Bella Vista: Cinque Terre

Italy’s Cinque Terre is the stuff of postcards, and its colourful coastal railway is as pretty as a picture. Tristan Rutherford takes a train journey of discovery along the Ligurian coast. Central Italy is snowbound, so it is a shock to see La Spezia Station in radiant green. Palm trees run alongside the tracks in […]

48 Hours In Milan at Christmas

The city of Milan is readying itself for the festive period, and its shops and gallerias are a glittering display of opulence. Lorenza Bacino goes shopping… Here I am spending a winter weekend in Milan, Italy’s hub of design, fashion and culture, and I can’t wait to visit the luxurious Rinascente department store and savour […]

48 Hours in Valle d’Aosta

Valle d’Aosta is now part of Italy, but it hasn’t always been. Chris Allsop travels to Italy’s smallest region and discovers a valley beloved of kings, popes, and – of course – skiers… There’s something of the hidden kingdom about the Valle D’Aosta, like an Italian Bhutan (but with a lot more ski lifts). Entering […]

48 Hours in Bologna

Renaissance towers, arcaded porticos and a cuisine to die for – Bologna is the perfect alternative to the north’s more famous destinations. Marina Spironetti reports… Bologna, a hedonistic city for connoisseurs, can be underestimated by the average tourist, who often sees it only from the train window on the journey from Venice or the lakes […]

By the Waters of Bardolino 

Young, fruity wines, healthy lake fish, mineral mountain waters and a boom in wellness hotels. Charlotte Lyon finds everything you need to relax and rejuvenate at the serene town of Bardolino  on Lake Garda…  Looking into the bathroom mirror as I step off the three-hour flight from Gatwick to Verona, I do a double-take. Is that really me? The pallid skin, […]

48 Hours in Padua

Though it can be reached by train from Venice in 25 minutes, Padua is often overlooked by visitors to the northeast of Italy. Sara Scarpa seeks to redress the balance… When you arrive in Padua from Venice, the one thing that jumps out at you is the energetic buzz of the city. With nearly 60,000 […]

The Underworld of Le Marche

Lorenza Bacino visits the Esini Hills, a diverse and undiscovered part of Le Marche which is home to the world renowned Frasassi Caves… Visiting the Frasassi Caves in the heart of the Gola della Rossa National Park has long been on my ‘to do’ list. Wild, rugged, untamed and unpredictable, the 10,000 hectares of park […]

On Foot in the Sabine Hills

There isn’t much of Italy you could describe as ‘undiscovered’, but Rebecca Ford finds something close – and just an hour from Rome. The Sabine Hills… We had been walking for a couple of hours when we came to the little meadow. It was early summer and the poppies were in bloom. Some farmers were […]

48 Hours in Genoa

Genoa might not be the first place you think of for a city break, but it has a special history with lots to see that you won’t find anywhere else, beyond all the boats. Jon Palmer sets sail… Genoa is the second busiest port in Italy, after Gioia Tauro, and the sixth busiest in the […]