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Best for a Renaissance fix From Botticelli’s Venus, emerging coyly from the water in the Uffizi Gallery, to the mind-boggling dome of its cathedral, Florence is a feast for the eyes. This was, of course, the seat of the Renaissance, and there are knock-out names at every turn: Michelangelo in the Accademia, Donatello in the Bargello, Leonardo and R...

Best for dramatic mountains Scour the globe and you'll find plenty of taller, bigger and more geologically volatile mountains, but few can match the romance of the pink-hued granite Dolomites. Maybe it's their harsh, jagged summits, the vibrant skirts of spring wildflowers or the rich cache of Ladin legends. Then again, it could just be the magneti...

Best for classic beauty Italy's most celebrated coastline is a gripping strip: coastal mountains plunge into piercing blue sea in a prime-time vertical scene of precipitous crags, sun-bleached villages and cliffs rearing up behind. Between sea and sky, mountaintop hiking trails deliver Tyrrhenian panoramas fit for a god. While some may argue that t...

Best for stepping back in time Frozen in its death throes, the time-warped ruins of Pompeiihurtle you 2000 years into the past. Wander through chariot-grooved Roman streets, lavishly frescoed villas and bathhouses, food stores and markets, theaters, even an ancient brothel. Then, in the eerie stillness, your eye on ominous Mt Vesuvius, ponder Pliny...

Best for foodies In a region as overwhelmingly foodie as Emilia-Romagna, it's only natural that its capital,Bologna, is dubbed “La Grassa” (the fat one). Many belt-busting Italian classics hail from here, including mortadella, tortellini and tagliatelle al ragù. Shop in the deli-packed Quadrilatero district – home to food stalls since medieval time...

Best for a slice of luxury If it's good enough for the Clooneys and vacationing Obamas, it's good enough for mere mortals. Nestled in the shadow of the Rhaetian Alps, dazzling Lago di Como is Lombardy's most spectacular lake. Its lavish Liberty-style villas are home to movie moguls, fashion royalty and Arab sheikhs, while the lake's siren calls inc...

Best for beaches and coastline The English language fails to accurately describe the varied blue, green and – in the deepest shadows – purple colors of Sardinia’s seas. While models, ministers and perma-tanned celebrities wine, dine and sail along the glossy Costa Smeralda, much of the island – the Med’s second largest after Sicily – remains a wild...

Best for sheer italianità Pompeii, pizza and a whole lot of panache – Naples is a city like no other. Layered like a lasagna, each strip of history on top of the last, this is a place where, underground, you can walk along ancient Greek and Roman roads, while at street level there are sumptuous churches, baroque palaces and Maradona – Maradona ever...

Best for a fairytale city “Unique” is an overused word, but in the case of Venice, there’s no better description. This really is a dreamscape of intricately carved palazzos, gilded churches and world-class museums, all floating on water and crisscrossed by quiet canals. Avoid the temptation to do a quick drop-in visit to see the main sights – the r...