Italy holidays

You’ll find the Colosseum and the Pantheon in Rome, but remnants of the distant past are everywhere. The town of Pompeii is preserved by the ash of a volcano eruption nearly two millennia ago, and Baiae is an ancient Roman party town partially underwater. For an archaeological wonder minus the crowds, don’t miss Sicily’s amazingly well-preserved Valley of the Temples.

Italy overflows with Renaissance paintings, sculptures and frescoes — think Botticelli’s ‘Venus’, Michelangelo’s ‘David’ and the Sistine Chapel. But just strolling the city streets past historical buildings and fountains can feel like touring a museum. Wherever you are, make sure to peek into churches, as they’re often decked out with brilliant frescoes and may even house a Caravaggio or Bernini.

You simply can’t miss the Colosseum. The world’s largest amphitheatre has towered over the capital for nearly 2,000 years — but surprisingly, it only took around eight to build. Then head to the Pantheon to marvel at the world’s largest unsupported dome. In Tuscany, walk up the spiral staircase of the Leaning Tower of Pisa, which owes its famous tilt to the soft ground underneath.

The Italian coastline is home to limestone-ringed beaches and sandy shores that look almost Caribbean. The beaches on the Amalfi Coast are anchored by glamorous resorts, while Puglia’s waterside villages are wonderfully low-key. You’ll find fewer crowds and loads of sun on the islands of Sardinia and Sicily. Wherever you go, know that many popular beaches require you to rent a chair.

Less famous than its cities but no less spectacular, Italy’s 25 national parks offer meadows, mountains and glacial lakes. Trade fountains for waterfalls at Parco Nazionale del Gran Paradiso in the north and painted frescoes for open-air vistas at Parco Nazionale dell’Aspromonte in the south. The Dolomite mountains beckon skiers in winter and rafters and mountain climbers in summer.

Plan ahead and pace yourself to fully appreciate the famous museums in Italy. There are headliners you can’t miss, like the Galleria degli Uffizi and Museo Nazionale del Bargello in Florence. Or the Vatican and Galleria Borghese in Rome and Gallerie dell’Accademia in Venice. Buy tickets in advance to avoid long lines — some let you choose a time slot. And remember many museums are closed on Mondays.

Fresh ingredients and centuries of tradition go into Italian cuisine. Some regional specialities to look out for at restaurants in Italy include Milanese risotto, Florentine steak and pizza Napoletana. There are more than 300 Italian pasta shapes and maybe just as many sauces, from pesto in Liguria to Rome’s ‘amatriciana’ (spicy tomato sauce with cured pork). Between epic meals, visit produce markets and speciality purveyors.