3 Italian Cities to Add to Your 2024 Travel Bucket List

Many people spend their whole lives dreaming of traveling to Italy someday. That day finally became a reality for me in July 2023, only 2 weeks into my 12 week European backpacking trip, starting with the Sicilian city of Catania.

Over the next 5 weeks, I gradually made my way from southern to northern Italy, staying in some of Italy's largest cities to some of Italy's smallest mountain towns. With such a large variety of destinations across many different regions, I found several Italian cities that I fell in love with.

Here are 3 Italian cities to add to your 2024 travel bucket list:

Bologna

Nicknamed the Red City, Bologna is the capital city of the Emilia-Romagna region. Every direction you look, you'll find beautiful porticos (or arches), red tile roofs (hence the nickname), and buildings painted in hues of orange, red, and yellow.

If you've heard of Bolognese sauce or pasta, now you know where it came from. I can confirm, after multiple taste tests, that it is incredibly delicious, and it's even better when you get it from the source! 

Pisa

Famous for it's leaning tower, this Italian city is full of charm. Now over 850 years old, the Leaning Tower of Pisa stands tall in the historic center of Pisa. From around just about any corner, you can see this iconic landmark peering over the tops of buildings.

In addition, this city has so much more to offer and is very walkable. You'll find many restaurants with tasty pastas and delicious wines for reasonable prices. The Arno River cuts the city in half and provides a beautiful spot to watch the sunset, if you aren't going to be at the tower instead.

Domodossola

Tucked away in northern Italy, with Switzerland surrounding it from the north, east, and west, is a small Italian city called Domodossola. This city feels like it's a mix of both countries and their cultures.

Walking around this city will lead you to many small stores and restaurants. If you're there for the first Sunday of the month (at least through the Summer months), you'll get to experience the street market with local food, craft, and shopping vendors.

Italy is such a magical place with rich, vibrant history at every turn. There really isn't a city that you shouldn't add to your 2024 travel bucket list, but these are 3 cities you absolutely can't miss.