It is a type of tourism in continuous "ferment", in the true sense of the word, that of beer. Fans of this drink are not only those who live in northern European countries, famous for their pubs and breweries, but more and more Italians love it and are esteemed connoisseurs.
If Germany - and in particular Bavaria - has the record for per capita beer consumption, the United States has the largest number of breweries in the world. Italy, however, is no different. Here, in fact, beer production has very ancient origins. Even today, from north to south of Italy, craft beers are produced, also linked to seasonality and territory.
It is explained very well by Luca Grandi, co-author of a series of guides titled "Beer Tourism - Guide for Travelers in Crisis" (LSWR Editions) focused precisely on the territories of the Northeast, Northwest, Center, South and the islands. from Italy.
Beer tourism, explains Grandi, takes you off the usual tourist itineraries and will introduce a way of traveling characterized by slowness and the need to recover rhythms and seasonal products that we had forgotten, but above all it will make us look at the territory with different eyes. It is not uncommon to find in today's beers, in addition to the basic ingredients of beer, such as malt and hops, also fruits, vegetables, spices, crels and even flowers.
The four recently published guides are not just columns with addresses of breweries to visit and where to do tastings. Of course there are also those, but above all they want to publicize original tourist itineraries, describing their territorial, naturalistic, artistic and monumental particularities, within which the microbreweries are located.
We would like to highlight four of them, one for each area, that have especially intrigued us and that we believe are worth a trip.
Itinerary along the Via Aurelia from Boccadasse to Camogli
The sea is the protagonist of this itinerary, which can be done by train or by bicycle, along the Ligurian coast, in the province of Genoa, which runs along an ancient road from Roman times: the via Aurelia. Here, the cliffs and rocks overlooking the sea give way to some rare and beautiful sandy coves, while ancient villages with strong traditions and colorful houses make the landscape even more iconic.
The itinerary actually begins in Genoa, as Boccadasse is the fishing village of the capital of Liguria, and heads towards Nervi, famous for its splendid period villas, such as Villa Saluzzo Serra and Villa Grimaldi Fassio. Following the Anita Garibaldi Promenade you reach Sant'Ilario, whose now abandoned station was the protagonist of one of the most famous songs, "Bocca di Rosa" by Fabrizio de André.
The next stop is Recco, famous for its focaccia, but not only that, already in Roman times it was an important stop for trade, until reaching its destination: Camogli, one of the most picturesque towns on the Eastern Riviera. Its colorful houses that flow into the sea are a postcard. It is said that this explosion of colors helped fishermen returning from the sea to better locate their home. The brewery in this area is located in Genoa and is called Maltus Faber and is located in the former Cervisia brewery.
Itinerary between the castles from Val d'Adige to Val di Non
The itinerary takes place in the province of Trento and leads to the discovery of an area dotted with mansions and castles that are worth a visit. The first is Monreale Castle, also known as Königsberg Castle, a solitary fortress guarding the area of Faedo that was once under Tyrolean rule. Today, decorated with a crenellated wall, it looks like a fairy tale castle nestled in the forest.
Then there are Castillo de San Gottardo whose ruins are set on a high rock wall. It's just a stone's throw away Castillo de Firmian and finally the tower castle, a fortified building built with different architectural styles. Here, in Borgo d'Anaunia, a village in Fondo in the province of Trento, is the Fon brewery, which uses water from the mountainous area and local raw materials to produce its beer.
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Itinerary of the towns between Perugia and Assisi
Nicknamed "the green lung of Italy", Umbria offers wonderful nature itineraries. The route we suggest starts from Perugia and heads towards San Martino and then towards Torgiano, one of the The most beautiful towns in Italy. The itinerary continues towards Bettona, also known as "the balcony of Italy" for its stunning views over the entire valley and, on the way, we come across the famous Rosciano Castle.
The itinerary continues in the direction of Foligno with a stop in Bevagna, a small pearl of the Umbrian Valley and one of the jewel municipalities of Italy, but also the City of wine, the City of oil, the City of flavors, the City of organic foods and City of honey. The tour ends in Foligno, whose historic center is worth a visit, as well as the Printing Museum, where the first copy of Dante's "Divine Comedy" was printed on April 11, 1472.
From Foligno you necessarily pass through the town of Spello, a small pink stone wonder much appreciated by tourists, and finally you reach Assisi, which does not even need to be described because its fame is already well known. And it is a few kilometers from Assisi where the Birra dell'Eremo brewery is located, which has received several awards.
Itinerary through the Sorrento Peninsula and the Country of the Mermaids
This tour hits some of the less crowded places in Campania, such as Vico Equense, perched on a block of tuff that flows into the sea, a city of very ancient origins, the Scrajo thermal baths, known and frequented since the 19th century and famous for its salt-bromo-iodized and sulfurous waters considered miraculous.
Hiking lovers can continue along the CAI trail towards Monte Faito, from the top of which you can enjoy a splendid view of the entire peninsula and the Gulf of Naples, or you can reach Castellamare di Stabia by taking the cable car. The next stop on the itinerary is Sorrento, where you can get lost among narrow streets and ancient buildings before enjoying the crazy view of the gulf of the same name from the most beautiful point: the Villa Comunale. And it is here that the Sorrento Brewery is located, where beer is produced with the famous Sorrento PGI lemons and blonde oranges, all local products.
Then we continue to Massa Lubrense also known as the Land of the Sirens because according to legend, the sirens tried to enchant Ulysses with their songs. Here you will find other picturesque fishing villages, such as Marina della Lobra, Punta Campanella and the bay of Ieranto, Sant'Agata sui due Golfi.
