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1. Naples

Founded as the Greek colony of Parthenope, the fascinating port city of Naples has all the artistic and architectural grandeur befitting a one-time capital of Italy; its museums, palaces and churches are among the finest in Europe. The magnificent National Archaeological Museum and the Caravaggios in the Capodimonte gallery are must-sees, but there are lots of lesser-known treasures too. Pizza was invented here and there is a plethora of places to eat it in, along with gelato, sfogliatelle, taralli and bab — foodie heaven. Good day trips include Herculaneum, Pompeii and Vesuvius.

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Located within striking distance of the Spaccanapoli, Hotel Piazza Bellini has 48 contemporary rooms, eight apartments and a lovely courtyard garden

Tourhub offers four days in Naples including guided tours of the city and its markets, a pizza-making class and a drive up to Mount Vesuvius

• Best hotels in Naples

2. Venice

There is nowhere on earth quite like La Serenissima, and nothing can adequately prepare you for your first visit. Granted, the crowds can be overwhelming, but there is a otherworldly quality to this watery city that is quite enchanting once you learn how to navigate it. Yes, first-timers must visit the Accademia Gallery, St Mark’s great Basilica, the Peggy Guggenheim Collection and even hop on a gondola — but to get the best out of Venice, ditch the map, head for the outer reaches of Cannaregio or Castello and just wander. Venetian restaurants are mostly overpriced, so opt for a typical bacaro (tavern) to graze on cicchetti with a glass of the local plonk.

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The five-star Nolinski is housed in the art nouveau-style former stock exchange near St Mark’s Square

Read our full review of Nolinski

Insight Vacations’ Italian Intermezzo tour spends two days in Venice and visits six other cities

• Best affordable hotels in Venice
• Best things to do in Venice

3. Milan

Although The Last Supper, the Duomo and the Pinacoteca di Brera are must-sees, hard-working Milan is not known for its big-hitting attractions, and it makes a refreshing change from Italy’s classic art destinations. This is a city for fashionistas, style hounds and design fanatics, with shops and design studios that are second to none. The hotels are fabulous and the restaurant and bar scene is the best in Italy (try risotto alla Milanese, ossobuco and panettone). Don’t forget the opera: La Scala is one of the world’s great lyric theatres.

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Hotel Viu is a design-led, good-value hotel with a young vibe and a rooftop pool in the cool Porta Volta neighbourhood

Read our full review of Hotel Viu

Expedia offers package holidays to Milan with a wide choice of hotels to suit all budgets including the storied, super-central Grand Hotel et de Milan

• Best luxury hotels in Milan
• Best things to do in Milan

4. Palermo

The capital of Sicily has a history that spans 3,000 years, yet it wears its past lightly. Today, the juxtaposition of old and new makes it one of Italy’s most charismatic cities, with a humming contemporary art and design scene, a glut of cool restaurants and a buzzing nightlife. Explore the chaotic Ballaro and Vucciria markets, pay homage to the dead at the Catacombe dei Cappuccini, hire a Vespa to head up to the Norman cathedral at Monreale to see its astonishing Byzantine frescoes and catch an opera performance at the magnificent Teatro Massimo. In between, eat lots of caponata, arancini and cassata siciliana (a super-rich cake of ricotta and candied fruit) washed down with some local wine; my favourite is anything cold and white from Etna.

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Rocco Forte Hotels’ Villa Igiea has a magnificent position overlooking the sea just outside the city, a glut of facilities and a belle époque vibe

Cox & Kings’ five-night Normans in the South tour is based in Palermo and includes excursions to Monreale and Cefalu

coxandkings.co.uk

• Best hotels in Palermo

5. Florence

Florence, the Cradle of the Renaissance, is one of the world’s great art cities, with enough treasures packed into its compact, walkable centro storico to keep an art aficionado happy for weeks. From Michelangelo’s monumental David to the lesser-visited treasures in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, there is a staggering amount to see. But there’s much more to Firenze than Botticelli and Brunelleschi. The eating and drinking scene has never been more varied, shopping opportunities range from the designer boutiques of Via Tornabuoni to bespoke shoemakers and artisan workshops, and night-time entertainment runs from jazz concerts and grand opera to speakeasy-style bars and after-hours dancing.

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Located in the hip Oltrarno neighbourhood and overlooking the dreamy Torrigiani garden, Ad Astra is a 16-room boutique hotel with an elegant vintage vibe

Abercromie & Kent’s four-night Florence City Break includes a private walking tour with an expert guide and accommodation in four or five-star hotels

abercrombiekent.co.uk

• Best hotels in Florence
• Best things to do in Florence

6. Rome

Rome was caput mundi, the capital of the ancient world, for 500 years; magnificent buildings such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon are reminders of that. Then came the Vatican and St Peter’s, the Trevi Fountain, the Villa Borghese and, latterly, the contemporary art spaces of MAXXI and MACRO; stay a month and you still won’t see it all. But the Eternal City offers much more than just museums and monuments. Neighbourhoods such as Monti and Trastevere beckon with ivy-clad cobbled lanes and quiet piazzette, street markets and independent boutiques, wine bars and restaurants serving artichokes alla giudia and spaghetti carbonara. The best city views are from the Gianicolo hill at sunset.

