From Oslo to Trieste: what are the 2023 destinations for art lovers in Italy and Europe?

Where to go on vacation in 2023? What are the most interesting destinations for art lovers, and gems to discover in Italy and Europe? As part of the TTG Travel Experience trade show in Rimini, we asked the directors of some of the leading tourism promotion bodies what well-known and lesser-known destinations they will focus on in 2023 to promote original and conscious cultural tourism. One fact to note that emerged from the interviews is the fact that Italians, even before the trip, inform themselves about the places they will see and sometimes know very well not only the cities but also the customs and traditions of the country that will be their destination. So let’s see what will be the 2023 destinations of Norway, Poland, Malta, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic as far as abroad is concerned. We also asked the same questions to two Italian entities, Basilicata and Friuli-Venezia Giulia: here are what itineraries they will focus on.

Let’s start with Norway with Elisabeth Ones, director of Visit Norway, who revealed that she is many times surprised by how much Italians know about the Northern European country. In fact, Italians are very familiar with Norwegian art and culture: they are very curious travelers, who inform themselves a lot, probably because they are so used to being in the midst of the much art that Italy offers that when they travel they are curious to discover other countries and what these countries offer from an artistic and cultural point of view. Literature and cinema, which have also spread the northern European lifestyle, certainly contribute to this prior knowledge. They are also nature lovers and are therefore also eager to see the scenic beauty that Norway offers, especially the fjords and the Northern Lights phenomenon that continues to fascinate all travelers. “We are trying to sell all of Norway year-round,” Ones said. “There are some destinations, like Oslo, that have invested so much in art and architecture. Among the new ones is the Munchmuseet that recently opened where all of Norway’s collections are combined in one museum-a beautiful gift for both locals and tourists. For the past month or so it has had another museum worth seeing, the National Gallery, with Norway’s most important artists from the 19th century to the present, including design.” Starting from Oslo you can move to the fjords to experience nature, mountains; you can go trekking or “soft” activities and experience Norway just like Norwegians do. Many beautiful to visit are also the Lofoten Islands, well known in Italy thanks to stockfish and Vikings. Lesser-known destinations that are worthwhile, however, are those in the central part, rich in history and famous for gastronomy, such as Trondheim, in the center of the Trøndelag region, an area just waiting to be discovered.

Poland for 2023 is focusing on various cultural itineraries, as Barbara Minczewa, director of thePolish Tourist Board, tells us. First and foremost is Krakow, as rich in art as its region, which offers UNESCO World Heritage sites, but Poland also has other cities where the ancient blends with modernity, such as the capital Warsaw (its historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site), which tells a story of reconstruction and attracts many tourists both for its museums where important works of ancient art, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s Lady with an Ermine, are preserved, and for its contemporary art and street art. Among the lesser-known but worthwhile destinations is Łódź, a little more than 100 kilometers from Warsaw, considered by National Geographic Traveller to be the “Best of the world” destination for sustainable tourism: it is the city of creativity, fashion and cinema (famous is its school where great Polish filmmakers were trained). Also worth visiting are Gdansk overlooking the Baltic Sea, Wroclaw and the colorful PoznaÅ„. And Lublin, the historic cultural capital of Eastern Europe. Poland is also home to one of the most important electronic music festivals, which attracts many young people every year. To be discovered, however, is the entire eastern part, which offers many places where a true melting pot of cultures can be felt: in fact, this is where Esperanto was born.

Ester Tamasi, director of Visit Malta, speaking about the Mediterranean archipelago proposes a series of cultural itineraries aimed at getting to know the entire cultural and historical heritage of the three islands Malta, Gozo and Comino. Among the sights to be visited are the temples in southern Malta, the UNESCO World Heritage capital Valletta, the former capital Mdina and the archipelago’s three megalithic temples. The island of Gozo features an important archaeological find. Historical interest in these places has grown strongly in recent years, leading tourists to go to Malta between October and April to discover the villages and wonderful architecture. Not to be missed in Malta is definitely the Co-Cathedral of St. John the Baptist built by the Order of the Knights of Malta and housing Caravaggio’s Beheading of St. John the Baptist. Among the new additions is Valletta underground, or the possibility of visiting the underground of Valletta. Malta is also landscape and nature, to be discovered with dedicated trekking routes. The archipelago also offers a full calendar of events throughout the year, from sports to music, not forgetting the festival dedicated to fireworks held in Valletta’s grand harbor.

