Italien

Vagabonds Åsa Johansson, som bor i Toscana, bjuder på sina italienska bergsfavoriter. Ta din Italien-resa till nya höjder i bland annat Dolomiterna och Valle d'Aosta.

The volcanic outcrop of Ischia is the most developed and largest of the islands in the Bay of Naples. An early colony of Magna Graecia, first settled in the 8th century BC, Ischia today is famed for its thermal spas, manicured gardens, striking Aragonese castle and unshowy, straightforward Italian airs – a feature also reflected in its food. Ischia is a refreshing antidote to glitzy Capri.

Known as the land of the sirens, in honour of the mythical maiden-monsters who were said to live on Li Galli (a tiny archipelago off the peninsula’s southern coast), the area to the west of Sorrento is among the least developed and most beautiful in the country.

This is an intriguing part of Tuscany, home to wild scenery and evocative reminders of Italy's Etruscan heritage. Usually referred to as the Maremma, its highlights include the intensely atmospheric Città del Tufo archaeological park, a network of Etruscan tombs and mysterious sunken roads known as vie cave in the countryside around the towns of Pitigliano, Sovana and Sorano. Further north, more Etruscan heritage can be explored at the archaeological sites of Roselle and Vetulonia, and in the archaeological museum at one of Tuscany's most charming Renaissance–era hilltop towns, Massa Marittima.

Bästa restaurangerna, klassiska kaféer och mysiga tågutflykter. Milanoexperten Louise ger oss tips på vad du inte får missa i den italienska storstaden.

Centred on transport hub Stazione Termini, this is a large and cosmopolitan area that, upon first glance, can seem busy and overwhelming. But hidden among its traffic-noisy streets are some beautiful churches, Rome’s best unsung art museum at Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, and any number of trendy bars and restaurants in the fashionable Monti, student-loved San Lorenzo and bohemian Pigneto districts.

Har du sett Colosseum i Rom, kanalerna i Venedig och skulpturen David av Michelangelo i Florens? Dags att lyfta blicken och upptäcka mer av Italiens härliga städer. Vagabonds skribent Åsa Johansson listar fem sköna städer att botanisera bland.

Sicily's wild and empty interior is a beautiful, uncompromising land; a timeless landscape of silent, sunburnt peaks, grey stone villages and forgotten valleys. Traditions live on and life is lived at a gentle, rural pace. It's an area that encourages simple pleasures – long lunches of earthy country food, meanders through hilltop towns, quiet contemplation over undulating vistas. It’s also an area of surprising natural diversity – one minute you’re driving through rolling hills reminiscent of Tuscany, the next through pockets of eucalypt bush akin to Australia.

Inspiring natural beauty goes hand-in-hand with history and urban charm in Sardinia's northwestern corner.

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.