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Boutique beauty Casa Monti has 36 gorgeous bedrooms and a glam, retro vibe in the super-trendy Monti neighbourhood

Abercrombie & Kent’s luxury six-night tour covers Rome and Venice in grand style with three nights in each city

abercrombiekent.co.uk

• Best affordable hotels in Rome
• Best restaurants in Rome

7. Genoa

I have only recently discovered Genoa and I’m hooked; it’s an unsung gem, a lively, gritty port city with a fascinating seafaring history, once an immensely wealthy maritime republic and stuffed with glorious palazzi, churches and wide, elegant squares. The birthplace of Christopher Columbus and pesto, it has a centro storico with a labyrinthine network of caruggi (medieval lanes) leading down to the Porto Antico area and Renzo Piano’s waterfront development with the brilliant aquarium and the Museo del Mare. Culinary highlights include trofie al pesto, salty focaccia, oily farinata and sizzling, fishy fritto misto.

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Erstwhile doge’s residence Palazzo Durazzo stands just back from the Porto Antico area and provides a taste of grand, aristocratic living

MSC has a selection of two to five-night Mediterranean cruises that dock in Genoa and Civitavecchia (for Rome) among other ports

• Read our full guide to Italy

8. Lecce

Lecce is often referred to as “the Florence of the South”, but it is very different from its northern counterpart. Founded by the Greeks, the sophisticated cultural heart of the sun-soaked region of Puglia has a centro storico characterised by a muddle of narrow lanes crammed with places to sample ’ncapriata (puréed broad beans and chicory), orecchiette, robust negroamaro wine and the fruity local extra virgin olive oil. Then there’s its magnificent baroque architecture, all flounces and flourishes created from the honey-hued local sandstone. To the south, the fabulous beaches and clear waters of the Salento peninsula beckon.

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Seven-suite Palazzo Luce is part-hotel, part-gallery, with an extraordinary collection of contemporary art within its storied walls

palazzolucelecce.com

Exodus has an eight-day cultural tour of Puglia starting in the cave town of Matera and finishing in Lecce

• Best things to do in Puglia

9. Bologna

Choose between La Grassa (the Fat), La Rossa (the Red) or La Dotta (the Learned): whatever nickname you use, Bologna is an energetic city known for its abundant food, for its left-leaning politics and for being the home of the oldest university in Europe. Food pilgrims come for its fabulous markets, its gastronomie (delis) and its dozens of restaurants, all linked by 25 miles of porticoed streets. Feast on mortadella, lasagne and tortellini in brodo washed down with fresh, fizzy lambrusco. Climb the Torre Asinelli for panoramic views of the city, admire Giambologna’s Neptune Fountain and visit the unfinished Basilica di San Petronio with its exquisite Bolognini chapel.

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Once a bishop’s palace, the opulent five-star Grand Hotel Majestic is the best Bologna has to offer

Bologna is among the stops on Titan Travel’s 16-day Grand Tour of Italy, which starts in Venice and also takes in Rome and Florence

• Discover our full guide to Europe

10. Turin

The regional capital of Piedmont (and briefly of a newly united Italy), Turin is an elegant, sophisticated city whose dominant heritage comes courtesy of the Savoys; the French influence is visible today not only in its extravagant palaces and gracefully arcaded squares, but also in the food, the wine and the café culture. Visit attractions such as the world-class Egyptian museum and the Museo Nazionale del Cinema; feast on truffles and bagna cauda, drink vermouth and barolo, and hunker down with a steaming cup of cioccolato caldo in retro gems such as the 18th-century Al Bicerin.

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The historic Grand Hotel Sitea is brilliantly located steps from Piazza San Carlo and some of the city’s main sights

Cox & King’s five-day tour to Turin and Piedmont with Valentina Harris focuses on food and wine (and includes a truffle hunt near Alba), but doesn’t neglect places of cultural and artistic interest along the way

coxandkings.co.uk

11. Cagliari

The capital of Sardinia since Roman times sits on the wide curve of the Gulf of Cagliari. It is a thriving port city — refreshingly tourist-free — that’s dominated by a vast walled citadel with a network of medieval lanes and a buzzing nightlife. Attractions include an impressive cathedral, the large Roman amphitheatre and a fascinating archaeological museum housing artefacts and jewellery from the mysterious Nuragic people. Tired of sightseeing? Head for the long, sandy beach at Poetto for some downtime. Cagliari’s reasonably priced restaurants specialise in hopping-fresh fish and seafood, but you’ll find good pork and local cheeses and charcuterie too.

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Design-led Casa Clat has nine contemporary suites, a garden and an excellent restaurant serving mod-Sardinian and Mediterranean food near the tourist port area

Viator has private custom walking tours of the city lasting from two to eight hours with insightful, local guides

• Best villas in Sardinia
• Best things to do in Sardinia

Additional reporting by Julie Alpine