Luxury farmhouses and country chic stays, for charming weekends in the countryside. That’s just one of the options travellers from Italy and beyond are looking at for a gradual return to the Bel Paese in 2021. The key? Proximity to big cities on one hand, but on the other, proximity to cities known for art and small villages, alongside “starred” service options, even in the “shabbier” facilities.

Notably, even CNN talked about Italian villages as the perfect getaway for experiential tourism that maintains social distancing: from north to south, travel experts at the well-known news network focused on destinations that are not just off the beaten track, they're not even any of the familiar small-village names. Symbolic this type of option is Monteleone di Orvieto, in Umbria: founded around a castle, its ramparts still remain intact and it’s surrounded by olive groves as far as the eye can see. The pearl of Puglia is Monte Sant'Angelo, on the southern side of the Gargano, near two UNESCO sites including the Umbra Forest and the Sanctuary of San Michele Arcangelo, part of Italy’s network of Lombard era landmarks. Heading north, Montechiarugolo in Emilia Romagna is recommended, which is located on the Colli wine and prosciutto route and overlooked by a 15th century castle.

Another outside the box choice? Historical gardens, like the ones in the Grandi Giardini Italiani network. The search for outdoor and "distanced" solutions between this year and last contributed to the historical gardens’ change in use: from experts and enthusiasts’ prevalence, to families and even professionals looking for a different place for smart working. Some of what the network offers is truly unusual, like the Castello delle Rose di Cordovado in Friuli or the Castello di Masino Park in Piedmont, a castle known for its Renaissance frescoes.

Bit Milano aims to dedicate ample space to this type of "off the beaten track" experiential holiday, including in the dedicated Bit Experience themed area.