World Travel Guide Search for a City   Destination Guides > Europe & Russia > Europe > Italy Italy •  Italy •  Where To Go •  Getting There •  Red Tape And Visas •  Insurance And Health Cover •  Costs, Money And Banks •  Travellers With Disabilities •  The North-south Divide •  Getting Around •  Food And Drink •  Communications: Post, Phones And The Media •  Trouble And The Police •  Women? And Sexual Harassment •  Work And Study •  History •  Best Of •  Information And Maps •  Health •  Opening Hours And Public Holidays •  Festivals •  Sports And Outdoor Pursuits •  Directory •  Painting And Sculpture •  Architecture •  Mafia, 'Ndrangheta, Camorra: Socialized Crime In Southern Italy •  Language •  Explore Italy ITALY - SPORTS AND OUTDOOR PURSUITS Italy    view all cities Top Destinations •  Florence (Firenze) •  Genoa •  Milan (Milano) •  Naples •  Padua •  Palermo •  Pisa •  Rome •  Siena •  Turin (Torino) •  Venice •  Verona •  Vicenza   Spectator sports are popular in Italy, especially the hallowed calcio (football), and there is undying national passion for frenetic motor and cycle races. When it comes to participation, though, you get the impression that there isn't the same compulsion to hit the hell out of a squash ball or sweat your way through an aerobics class after work as there is, say, in Britain or the States. All the same, the notion of staying fit has lately been absorbed into the general obsession with bella figura (looking good), especially when it offers the opportunity to wear the flashiest designer gear. Members-only sports clubs, gyms and public sports facilities have mushroomed over the last decade and it's usually possible to find places where you can work out or join in a competitive game. Otherwise, the country's natural advantages provide plenty of scope for keeping in trim in the most enjoyable ways possible. For visitors to Italy, the most accessible activities are centred around the mountains, which you can climb, ski, paraglide, raft or simply explore on foot. And, with so much coastline, as well as the lakes region, there are plenty of opportunities for swimming, sailing and windsurfing; Campania, Calabria and Sicily are particularly popular for scuba diving and snorkelling. You can get a guide and map suggesting sailing itineraries round the coast of southern Italy from the Italian State Tourist Office .   Sport If you are at all interested in the game, it would be a shame to leave Italy without attending a partita or football match; calcio is the national sport and is followed fanatically by millions of Italians. The season starts around the end of August, takes a break during the latter part of December and early part of January, and finishes up, with the Italian Cup final, in June. The Italian League is split into four principal divisions, Serie A, Serie B, and Serie C1 and C2; matches are normally played on Sunday afternoons, occasionally Sunday evenings, and there is a good chance that on any weekend there will be a team from one of the above divisions playing not too far away. Serie A, is of course, the most prestigious division, comprising eighteen teams; the bottom-placed four are relegated each season, to be replaced by the top four from Serie B, although there are some clubs whom it would be unimaginable to see in Serie B - teams like Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan. Inevitably, tickets for Serie A matches are not cheap, starting at about £30,000/?15.49 for "Curva" seats at each end of the ground, where the tifosi or hard-core fans go, rising to £50,000/?25.82 for the Distinti or corner seats, and up to £70,000-150,000/?36.15-77.47 for seats in the "Tribuna", along the side of the pitch. We've given details of where to buy tickets for the major clubs and how to get to their grounds in the "Listings" sections at the end of major city accounts. Once at the football match, get into the atmosphere of the occasion by knocking back borghetti - little vials of cold coffee with a drop of spirit added. Italy's chosen sport after football is basketball , introduced from the United States after World War II. Most cities have a team, and Italy is now ranked among the foremost in the world. Other stateside imports are baseball and American football . In a country that has produced Ferrari, Maserati, Alfa Romeo and Fiat, it should come as no surprise that motor racing gives Italians such a buzz. There are grand prix tracks at Monza near Milan (home of the Italian Grand Prix) and at Imola, where the San Marino Grand Prix is held. The other sport popular with participants and crowds of spectators alike is cycling. At weekends especially, you'll often see a club pack out, dressed in bright team kit, whirring along on their slender machines. The annual Giro d'Italia (tour of Italy) in the second half of May is a prestige event that attracts scores of international participants each year, closing down roads and creating great excitement. Outdoor pursuits With the Alps right on the doorstep, it's easy to spend a weekend on the pistes from Milan, Turin, Bologna or Venice, and the Abruzzi mountains offer some skiing reachable from Rome or Naples in resorts such as Campo Felice and Roccardo; tourist offices should have details of resorts in their areas. Settimane Bianche (White Weeks), a package of accommodation in a ski resort, can be excellent value and are relatively easy to arrange. Contact the regional tourist offices in Val d'Aosta, Trentino-Alto Adige or your chosen resort in autumn for brochures: these specify prices, participating hotels and contact details; then you book your accommodation direct and arrange your own transport. Extras such as equipment rental and lift passes are equally inexpensive, with a three-day pass costing between £84,000-140,000/?43.34-72.24. Snow can be unreliable on this southerly, sunnier side of the Alps, but snow cannon keep a guaranteed core of pistes open. In summer, the hiking and climbing are second to none. Mountain-biking has also taken off in a big way in the last five years with plenty of rental outlets (charging about £30,000/?15.49 a day), and the added advantage that some cable-car companies offer special deals whereby they take the slog out of getting the bike up and you get to freewheel down. Waterskiing, sailing and windsurfing are also popular at seaside resorts as well as on Lake Garda , with equipment and lessons easy to arrange. Swimming in anything but the sea is harder than you might imagine - there are few municipal pools (note that swimming caps are often obligatory), but you can always make the occasional hotel with a pool a priority. Ùstica, off Sicily's northern coast, hosts an annual marine festival from mid-June through to August: activities, exhibitions and events take place on both land and sea. Canoeing and kayaking have boomed in recent years, particularly in the mountain areas of the North. The Amici del Fiume has a Web site ( www.services.csi.it/~fiume ) with useful links, though not all the pages are translated into English. The use of gym facilities or tennis courts usually entails acquiring club membership. In country areas it's becoming increasingly easy to find stables offering riding lessons or holidays - agriturismo agencies and local tourist offices can help with arrangements.