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The Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Italy in December 2025
- Alessandro Loja
- 5 days ago
- 5 min read
Italy in December has a quiet kind of magic: the crowds have faded, the air feels sharper, and small towns glow with the golden light of Christmas markets and crackling fireplaces. It’s the perfect time to experience Italy as it truly is: slow, authentic, and deeply human.
If you’re wondering where to travel in Italy in December 2025, here’s our curated journey, from snow-dusted alpine villages to southern towns twinkling with festive lights.
Merano, South Tyrol: Alpine Elegance Meets Warm Advent Glow
Merano is a little resort town where luxury and everyday happiness coexist. The Adler building in the old town towers over the banks of the Passirio, and every December, the pedestrian promenade is transformed into a Christmas market, complete with lights, fir boughs, and the aroma of mulled wine (vin brulé) and cinnamon. Handmade ceramics, candles, and spruce decorations are available from artisans in wooden huts along the river, together with food stands selling strudel, black bread, and speck.
Merano is a rural haven because it strikes a balance between the serene mountain environment and the cosy human presence of Christmas. It’s also known for its amazing and big spa, where you can relax, indoors or outdoors, before enjoying your next glass of mulled wine.
Where to eat: You must try Forsterbräu for a classic South Tyrolean meal and a good beer.
Travel Tip: In less than a 30-minute ride, you can reach Bolzano, the largest nearby town, with another beautiful local Christmas market, though much more crowded than Merano.
Aosta, Valle d’Aosta: Ski slopes and ice skating vibes
Aosta is small but full of history, Roman ruins, medieval walls, and views of Mont Blanc that make you stop mid-sentence. In December, the old town transforms into the Marché Vert Noël, a Christmas village built inside the ancient Roman theatre.
You can wander between artisan stalls under snow-covered arches, tasting local Fontina cheese and handmade chocolates from nearby Cogne. If you prefer, there’s also a large ice-skating rink in the city center. Skiers can reach the slopes of Pila in just 20 minutes by cable car, making Aosta a perfect mix of culture and mountain life. At the top, you can enjoy a ski run with amazing views, or spend time in the fun park with sleds and snow tubes perfect for families.
Where to eat: Don’t miss Osteria dell'Oca and Osteria La Vache Folle for a fun and delicious dinner.
Travel Tip: Combine Aosta with a few nights in Courmayeur for hot springs, mountain dining, and panoramic views of the Alps.
Gubbio, Umbria: A Medieval Town Lit by the World’s Largest Christmas Tree
The stone lanes of Gubbio, nestled beneath the slopes of Monte Ingino, murmur with centuries of winter nights. This small town is a typical medieval Italian borgo, with narrow streets and winding corners lined with local shops and traditional restaurants.
Every December, the town becomes the backdrop for what the Guinness Book of Records calls the largest Christmas tree in the world, a massive outline of lights that illuminates the mountain above the town walls. At dusk, you step into a quiet piazza with the star-tipped tree rising behind you, crisp, chilly air, chestnuts roasting by the fountain, and music drifting from an old café. Gubbio’s sense of scale and calm is what makes it a hidden treasure.
For italians, Gubbio is known because hostesd one of most wellknown fiction in italy, Don Matteo.
Where to eat: Osteria dei Re, classical umbrian food and traditional atmosphere. Try the typical Gubbio bread, crescia.
Orvieto, Umbria: Jazz, New Year’s Rhythms and Historic Stone
Still in Umbria, we now arrive in Orvieto, perched high on a volcanic rock, where the Umbria Jazz Winter Festival transforms December into a celebration of sound and spirit. From December 30th, 2025, to January 3rd, 2026, the town comes alive with jazz, soul, and gospel music echoing through churches, palazzos, and cobbled streets. After dinner, imagine stepping outside into the rhythm of a saxophone bouncing off stone walls, the piazza glowing with possibility, the cathedral façade catching the shimmer of torchlight and jazz riffs.
Despite its ancient roots, you find yourself in a medieval town filled with contemporary energy. Strolling through its narrow streets, you’ll come across local shops selling handcrafted clothing, ceramics, and other treasures.
Where to eat: Mezza Luna, a small, authentic osteria with only a few tables but incredible food, especially pasta (their Carbonara is spot on). Be ready: portions are generous.
Matera, Basilicata: South Italy, Stone Caves and Winter Light
Going further south, Matera shines like a lantern carved into stone, far from the snow-covered north. In December, the ancient Sassi, dwellings carved into pale tufa rock, glow with a soft amber light. Christmas here feels elemental: humble, grounded, and deeply tied to the land.
With its famous Presepe Vivente, the living nativity, the city transforms into a true Christmas village each year. As you wander through narrow passageways and candle-lit caves, locals take on the roles of shepherds and angels. Here, Christmas is a story reborn in stone, a time for reflection more than celebration.
Where to eat: Trattoria Lucana, a cozy trattoria serving handmade pasta and authentic local dishes.
Where to stay: L’Antica Conceria.
Locorotondo, Puglia: White Rings, Christmas Lights and Mediterranean Calm
December by the sea in Puglia? Yes, this is where Locorotondo rises like a perfect circle of whitewashed houses. Its cobbled streets shimmer beneath ribbons of scarlet and streams of golden light during Christmas. Winter feels softer here. The sea is only a short drive away, yet the warmth that comes from history and community replaces the chill. Locorotondo doesn’t try to be opulent, it simply is: bright, gentle, and full of southern warmth. It reminds you that the most genuine celebrations happen quietly, among friends, with a glass of local Primitivo and the soft glow of candles.
Where to eat: GOODO Restaurant, a refined take on traditional Apulian cuisine.
Travel idea: Stay in a trullo or countryside farmhouse around the Valle d’Itria, and visit Alberobello and Martina Franca for a festive day trip.
Why Travel to Italy in December
In December, Italy reveals a more intimate side. People gather in local pubs and bars to enjoy a drink, roast chestnuts as they pass shopfront windows, and wander through villages and towns, browsing stores and markets in search of their next gift. Locals have more time to talk, and the landscape, which features snow-capped peaks and olive trees, feels more personal.
Whether you like the warmth of Puglia or the serenity of the Alps, this is the Italy worth discovering, the one that whispers rather than shouts.
Our favorite Italian drinks to keep you warm this winter
Cioccolata calda con panna (hot chocolate with whipped cream)
Bombardino
Vin brulé (mulled wine)
Amarone, red wine
Grappa
Plan Your Winter Escape in Italy
At Rural Escapes, we curate authentic countryside stays and hidden retreats across Italy. From cozy chalets in the north to restored farmhouses in the south, each stay tells its own story.
Tell us where you dream of waking up this winter through our Travel Advisor page, and we’ll help you design a December escape that feels entirely your own.
Or start exploring directly on our Stays page and find your next countryside retreat in Italy.
