That proverbial path is well-and-truly beaten but many of us have some memorable places perhaps others might veer off to see and experience, if you are willing to share.
For my part, Abruzzo stands out. Thanks to an Italian friend’s recommendation to visit his home region, we had a long weekend in Abruzzo. First we stayed in Santo Stefano di Sassanio at the Albergo Diffuso https://www.sextantio.it/santostefano/abruzzo/, a remarkable place. Santo Stefano di Sassanio was virtually abandoned in the 20th century but the project of creating the albergo diffuso preserved it. Diffuso comes from the particular arrangement of the lodging, throughout the village in old houses. Our was a two-story, two-room place with stone staircase, gentle lighting to mimic candlelight, rustic furnishings yet elegantly comfortable with completely modern bath. It was so rustic I am certain OSHA would not allow it to be occupied. ;-) On or way to our next stop, we climbed to the ruins of Rocco Calascio which you might remember from the movie “Lady Hawk.”
We moved on the Castelli, Abruzzo, renowned for its ceramics and ceramics museum and school. We met artisans who showed us around and stayed in a darling B&B. Almost no English spoken at the time we were there, a few years ago. Nearby we visited Campo Imperatore and several beautiful untouristed towns. Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga is easily visited and a bit wild.
Abruzzo has its own amazing cuisine that is seldom available elsewhere, even in Italy. A car is required, but our experience was uncrowded roads even in June. Shoot! Now I wanna go back!
What are your off-piste favorites?