Italy

Stretching into the Mediterranean sea, boot-shaped Italy has been a bright star in the global firmament since the days of the Roman Empire. It is home to more than 60% of the world’s artworks, an infinite variety of magnificent scenery and some of the best food and wine on the planet. There’s enough to do and see in the Bel Paese to warrant an extended itinerary, but it works equally well for a short, very special, break.

Italy offers so much: from art-packed classics Florence, Rome and Venice to sophisticated, design-conscious Milan and from exuberant, ever-intriguing Naples, to ravishing Lecce and its honey-hued Baroque architecture. Undulating Tuscany lures with its timeless, dreamy landscapes, ancient hilltop towns and world-class wines; Lake Como and Lake Maggiore bewitch with opulent villas and ornamental gardens, and the Amalfi Coast and Ligurian Riviera seduce with dazzling scenery, tumbling villages, gin-clear waters and glamour in spades. In the deep south is Sicily, home to Greek temples and Baroque towns, an active volcano and a vibrant, evolving wine scene, while in the far north are the jagged, pink-hued Dolomites offering exhilarating winter sports, chic après-ski and stellar restaurants.