Florence (Firenze)
This Renaissance beauty Florence has it all.For starters, there’s the glorious architecture – who could resist the cheerful pink-and-green facade and famous cupola of the Duomo, the Piazza Della Signoria, and the Ponte Vecchio’s jumble of shops spanning the river Arno?
San Gimignano
Tuscany has no shortage of winsome hill-towns but San Gimignano stands tall above the rest for its distinctive skyline,…bristling with medieval towers, and its remarkably intact historic center, a gorgeous assemblage of honey-colored stone buildings.
Lake Garda
With a more down-to-earth feel than glitzy Como, but with plenty of class, Lake Garda is the largest of Italy’s spectacular lakes. Rugged mountains encircle their deep blue waters, with boats zipping between the pretty towns that hug the shore.
Positano
The Amalfi Coast is wildly beautiful, and the few towns strung along its length are ideal vantage points for taking in the coast’s dazzling ensemble of craggy cliffs, lush forests, and dramatic seascapes.Chichi Positano, a dramatic huddle of pastel-colored houses tumbling down to the sea, is the pick of the towns.
Puglia
With its crystalline seas, white-sand beaches, and hidden rocky coves, Puglia is many Italians’ favorite place to soak up the sun in the summer months. Its interior is just as beautiful, with wooded hills, wildlife-rich lakes, and endless olive groves: the region produces around 40 percent of Italy’s olive oil.
Capri
The legendary island of Capri, beloved of the emperor Tiberius, any number of artists and writers in search of inspiration, has star appeal in spades. Away from its twin centers, Capri Town and Anacapri – bursting with designer boutiques and chic cafés – picturesque lanes wind past Roman ruins and grand villas.
Venice
No one forgets their first glimpse of Venice. However many times you’ve seen it in pictures, you can’t prepare yourself for the sight of a city of stately marble palazzi sitting pretty atop a dazzling green lagoon.
Cinque Terre
These five fishing villages of Cinque Terre, wedged into steeply terraced cliffs along a stretch of craggy coastline on the Italian Riviera, take the top spot for the unvarnished beauty of their pastel-painted houses and diminutive harbors filled with fishing boats.
Verona
Despite Verona’s spurious Shakespeare connections – Juliet’s much-visited balcony is a twentieth-century fabrication – there’s plenty to love about this city.
Sorrento
Unashamedly a holiday resort, Sorrento enjoys a privileged perch on the Bay of Naples’ lofty southern peninsula, as well as a gloriously long summer season. Its labyrinthine historic center holds plenty of Baroque and Renaissance buildings, and its hub, Piazza Tasso, is a fun place for an aperitivo.
