City guides

First a significant Etruscan site, Arezzo was later an important Roman trading town on the Apennine route. Famous for its jewellery businesses and goldsmiths, it also has a monthly antiques market which draws people from far and wide. Its greatest monument is…

As the birthplace of St. Francis, Assisi is the true spiritual capital of Umbria. This hill-top town, with sweeping views over the Vale of Spoleto, has been a pilgrimage site for over 700 years and today receives as many visitors as ever. It survived the…

Situated on Corsica’s east coast, facing Italy, Bastia is Corsica’s second largest city, and one of France’s busiest passenger ports. Part of its attraction lies in the sense you get that this is a lived-in city, with a charming old town and enough things to…

Bergamo has a wealth of medieval, Renaissance and baroque architecture and lies just to the north east of Milan. Under Venetian rule for over 350 years, there are architectural reminders of Venice’s long reign visible all around the town.

Other Italians refer to Bologna affectionately as “la grassa” meaning “the fat one” because of the city’s strong culinary traditions and love affair with food. Cured hams, huge mortadella sausages, stuffed pasta or spaghetti with rich meat sauces and a…

Cagliari has been the capital city of Sardinia since Roman times and remains the island’s biggest town and busiest port, although it has a relaxed atmosphere and easy-going pace of life. The compact old centre of Cagliari above the port, encircled by…

The Cinque Terre is the collective name for the five medieval towns on this stretch of Ligurian coast precariously constructed on and between steep cliffs plunging straight into the Mediterranean. The inaccessibility of these villages over the centuries…

Florence is the regional capital of Tuscany and an absolute feast for the senses. It is the home of the Renaissance and one of Italy’s finest art collections. But alongside the history, art and architecture, Florence is a crowded busy city full of lively…

The Tyrol region lies on the far western side of Austria and is home to the country’s very best ski slopes. At the centre of the region lies Innsbruck, which began life in the 1100s as a small market town on the banks of the Inn river. Three centuries later…

Often compared to a “little Prague” Ljubljana is the capital city of Slovenia and its political and economic heart. It has by far the largest population of any Slovenian city and is also the centre of cultural events. But many people comment that this hidden…

Italy’s economic if not political centre, Milan is the capital of business, high finance and high fashion, with a population of around 1.3 million. As a fascist stronghold at the start of the Second World War the city was badly bombed by Allied raids, so much…

This is a city which elicits extreme responses from most visitors. You cannot be indifferent to Naples, you either love it or loathe it. It is chaotic, noisy, anarchic, grimy, lavish, exuberant and theatrical all at the same time. It sits on the sweeping Bay of…

Nice is the capital city of the French Riviera, situated towards the eastern edge of the region known as Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur. The region of Provence itself offers a wealth of interest to the visitor. Geographically it encompasses mountains, rugged…

The city of Olbia dates back to 750BC when the first settlement was established by the Phoenicians. Situated in the north east of the island, the former fishing village has, over time, developed into one of Sardinia’s busiest ports with an international airport…

Situated on the Western side of the region Emilia-Romagna, Parma is a prosperous and picturesque city which has given the world two of its greatest culinary inventions: Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. It is closely associated with the composer Giuseppe Verdi…

Once a forceful maritime power with its position on the Mediterranean, Pisa is known around the world for its famous Leaning Tower or “Torre Pendente”. The city has an excellent university, and therefore a busy young population, and a great selection of…

Where to begin? There can be few cities on earth where the ancient and modern rub along so closely together. Every time you turn a corner in Rome there is an awe-inspiring architectural or artistic masterpiece. It is the seat of Italy’s government but also the…

Sheffield has a rich industrial history dating back to the 18th century, when it became known as a global hub for steel production and was nicknamed “Steel City.” Today it is a thriving centre for arts, education, technology and food, and is a brewing capital of the world.

The complex twists and turns of Siena’s fortunes explain how it became and remained an Italian Gothic masterpiece. This enchanting Tuscan town, surrounded by ancient walls and its eight original city gates, is almost perfectly preserved. It is home to perhaps…

Although starting life as a Roman colony and going on to be an important trading port for the Goths, Byzantines and Lombards, Trieste belonged to the Austro-Hungarian Empire from the 1380s until the end of WW1 when it was given back to Italy. This variety of…

Sometimes referred to as the “Capital of the Alps” Turin is Italy’s fourth largest city. The River Po glides through its centre and the mountains tower over its skyline. Famous for its Fiat factories as much as the mystery of the Holy Shroud, Turin has a…

Arguably the most romantic city on earth, Venice is a heady mix of art and architecture, of music and fashion and of the old and new. Once the centre of a trading empire stretching from Lombardy to Constantinople, Venice is built on a series of islands…

Known throughout the English-speaking world as the setting for Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, the city of Verona has much to offer the 21st century visitor. Aside from its fame as La Citta dell’Amore (City of Love) its compact and beautiful centre is a…