The idea of travel to Italy evokes images of beautiful sun-soaked Tuscan villages surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, or romantic gondola rides on the palazzo-lined canals of Venice. This is a country where you can tour subterranean Etruscan tombs in the morning, have a delicious lunch at a village trattoria, followed by a wine tasting at a small, organic winery and then spend the evening at a jazz festival in a 1,000 year-old village. The beauty of Italy is unparalleled, producing artists the likes of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci, Giotto and Tintoretto, as well as some of the most incredible architects in history. There are many museums to visit, from the Uffizzi in Florence to the Vatican and more – but stroll through any village, town or city and it’s like you are in a living museum.

From the craggy snow-capped crests of the Alps to the sparkling Mediterranean Sea to the slopes of Mount Aetna in Sicily or the cliffs of Cefalu – anywhere you choose, this country will captivate you!