Italien

Hub of the Renaissance and now the cosmopolitan heart of modern Florence, the enchanting maze of narrow streets between the Duomo and Piazza della Signoria packs one almighty historic and cultural punch. A neighbourhood harking back to Dante, the Romans and beyond, this is where the city’s blockbuster sights – and most tourists – can be found. Cafe life is naturally vibrant in this chic neck of the woods, as is shopping, which climaxes with the designer strip, uber-fashionist Via de' Tornabuoni.

Södra Italien vimlar av galet pittoreska byar – från grottstäder till kustnära semesterfavoriter. Här är 6 syditalienska höjdare du inte får missa.

Vagabonds praktikant William Åberg reflekterar över resan till Bari. På sin höjd skulle resmålet vara en betydelselös mellanlandning, men den italienska kuststaden överraskade.

Anchored by its magnificent basilica, this ancient and intriguing part of Florence defies easy description – from the rough-cut streets around the central train station it’s only a short walk to the busy social scene around increasingly gentrified Piazza di Santa Maria Novella and the hip boutiques on the atmosphere-laden, old-world ‘back streets’ west of Via de’ Tornabuoni. Shopping here, intermingled with a multitude of attractive dining and drinking options, is among the best in Florence.

Italy's green heart, Umbria is a land unto itself, the only Italian region that borders neither the sea nor another country. This isolation has kept outside influences at bay, ensuring that many of Italy's traditions survive today.

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.

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.

Italienska vinresor bjuder på vacker natur, urgamla anor, modern arkitektur och så klart utsökta viner! Vi tar en svängom i vinlandet och listar 4 unika upplevelser.

Du har antagligen sett dem på bild, de fem pastellfärgade byarna som klämmer in sig mellan bergvägar vid den italienska kusten – Cinque Terre, eller "fem länder" som det betyder ordagrant. Få tips om hotell att bo på, restauranger att besöka och vackra leder att vandra!

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.