Italy

Italy runs as a long peninsula through the Mediterranean, from the Alps in the north to Sicily in the south. Its twenty regions differ strikingly in character: the peaks of the Dolomites, the lakes of Como, Garda and Maggiore, the vineyard- and olive-clad hills of Tuscany, the cliffs of the Amalfi Coast and the islands of Capri, Sardinia and Sicily. Two active volcanoes, Vesuvius and Etna, rise here too.

Rome, Florence, Venice and Milan pair millennia of history, great museums and architecture with a finely tuned art of living — food, wine, fashion and design. Shopping is a ritual of its own, from the ateliers of Italian designers to leather goods, porcelain and crystal.

The climate is largely Mediterranean, with warm, dry summers and mild, damper winters. Italy rewards a visit in any season: May to September belongs to the coast and islands, while in winter Alta Badia and Madonna di Campiglio welcome skiers. It suits lovers of art and food, couples, families and travellers who want city, sea and mountains in a single journey.