Italien

Sicily's windswept western coast has beckoned invaders for millennia. Its richly stocked fishing grounds, hilltop vineyards and coastal saltpans were coveted by the Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Normans, all of whom influenced the region's landscape and culture. Even the English left their mark, with 18th-century entrepreneurs lured here and made rich by one of the world's most famous sweet wines, marsala.

From urban clamour and cultural gems to wild, inhospitable mountains and thrilling coastlines, Sardinia’s southeast makes for a wonderful introduction to the island.

Västra Sicilien bär minnen från det förflutna i landskapet, i matkulturen, ja, i varenda gatsten. Med start i populära semesterorten Cefalu gav vi oss ut på en kulinarisk utflykt för att upptäcka Siciliens minst kända landsända.

Sicily's southeast is the island at its most seductive. This is the cinematic Sicilia of TV series Inspector Montalbano, a swirl of luminous baroque hill towns, sweeping topaz beaches and olive-laden hillsides luring everyone from French artists to Milanese moguls in search of new beginnings.

Despite being only a hop, skip and jump from the city’s major museums, most of this ancient part of Florence is far removed from the tourist maelstrom. The streets behind main sight Basilica di Santa Croce are home to plenty of locals, all of whom seem to be taking their neighbourhood’s reinvention as hipster central – epicentre of the city’s bar and club scene – with remarkable aplomb.

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.

One of Sardinia's most beautiful medieval cities, seafront Alghero is the main resort in the northwest. Although largely given over to tourism – its population can almost quadruple in July and August – the town retains a proud and independent spirit. Its animated historic centre is a terrific place to hang out and, with so many excellent restaurants and bars, it makes an ideal base for exploring the beaches and beauty spots of the nearby Riviera del Corallo.

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.

Heavenly devotion and earthly delights coexist in San Polo and Santa Croce, where divine art rubs up against the ancient red-light district, now home to artisan workshops and osterie (taverns). Don’t miss fraternal-twin masterpieces: Titian’s glowing Madonna at I Frari and turbulent Tintorettos at Scuola Grande di San Rocco. Quirky museums fill Grand Canal palazzi (mansions) with fashion and natural history oddities, while island-grown produce crams the stalls of the Rialto Market.

Campania is the Italy of your wildest dreams: a rich, intense, hypnotic ragù of Arabesque street life, decadent palaces, pastel-hued villages and aria-inspiring vistas.