It's no surprise that Italy has been drawing in visitors for centuries. Its cities perfectly combine history with culture, hidden coves and luxury resorts dot the rugged coastline, and the countryside landscapes are some of the most photographed in the world.
For a sightseeing break, head for one of the cities.
Rome - the Eternal City - lines up big-name sights like the Colosseum and Pantheon, while across the Tiber River in Vatican City, you'll find St. Peter's Basilica and the Sistine Chapel. Then there's
Venice, with its network of canals dotted with gondolas. Or how about
Verona, whose amphitheatre hosts one of Europe's most famous opera festivals?
If you fancy a beach break, take a look at one of the islands.
Sardinia boasts some of the whitest sands in the Med, while
Sicily teams its beaches with historical cities, road trip-worthy countryside and Europe's biggest volcano. If you'd rather stay on the mainland, look to the
Neapolitan Riviera (home to clifftop
Sorrento and pretty towns like
Amalfi and Positano), glitzy
Portofino, or undiscovered
Puglia, down in Italy's 'heel'.
Up in the north, you've got the Lakes. They're framed by impressive mountain scenery and edged by picture-pretty waterside towns and villages.
Lake Garda and
Lake Maggiore, the biggest of the bunch, have a clutch of elegant hotels fringing their shores, while
Lake Como's photogenic surroundings and chic restaurants have made it a celebrity favourite.
