Italien

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.

I flera år hade Anna och Mats Eriksson närt drömmen om ett italienskt semesterhus. När de äntligen hittade sitt drömhus på en mäklarsida var det mitt under pandemin och omöjlig att åka ned på husvisning. Så de köpte huset ändå – via video.

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.

With ancient treasures, medieval towns, remote hilltop monasteries and volcanic lakes, Lazio is one of Italy's great surprise packages.

Att vandra i italienska Dolomiterna är något helt fantastiskt och lyxigare än många kanske vet. Vi tipsar om rutt, boenden, packning och mycket mer.

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.

Borromeiska öarna är tre italienska pärlor vackert belägna i Lago Maggiore. Vi tog båten dit och upptäckte botaniska trädgårdar och pittoreska fiskrestauranger.

Italien har drabbats hårt av coronaviruset varpå hela landet satts i karantän. Ett annars myllrande Italien blev tyst rapporterade många, men till och med då hittar italienare satt att lätta upp stämningen och stämma upp i sång och musik.

Salerno may not have the glamorous looks of the Amalfi Coast resorts, but its gritty centro storico (historic centre) is a kind of mini Naples without the mad motor scooters. Anchoring proceedings is an enthralling archeological museum and a Norman cathedral worthy of a city twice the size.

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.