The Italian public represents the second largest market after Germany for Slovenia, explains the director of theTourist Board of Slovenia, Aljoša Ota. The cultural itineraries that will be offered in 2023 start from the capital Ljubljana and then go on to explore different places in the country. The cultural offerings of the capital are very rich and range from the permanent exhibition to the famous summer concert festival that attracts many artists, but also worth seeing are the tangible and intangible UNESCO sites. Italians are very familiar with the art and culture of Slovenia and are always looking for new itineraries especially related to culture, traditions and cuisine. Among the most popular destinations are certainly the aforementioned Ljubljana, but also Slovenian Istria; among the many museums is the innovative Bee Museum. Less well known but worth enhancing is the part towards Hungary with the medieval and walled city of Ptuj, with a great deal of cultural offerings and linked to local traditions, and the much sought-after spa area.

Luboš Rosenberg, director Czech Tourist Board, invites us to discover the 2023 cultural itineraries in the Czech Republic. First and foremost the capital city of Prague, but the entity aims to enhance and tell the story of the entire Czech Republic, a country that has a great concentration of castles and fortresses and that in the Christmas season offers many Christmas markets that this year begin on November 26 with the lighting of the tree in Prague. In 2023, the theme proposed last year will be continued, namely the glass route, the valley of crystal: an experiential itinerary to discover the ancient craft of glassmaking and Bohemian crystal, where visitors will have the opportunity to visit old workshops and blow their own piece of glass. Factories and companies that today offer and make Bohemian crystal of the highest standard can be visited, as well as small workshops of artisans. In addition to Prague, which attracts 75 percent of Italian tourists, in the Czech Republic the small villages UNESCO sites, the towns and castles that are part of this rich cultural heritage, and the local breweries are worth visiting to tie the cultural visit to the pleasures of the table.

With the proposals abroad concluded, we move to Italy with Basilicata’s Apt director Antonio Nicoletti. Basilicata offers artistic-cultural itineraries to discover the network of small museums in inland areas: an area of extraordinary scenic charm and splendid villages surrounded by nature. The flagship of the region is certainly Matera, but to be visited and enhanced are the many villages on the territorial axis of the Appian Way.

One of the most beautiful emotions related to art set in a wonderful landscape is offered by the ArtePollino project, which reaches its climax in the world’s slowest merry-go-round. Lucanian art itineraries also enhance ancient routes, the paths of the consular roads: the ancient Appian Way, which from Vulture reaches the city of Matera and continues to Puglia, intersects with the Herculean Way that crosses Potenza to reach the upper Val d’Agri to the historical heritage of ancient Grumentum in the landscape context of the Lucanian Apennines Val d’Agri - Lagonegrese National Park, which offers good food and outdoor activities.

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We conclude with Antonella Russo, Promotion Promoturismo FVG area manager, who tells how Friuli-Venezia Giulia offers a rich variety of cultural itineraries in small and large centers each one different from the other. From a cosmopolitan city like Trieste, where an exhibition on Bansky is about to open, to cities like Udine, the center of Friuli, to Pordenone with its famous Pordenonelegge festival, Gorizia and nearby Nova Gorica, proclaimed European Capital of Culture 2025. Then there are UNESCO sites, from Aquileia to Cividale, or smaller centers such as Palmanova, Sappada and Venzone. When we talk about cultural tourism we are talking about tourism at three hundred and sixty degrees, so to try is the food and wine experience, both in small villages but also in larger cities, and then perhaps take a walk to the sea or the mountains. Also among the destinations to highlight is Spilimbergo, famous for its school for mosaicists. To visit all these towns and villages and to participate in special experiences, Friuli-Venezia Giulia offers the FVG card, which allows in two days or a week to visit and have free access to many attractions and guided tours that are organized by Promoturismo FVG.

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