Alta Badia (Dolomites) in Italy

Bologna seamlessly blends old world charm with modernity. Distinctive red colored buildings line the city’s streets, interspersed with medieval towers, the cathedral and the UNESCO-listed porticoes.

Sirmione is a quaint little settlement on the southern shores of Lake Garda in Lombardy. One of the prettiest historic towns around the lake, Sirmione has much to offer culture buffs as well as outdoorsy vacationers.

With its hills and forested slopes in the north and rolling hills and verdant valleys in the south, the sundrenched landscapes of rural Tuscany are a true celebration of the glory of the Italian countryside. Add to the mix, its delicious flavors – wine and Pecorino cheese in particular – making it a delight for the senses!

Gulf of Tigullio or Golfo del Tigullio stands in the middle of Italy’s Ligurian Riviera. It is wedged between the historic towns of Portofino at one end and the pretty seaside village of Sestri Levante on the other.

Fasano is a charming town that lies between the hills and the sea in southern Italy. An ancient settlement, dating back to Greco-Roman times, it is almost equidistant from the cities of Bari, Brindisi, and Taranto. With its maze of alleys, stairways, and piazzas, the historic center of Fasano is a delight to discover.

As the setting of Shakespeare’s immortal play Romeo and Juliet, travelers are drawn to this northern Italian town from all over the world. The lovely riverside town even showcases an old 14th century house with a courtyard sheltered by a pretty little balcony as “Juliet’s House”! Even without the poet’s masterful creation, however, Verona is an attractive medieval town with elegant old churches, old fashioned cobbled streets, and beautiful piazzas lined with shops and eateries.

Cinque Terre is a picturesque cluster of five medieval fishing villages perched atop jagged coastal cliffs lining the Italian Riviera. This UNESCO World Heritage site is like an Impressionist painting – a blur of colors and textures of tiled roof homes, velvety vineyards and sunny terraces overlooking fishing boats, busy harbors and a cerulean sea below. The impressive, serpentine stone walls (muretti) of this rugged seaside are perhaps the medieval Roman answer to the Great Wall of China! Admire the intricately created structure of terraced gardens and farmlands, formed over thousands of years.

Genoa has remained a popular Italian port through the centuries, giving the world explorers like Christopher Columbus and football to the Italians. In its medieval heyday, the port city ruled Mediterranean trade routes.

Syracuse on Sicily’s Ionian coast was one of the largest cities in the ancient world. Legend has it that the Corinthians first colonized the island of Ortygia or Ortigia, a UNESCO World Heritage site, before setting up the city of Syracuse or Siracusa around 700 BCE.