Autumnal Sailing Delights

You visit Livorno, the gateway to Tuscany, and explore the region’s Renaissance heritage, Italian lifestyle, art and architecture. You can discover Lucca, known for its Renaissance architecture, palaces, churches and elegant piazzas. You can also visit Siena, a Gothic city with a historic old quarter. Nearby San Gimignano is known for its medieval towers, while its old quarter is protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

As you sail toward Corsica, you notice the sea breeze and the scent of the island’s macchia. You visit Bastia, a port city with a Mediterranean atmosphere, and explore Saint-Nicolas Square and the old town near the harbor. You can also see Corsica’s varied landscape, including mountains, valleys, cliffs, and beaches.

Some decisions are really not easy in Viareggio. On the one hand, the traditional seaside resort on the Liguarian Sea offers all the pleasures of an Italian vacation with small ice cream parlors, long sandy beaches and a promenade for strolling. On the other hand, there is charming Lucca, which is only about half an hour away. In Giacomo Puccinis birthplace, you can stroll along the city walls in the shade of old plane trees. And in the almost car-free center, an opulent panorama of Roman alleys, churches and domes, wide squares and proud palaces opens up.

Portofino has a prominent position on a peninsula on the Italian Riviera and, since the 1950s, has developed into an elegant marina. The "dolce vita" seems to have been born here. You can unwind in classy bars and cafés in front of beautifully restored facades, browse for treasures in the backstreets and observe the comings and goings on the port's promenade. At first glance, Portofino is a picturesque fishing village. However, you will soon notice that it is also a sophisticated retreat for exclusive megayachts, as well as a great hideaway for anyone who knows how to enjoy the charming and stylish traditional atmosphere.

Climbing the rigging, untying ropes, setting sails – today is all about sailing. Time to lean back and relax in the deck chair and watch the passionate crew hoisting the sails by hand.

Calvi has something enjoyable to suit every taste. Romantics can take a walk through the old town and the view from the fortified walls is not to be missed. A stroll through the town's streets brings you to the colorful, lively lower town with its bars and exclusive cafés. Anyone who enjoys a walk on the sand will love the town's long beach. To the east, sheltered by the highest mountains in Corsica, a lush green wild garden has grown around Calvi, filled with olive groves and orange trees. In the La Balagne region in the interior, you can discover hidden picturesque villages which show you the traditional side of Corsica and, displaying the idiosyncratic pride on the island, there is scarcely a road sign that is not written in the Corsican language.

At the end of the 19th century, the aristocracy and rich industrialists had clear priorities when it came to vacationing. They looked for a climate that was mild all year round, next to the sea, preferably with a casino and a touch of French charm. Add the romantic aroma of carnation and rose petals to achieve perfection! The fishing village of Sanremo, Liguria, became a sophisticated seaside resort — and the center of the Riviera of Flowers. In just a few years, plenty of elegant hotels and Gründerzeit villas were built near Porto Vecchio, Piazza Colombo, and Corso Matteotti. The oriental-looking old town of La Pigna in Sanremo offers an interesting contrast to so much elegance.

Nice lies in one of the world's most lavishly endowed natural landscapes. The sea glows azure and the mountains in the background rise picturesquely up into the sky. Castle Hill gives you a fantastic view over the rambling old town – a labyrinth of alleyways with Baroque churches, pastel-colored houses and red-tiled roofs. The Promenade des Anglais, a sophisticated, five-kilometer-(3 miles)long walkway along the magnificent Baie des Anges and its long beach, lies at the heart of the elegant new town, with its splendid palaces and aristocratic hotels in the Belle-Époque and Art Deco styles.