Italien

Just beyond the glamor of Sardinia lies an island full of myth, tradition, incredible cuisine scenery that will leave you breathless.

Testaccio var länge känt som en av Roms traditionella arbetarstadsdelar. Numera ett hippt matmecka fullproppat av kulinariska höjdpunkter. Här är våra bästa tips!

Trött på Mallis och Kreta? Lugn, det finns fort­­farande en del okända paradisöar där ute. Vi tipsar om tio hemliga guldkorn i Sydeuropa.

Buried for centuries beneath metres of volcanic debris, the archaeological sites scattered between Naples and Castellammare to the south are among the most spectacular Roman relics in existence. These include the ruins of Pompeii and the smaller yet better-preserved ruins of Herculaneum. Beyond them are lesser-known yet worthy archaeological wonders, including the lavishly frescoed villa of Oplontis. Their common nemesis, Mt Vesuvius, offers jaw-dropping summit views and bucolic hiking trails. To the west of Naples lie the sulphuric Campi Flegrei, speckled with Graeco-Roman legends, evocative yet little-visited ruins, and an impressive archaeological museum.

Napoleon would think twice about fleeing Elba today. Dramatically more congested than when the emperor was exiled here in 1814 (he managed to engineer an escape within a year), the island is an ever-glorious paradise of beach-laced coves, vineyards, azure waters, hairpin-bend motoring, a 1018m mountain (Monte Capanne) and mind-bending views. It's all supplemented by a fine seafaring cuisine, lovely island wines, and land and seascapes just made for hiking, biking and sea kayaking.

Italy's largest sea port is indefatigably contradictory, full at once of grandeur, squalor, sparkling light and deep shade. It's a gateway to the Riviera for many travellers today, but a weighty architectural heritage speaks of its former glory – the Most Serene Republic of Genoa ruled over the Mediterranean waves during the 12th to the 13th centuries – and history feels alive in Genoa. No more is this true than in its extensive old city, an often confronting reminder of premodern life with its twisting maze of caruggi (narrow streets), largely intact. Emerge blinking from this thrillingly dank heart to Via Garibaldi and the splendid Enlightenment-era gold-leaf halls of the Unesco-listed Palazzi dei Rolli.

Covering 370 sq km, Lake Garda is the largest of the Italian lakes, straddling the border between three regions: the Lombard plains to the west, Alpine Trentino Alto-Adige to the north and the rolling hills of the Veneto to the east. Look around and you’ll be surprised to see a Mediterranean landscape of vineyards, olive groves and citrus orchards that is thanks to the lake's uniquely mild microclimate.

Milan’s centre is conveniently compact. The splendid cathedral sits in a vast piazza that throngs with tourists, touts and the Milanese themselves. From here, choose God or Mammon, music or art, or take in all four by visiting the epic Duomo, historic shopping arcade Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, La Scala opera house and the Palazzo Reale, Novecento and Gallerie d’Italia museums.

Res i sommar – utan att lämna tv-soffan. Äntligen blir det fler reseprogram i svensk tv. Passande i coronatider med de historiskt stränga reserestriktionerna för både inrikes- och utrikes resor.

Tröttnat på snöfattiga dalar och hederliga men lite tråkiga alphotell? Vänd blicken uppåt. I italienska Aostadalen bor man bäst på bergens snösäkra rifugios. Med dem som utgångspunkt blir skidresan en totalupplevelse för hela familjen.