Italien

Much of Basilicata is an otherworldly landscape of mountain ranges, trackless forests and villages that seem to sprout organically from the granite. Not easily penetrated, it is strategically located, and has been dominated by the Lucanians, Greeks, Romans, Germans, Lombards, Byzantines, Saracens, Normans and others. Being the plaything of such powers has not been conducive to a quiet or happy fate.

Tar du in på vandrarhem får du mer pengar till restaurangbesök och andra nöjen. Vagabond har listat tre tips på budgetboenden i Rom.

Medieval towns, gentle lakes hemmed in by steep hillsides, vast plains, prehistoric rock art and mighty mountains make this part of the Lombard region one of northern Italy's most underrated corners. You'd need a couple of weeks to cover the area well, so you need to make choices. Bergamo, with its medieval Città Alta (Upper Town), is a must, and it's an inspired choice if this is your point of arrival in Italy. Townies and church lovers might concentrate on the main centres (Brescia, Cremona, Crema and Lodi), which all have fascinating medieval cores. An alternative tour of plains settlements will turn up palaces, castles and forts. Wine buffs may prefer touring the Franciacorta, south of Lake Iseo. North of Bergamo, several valleys lead deep into the picturesque Orobie Alps.

Införandet av den omdiskuterade turistavgiften i Venedig planerades att införas sommaren 2020 men nu skjuts den upp till 1 juli 2021.

Strax norr om Sicilien gömmer sig sju vulkanöar som trots sin skönhet förblivit något av en hemlighet. Vagabonds chefredaktör gav sig ut på en öluff genom den Eoliska övärlden.

Inkilade bland väldiga kullar klädda i terrasser med vinrankor väller pastellfärgade hus ner i havet. Här är allt du behöver veta för en lyckad vandring mellan de pittoreska byarna.

Nowhere else in Sardinia is nature as overwhelming a force as it is in the wild, wild east, where the Supramonte’s imperious limestone mountains roll down to the Golfo di Orosei’s cliffs and startling aquamarine waters. Who knows where that winding country road might lead you? Perhaps to deep valleys concealing prehistoric caves and Bronze Age nuraghi, to the lonesome villages of the Barbagia steeped in bandit legends, or to forests where wild pigs snuffle amid centuries-old holm oaks. Neither time nor trend obsessed, this region is refreshingly authentic.

Como (aka Lario) is the most ‘James Bond’ of the Italian lakes, where shiny red Ferraris weave through narrow lakeside towns and neoclassical villas take on a whole new level of opulence. Parts of the 2006 Bond movie Casino Royale were filmed here and many of the fancy lakeside hotels have a 007 price tag.

I maj öppnar Villa Dagmar upp portarna på Östermalm i Stockholm – ett nytt boutiquehotell för "den världsvana resenären". Hotellet har hämtat inspiration från italienska renässanspalats och piazzor. Perfekt för en weekend till Italien – fast i Stockholm.

The most evocative of Venice's southern islands are tiny specks capped with monasteries such as San Servolo, San Lazzaro degli Armeni and (especially) San Giorgio Maggiore, its gracious Palladio church forming the essential backdrop for dreamy lagoon views. The much larger crescent of Giudecca has its own Palladian masterpieces and is a fascinating mash-up of luxury hotels, workaday apartments, the remnants of industry and a still-functioning women's prison. Lido is Venice's 12km beach escape, its A-list film festival a hangover from its days as one of Europe's most glamorous resorts.