Italy

Italy is a country to take slowly: art cities where every square feels like a museum, villages clinging to cliffs above the sea, and a cuisine that changes completely from one region to the next. The north offers lakes, mountains and elegant cities; the centre, vineyard-covered hills and Renaissance art; the south, beaches, ancient ruins and a warmer, more chaotic rhythm. It is easy to get around by train and suits a first trip to Europe as much as a food-focused or romantic getaway.