      
AlgheroThe flourishing fishing port of Alghero, situated on the northwest coast, is Sardinia’s tourist centre. It consists of a picturesque and well-preserved old town enclosed in a stout girdle of walls, outside of which the new town sports a grid of parallel... 
Amalfi CoastThe rugged southern shore dividing the Bay of Naples from the Gulf of Salerno is a restful and picturesque area. Miniature towns shelter in precipitous coastal ravines and tranquil seas calmly lap the shores of quiet pebbled beaches. The Amalfi Coast is a great... 
AssisiThe picturesque hill town of Assisi, to the east of Perugia, is famous as the birthplace of St Francis, a 12th-century monk who founded the Franciscan order devoted to achieving an ‘abundance of the divine’ through the practise of ascetism, poverty... 
CagliariCagliari is Sardinia's capital and biggest town, with a busy industrial port. Despite its size the old centre is charmingly compact, contained within the city walls and Pisan fortifications. The main attractions are the National Archaeological Museum, which contains... 
CortonaCortona perches above the lofty hills of olive groves and vineyards overlooking Lake Trasimeno and the plain of Valdichiana. It is one of the oldest cities in Tuscany and its Etruscan roots have been indelibly imprinted onto its foundations. It also stakes a claim... 
Costa SmeraldaThe jet-set strip of Sardinia, Costa Smeralda is a six-mile (10km) stretch of coastline between the gulfs of Cugnana and Arzachena on the island's northeast coast, which has become a developer's paradise. Legend has it that a fabulously wealthy consortium of businessmen... 
CourmayeurLocated below Mont Blanc on the Italian side of the mountain in the Aosta Valley, the atmospheric resort of Courmayeur is full of character with grand old buildings, narrow cobbled streets and plenty of traditional Italian village charm. The scenery is also spectacular... 
FlorenceThe principal Tuscan city of Florence (Firenze) nestles below the wooded foothills of the Apennines, along the banks of the Arno River. The works of Botticelli, Michelangelo, Bruneschelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Boccaccio, Alberti, Masaccio, Donatello, Vasari and... 
Italian AlpsThe scenic Italian Alps comprise lush valleys and pine forests set against the backdrop of jagged white peaks stretching through the clouds. Towns nestle in the valleys and ski chalets nuzzle into the crevices offered by the generous mountains. Access to the area... 
Lake ComoThe pristine waters of Lake Como (known locally as Lago Di Como) are framed by craggy backdrops and magnificent villas festooned with bougainvillea perch over its watery banks. Three long lakes converge to form Lake Como, joining in the Centro Lago area with the... 
Lake GardaLake Garda, known locally as Lago di Garda, is the most popular of Italy's northern lakes and has a temperate climate to complement its magnificent setting. The lake towns of Riva, Gardone Riviera and Sirmione can be reached via buses, hydrofoils and ferries from... 
Lake MaggioreLake Maggiore casts a refined glow from its shores, as it is the preferred holiday destination of the elite. The resort town of Stresa is a haven for Italians, French and Germans who flock to its cobbled streets and enjoy the spectacular mountain and lake views... 
LipariJust north-west of Sicily lie the Aeolian Islands, the largest of which, Lipari, has become a popular holiday destination with a concentration of tourist facilities in its main town. The town of Lipari is dominated by a cliff-top citadel, built in the 1500s, and... 
LuccaLucca is a delightful city comprising a grid of Roman roads contained within mighty medieval ramparts. It is home to Puccini, chamber music, Romanesque churches, museums and monuments. Lucca's flat landscape and narrow winding lanes create the perfect conditions... 
MilanSophistication reaches new levels in Milan. The financial and commercial centre of Italy attracts fashion fundis, opera lovers, the young, the beautiful and the bold. Shopping, eating and clubbing is serious business here and it is no surprise that the city boasts... 
NaplesItaly's third largest city thrives on the chaos that prevails amid its busy streets. This is the place where pizza was invented and its restaurants continue to serve some of Italy's finest cuisine. 
PalermoCorrupt, decaying, noisy, polluted, over-populated, jumbled and crime-ridden. All these unpleasant adjectives can be applied to Sicily’s capital, Palermo, but this does not stop... 
PisaPisa is most famous for its leaning campanile, yet its other equally notable coups include its long maritime legacy dating to 1000 BC, its prized university and its status as the birthplace of the world's greatest physicist and astronomer, Galileo Galilei. The... 
RomeThe eternal city of Rome, constructed of ruins and in whose name the Caesars sought to claim the world, opens for the visitor as a living museum. The centuries peel back with each... 
San GimignanoThe towers of this medieval village peer wilfully onto the stretch of cypress and olive trees below. San Gimignano has been dubbed 'medieval Manhattan', however the skyline of towers numbers only 14 of the original 72. Built as status symbols and defensive outposts... 
SardiniaD H Lawrence passed through Sardinia in 1921 remarking on its geographic location as a place 'lost between Europe and Africa and belonging nowhere'. It is off the beaten track, but therein perhaps lies its appeal. The island's beaches are some of the cleanest... 
SicilySicily, the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, may be just a short hop from the Italian mainland, across the narrow strait of Messina, but it is a world apart in atmosphere and attitude. Everything Italian seems a little more appetising here, not... 
SienaThe red-brown stone of this medieval city throngs around Italy's finest old square, the Piazza del Campo. As old as the square itself are the traditions reverberating off its pavements twice yearly during the Palio delle Contrade. It is Italy's most colourful... 
SyracuseVisitors to Syracuse may be forgiven for wondering whether they are in Italy or Greece. This city on the southeastern corner of Sicily’s Ionian coastline once rivalled Athens as the most important city in the ancient Greek world. Its Greek heritage can still... 
TaorminaSicily’s most famous resort town, Taormina, was the 19th-century haunt of British aristocracy and the place chosen by D H Lawrence to write his erotic novel, Lady Chatterley’s... 
The Lake CountryThe great northern lakes stretch like sparkling glass-topped vistas within a sequence of long, cavernous valleys descending from the Alps. Lake Como, Lake Maggiore and Lake Garda emit their unique sparkle onto the magnificent surrounding landscape and in turn... 
TuscanyTuscany's rolling hills are garlanded with cypress trees, lush vines and olive groves that make way here and there for sleepy villages and medieval hill towns. The area rests languidly in the middle of the Italian peninsula, with parts stretching to the coastline... 
Vatican CityThe Vatican City is a remarkable entity in that it is an independent state administered by the Roman Catholic Church and one of the world's richest countries. The population of this enclave doubles during the working week as the residents from Rome cross into... 
VeniceElegant Venetian buildings and palaces peer over the ancient maze of narrow streets and labyrinth of canals that contrive to make this a unique city. Tourists naturally flock to Venice to experience its inimitable charm. The downside of this can be felt in the... |
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