Italy Attractions

Sicily

The island of Sicily is a place of contrasts, from the crumbling grandeur of its capital, Palermo, to the Greek ruins at Syracuse, volatile Mt Etna and the Aeolian Islands. It's home to touristy Lipari, jet-set Panarea, rugged Vulcano and spectacularly spouting Stromboli.

Squatting strategically in the Mediterranean, and its largest island, Sicily has attracted waves of invaders and colonisers, leaving a historical detritus that includes Greek temples, Roman ruins, Norman churches and castles, and Arab and Byzantine domes.

Florence

The cultural and historical impact of Florence (or Firenze) is overwhelming. Close up, however, the city is one of Italy's most atmospheric and pleasant, retaining a strong resemblance to the small late-medieval centre that contributed so much to the artistic and political development of Europe.

Its striking buildings, formidable galleries and treasure-crammed churches attest to the Florentine love of display. Even long after it had set on the political and economic horizon, Florence upheld its elegant appearance: its skyline, all russet rooftops and lofty domes, is indeed picturesque.

Rome

It's hard to say what you'll find most breathtaking about the Eternal City - the arrogant opulence of the Vatican, the timelessness of the Forum, the top speed of a Fiat Bambino, the gory resonance of the Colosseum, trying to cross a major intersection, or the bill for your caffe latte.

Make like the locals and souse your senses in the glut of pleasures the city has to offer, from the grandiose thrill of feeling centuries of turbulent history under your feet to the small but potent intoxication of eating chestnut gelati on a hot day.

Milan

The now and the next are invented daily in Milan, Europe's creative capital. Until Milan led the way, who knew that happy hour could last four hours, that clothing and household appliances could be made out of basketry, and that coffee could make a delicious pasta sauce?

This city is all about worldly pleasures. Shopping is of quasi-religious significance. Theatre and cinema flourish in this fashionable milieu, as does a hopping club scene and a slew of tempting restaurants. Apart from a few gems, the city is not renowned for its looks; it's lifestyle that counts.

Sardinia

Sardinia has some fascinating medieval sections and beautiful beaches. There's also the magnificent and relatively unspoiled Costa Verde coastline, the beaches and grottoes around the tourist enclave of Alghero, and the trekking and traditional culture offered in Nuoro Province.

Sardinia has been colonised and invaded by the Greeks, Phoenicians, Romans, Pisans, Genoese and Spaniards. Through these ravages, the locals (known as the Sardi) have retained their identity and singularity, remaining strangely insular people.

Amalfi Coast

Stretching for 50km (31mi) along a promontory from Sorrento to Salerno is some of Europe's most beautiful coastline. The road hugs the tight bends and curves of the cliffy coast, overlooking intensely blue waters and passing postcard villages that cling to the cliff walls like matchbox houses.

Naples

Naples (Napoli if you live there) is raucous, polluted, anarchic, deafening, crumbling and aristocratic. It's also a lot of fun. Superbly positioned on a bay, Naples screams with energy, pulsating with noisy street markets and colourful characters.

'Naples is an ill-built, ill-paved, ill-lighted, ill-drained, ill-watched, ill-governed and ill-ventilated city', whinged Cook's Tourist's Handbook in 1884. Italy's third-largest city has made big strides forward since then but Cook's observations retain more than a grain of truth.

Venice

Venezia, La Serenissima, Queen of the Adriatic, city of canals and palaces...or tawdry sewer alive with crowds and charlatans? Venice's nature is dual: water and land, long history and doubtful future, airy delicacy and dim melancholy. If this precious place does sink, the world will be the poorer.

For a thousand years the city was one of the most enduring mercantile sea powers on the face of the earth. Today the brilliance and influence have long since faded, leaving a town of tarnished glories, out of time and out of place, so achingly beautiful it's hard not to look for the back of the set.

Siena

Siena had been a bustling economic centre based on its textiles, saffron and wine in the 12th century. At this time many buildings were created in Sienese Gothic style, giving this town its distinctive style. Visitors enjoy the cafe-lined square Il Campo and the imposing St Dominic's Church.

Ramparts - just one of the many vestiges of the city's medieval prime - still crown the hills that surround gentle Siena. Its many reddish-brown buildings gave the world 'burnt sienna,' and a thriving cultural scene was dubbed the Sienese school in the 13th and 14th centuries.