The Touring Club Italy with its orange flags is a kind of Italian tourism equivalent of Michelin stars.
Since 1999 it has been awarding towns with less than 15,000 inhabitants according to rigorous selection criteria.
Local councils must have important historical, cultural and environmental patrimony, and offer tourists a quality welcome to their towns.
This year, Lombardy has scored a coup with nine of out 60 towns being awarded the orange flag.
They include Bienno and Tignale (Brescia province), Castellaro Lagusello and Sabbioneta (Mantova province), Chiavenna (Sondrio province), Clusone and Gromo (Bergamo province) and Menaggio and Torno from the Como province.
Menaggio you see in the photo.
The Touring Club site has the extended list of Italian councils that have been awarded the orange flag and why the honour has been received.
For example Sabbioneta received the award for its superior tourism service including a dedicated information point, rich with promotional materials from the area.
The historical centre is well kept and of historical interest while cultural interest is sustained through a single ticket which gives you access to various events and attractions.
The hospitaly offered also must be of a high level.
Go to the Touring site if you’re interested in some weekends away in Italy.
Foto – Flickr