Holiday homes in North West Italy - private accommodation to rent

The sheltered coast of this area – the Italian Riviera - offers a laid-back atmosphere and some of Italy’s finest beaches as well as warm weather all year around. The scenery is dramatic, with mountains dropping straight down to the sea. The area has a traditional link to the sea, Genoa being the home of Christopher Columbus and still the country’s largest port. The untouched North West of Italy offers fantastic skiing on the Alps, playing host to the 2006 Winter Olympics. Peaks such as Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn gradually give way to rolling green pine forests at their feet. The area’s climate and temperament owe much to neighbouring Switzerland, with excellent cheese and truffles on the menu locally. The ‘gateway to Italy’ – Turin – is famed for its industry, especially the Fiat cars it produces, but it also offers gorgeous Baroque architecture and wide streets and squares. The city stands on the Po, and enjoys a fresh alpine climate.