The real secret to a good risotto is the stock and I recommend making your own, depending on the flavour of the risotto you have chosen.

Entertaining over the festive period and looking for a little inspiration? This easy but satisfying recipe for gnocchi with mushrooms is a dish we learnt how to make with our wonderful Italian friend and cook Orietta and it really brings to life the flavours of autumn in Italy.

At Hedonistic Hiking we like to get off the beaten tourists trails and explore hidden gems which are usually ignored by the majority of visitors. Saluzzo is just such a town and is the first stop on our Jewels of Piedmont tour. 

If you have not travelled in Piedmont, in north west Italy, you might not be aware of one of its greatest culinary treasures: the prized white truffle of Alba.

2017 marked the tenth anniversary of Hedonistic Hiking. Ten glorious years of hiking in some of the most beautiful parts of Italy, Slovenia, France, Austria and Australia and meeting countless wonderful people along the way. So how did we decide to celebrate?...

Right over on the Western edge of the Italian Lakes, where Lombardy meets Piedmont, lies the flawless and beautiful Lake Orta. Much smaller than its closest neighbour Lake Maggiore, Lake Orta is tranquil, restful and has a picture-perfect island in the centre, Isola San Giulio.

Anyone joining our new tour next year in Northern Tuscany and Ravenna will have the chance to visit this extraordinary city. Ravenna is a treasure trove of exquisite art and culture and has ancient origins and a glorious history.

Chianti Rufina is one of the seven subzones that fall under Italy's famous Chianti DOCG. The wine-growing area is one of the smallest in Chianti, concentrated in the foothills of the Apennines to the east of Florence.

One of the most memorable visits we make on our Slovenia and Friuli tour is to the clandestine Franja Partisan Hospital, buried deep within the Pasice gorge.

The small town of Cremona, which lies south east of Milan between Piacenza and Mantua, may not immediately ring any bells.  However, it has a unique musical heritage being home to the world-famous master violin-makers of the 16th to 18th centuries.