Italien

Upp på cykelsadeln, botanisera bland vinrankorna och besök Apuliens mathuvudstad. Vagabonds redaktör knådar pasta med proffs och letar södra Italiens bästa vingård.

Utanför den italienska småstaden Bomarzo är skogen full av monster. Med förvrängda och groteska ansikten och förtvivlade sneda grimaser vittnar de om deras skapare Pier Francesco Orsinis stora sorg efter förlusten av hans fru.

Den eviga staden Rom har ingen brist på varken sevärdheter eller upplevelser. Men kanske vill du maxa din semester med en liten utflykt? Vi har listat sju förslag på trevliga avstickare från Rom.

The Penisola Salentina, better known simply as Salento, is hot, dry and remote, retaining a flavour of its Greek past. It stretches across Italy's heel from Brindisi to Taranto and down to Santa Maria di Leuca. Here the lush greenery of Valle d'Itria gives way to flat, ochre-coloured fields hazy with wildflowers in spring, and endless olive groves.

Orientexpressen mellan Paris och Istanbul var länge det lyxigaste och snabbaste sättet att resa österut. Vi skaffade varsitt tågluffarkort, begav oss till Gare de Lyon och tog rygg på det legendariska lyxtåget. Var god tag plats, stäng dörrarna! Nu åker vi.

Det är väl härligt att Italien aldrig slutar att överraska en? Under coronapandemin har ett speciellt fönster gjort comeback – ett fönster som uppfanns under en annan pandemi för 400 år sedan.

The main attraction of Sicily's Mediterranean Coast are the spectacular ruins of the Valley of the Temples, unparalleled across the island for their significance, expanse and beauty. Nearby, Agrigento has an elegant medieval old town with good restaurants and accommodation, in contrast to the tower blocks punctuating other parts of the city. West of Agrigento, the development subsides and the landscape takes on a wilder, more natural aspect.

Despite possessing the types of landscapes that dreams are made of, much of this part of Tuscany feels far away from well-beaten tourist trails. Here you can investigate the multicultural past and extraordinary cuisine of port city Livorno and then follow the Strada del Vino e dell'Olio Costa degli Etruschi south, visiting vineyards, olive groves, medieval villages and scenic archaeological sites along the way.

Set amid some of the most dramatic coastal scenery on the planet, these five ingeniously constructed fishing villages can bolster the most jaded of spirits. A Unesco World Heritage Site since 1997, Cinque Terre isn't the undiscovered Eden it once was but, frankly, who cares? Sinuous paths traverse seemingly impregnable cliff sides, while a 19th-century railway line cut through a series of coastal tunnels ferries the footsore from village to village. Thankfully cars were banned over a decade ago.

The Ionian Coast is studded with enough Sicilian icons to fill a souvenir tea towel. It’s here that you’ll find the skinny Strait of Messina, mighty Mt Etna and the world’s most spectacularly located ancient Greek theatre. Catania is the region's centre, a gritty, vibrant city packed with students, bars and nightlife. Its black-and-white baroque is World Heritage–listed, while its hyperactive fish market is one of Sicily’s most appetising sights. Halfway up a rocky mountainside, regal Taormina is sophisticated and exclusive, a favourite of holidaying VIPs and day-tripping tourists. Brooding menacingly on the city's doorstep, Mt Etna offers unforgettable hiking, both to the summit craters and around the woods that carpet its lower slopes. Etna is also a vino-making hotspot, dotted with vines and celebrated wineries. With a car and a little planning, the mountain sets a stunning scene for hunting out the perfect vintage.