DESTINATION
Floating Piers by Christo: Italy’s Main Travel Destination of 2016
A kind of pilgrimage.
I think we all need to believe in something and to experience some miracles from time to time. Otherwise, why would 350,000 people in less than a week go to a tiny lake in Northern Italy to walk on the water. Indeed, 350,000 people came to see the Christo’s work, that is at least 10 times bigger than expected. It is, in fact, quite rare to find such a huge and surreal art installation anywhere in the world. A 4,5 km long and 16 mt. wide pedestrian path of 700.000 sq.m bright yellow fabric spreading over Lake Iseo and linking the town of Sulzano with the huge Monte Isola and the tiny Isola di San Paolo. Yes, that simple. And yet that powerful.
Originally Christo’s “Floating Piers” were supposed to be open 24 hours a day. Unfortunately, due to the unbelievable success of this sensational work by the Bulgarian-born and New-York-based artist, it is now closed between 11:30 PM and 9:00 AM. Just enough time for maintenance work to be done and get the installation ready for the new day. After all, everybody says you need to walk across them barefoot.
Sounds daring but possible and so far, definitely, the best experience of the 2016.