives and envelops you in this blanket of perfume. The wind continues flying its way - and you remain waiting for the next one…

Many hikers and bikers enjoy the flowering periods - and those who earn money from them, too. Many parks create meadows of cultivated flowers to attract visitors. There is an antique park near my house. It is famous for its rhododendrons. About 120 varieties were planted by the family that created this park about 150 years ago.

In recent years, the authorities planted blue hortensia first and then yellow narcissus.

Now, there is an extended period when different plants flower, and people visit these meadows. People need a reason to go to a place they've already seen 100 times. These events help to draw us to places we would never go otherwise, like the daffodil fields I visited this year (pictured above). I accidentally saw that there were daffodils there, too (about the narcissus near Biella I wrote here two years ago, I think), and went to visit them.

This is what I like here in northern Italy: they react quickly to the requests of Italian tourists who are tired of places "affected" by overtourism and the high cost of living. They often want to stay home, knowing that Italy has many treasures to explore.

So, for example, I’m waiting until 20 June to go to a village with fields of lavender. They say the flowering begins later this year, and the village website has just written about when to visit it and the tourist paths they prepared among the fields of lavender and the burgs.

I found these two plants in the Aosta Valley last week (photo), but the best time to visit is from the end of June through all of July, since the villagers know better when the flowering period is.

I wanted to say that adventure and discovery don’t have to mean traveling far or chasing after crowded hotspots. Many of the most rewarding experiences happen when you step off the beaten path, guided by local knowledge and a sense of curiosity. Whether it’s wandering through lavender fields in the Alps, exploring hidden meadows of wildflowers, or simply waiting for the next breath of mountain perfume, these moments make living (and visiting Italy in this case) truly special.

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