Top five Italian gardens

villa d'este

We explore five of our favourite green spaces in Italy… how many of them have you visited and which are on your to-visit list? Photos by iStock unless otherwise stated 1. Featuring Italy’s most dramatic baroque gardens, Lake Maggiore’s Isola Bella is a horticultural paradise. The Borromeo villa occupies the centre of the island, while the […]

Una piccola sosta: Hotel Heureka, Venice

Lobby of Hotel Heureka, Venice

Step through the doors of this restored palazzo in Cannaregio – where modern design meets the architecture of the past… Words by Amanda Robinson, photos by Hotel Heureka    On a quiet backwater in Cannaregio, you could easily walk past the unprepossessing entrance to Hotel Heureka, a 16th-century palazzo revived and reopened in 2017. Just […]

The Villa of the Papyri, Herculaneum

Mosaic of Neptune and Amphitrite in Herculaneum

We are still making discoveries at Herculaneum, and computer technology may be about to reveal something very special, says Joe Gartman… Photos by Patricia Gartman   It’s been ten years or more since I saw the little, old-fashioned wooden display cases sitting in a deserted room of the National Archaeological Museum in Naples. When I […]

To Arezzo for lunch

Arezzo Cathedral, Tuscany, Italy

Rachael Martin took a road trip from Milan to Arezzo to discover the secrets of this Etruscan town and experience its famous antiques market  Photos by Rachael Martin unless otherwise stated   We were planning our regular Easter break with the kids and we had all agreed that this year we would be going to […]

Five reasons to visit Padua

Padua Prehistoric baths

Lorenza Bacino goes beyond the city’s obvious attractions to discover five things to see and do in Padua that will make any visit extra-special… Photos by Lorenza Bacino unless otherwise stated Padua is often overlooked by travellers in favour of the more famous Veneto cities of Venice and Verona, yet this pretty city between Venice […]

Rome for families travel guide

Pantheon, Rome with kids

Rome may not seem like the obvious choice for a family break, but if you plan it right, it can be a fantastic destination for the whole clan, says Beth Al Rikabi… Photos by Beth Al Rikabi If you’re planning to head to Rome with little ones, these quick tips for happy family travel in […]

Rome for families

Rome for families

Having explored Rome’s nooks and crannies several times over, Beth Al Rikabi delves into the city once more on a multi-generational family holiday… Photos by Beth Al Rikabi  It was while I was cheffing at a yoga retreat amongst the mellow green folds of the Sabine Hills, with the city an hour’s train ride away, that […]

Five classic train journeys

Trenino rosso

Read on to discover five of the best Italian rail journeys, with our round-up of train rides to remember. What’s your favourite…? Photos by iStock unless otherwise stated   1. The legendary Orient Express has graced the tracks of Europe for nearly 140 years and remains the most luxurious experience available to rail rovers seeking the […]

Get away from it all… in north Sardinia

Cannigione, Sardinia

From beautiful bays to the wilds of the inland reaches, there’s more to northern Sardinia than the glitz of Costa Smeralda. Amanda Robinson travels away from the tourist hotspots… Photos by Amanda Robinson unless otherwise stated   Ahh, Costa Smeralda – the glitzy millionaires’ playground in north Sardinia where the jetset have gone to kick up […]

Lake Maggiore travel guide

Hermitage of Santa Caterina del Sasso, Italy

Rosalind Ormiston shares a few of her favourite places to eat, drink and stay around Lake Maggiore – the perfect place for a laid-back Italian break… Photos by Rosalind Ormiston and Getty Images The location of Lake Maggiore has given it a colourful past, close to the borders of Switzerland, Austria and France. Many people […]