Central Italy
Tuscany is quintessential Italy: it's home to one of the nation's most celebrated cities - Florence, the birth place of the Renaissance. Then there are several exquisite hill towns, like Cortona; medieval Siena, with it's shell-shaped piazza, Il Campo; Lucca, perfectly preserved inside its ancient walls; Arezzo, where you can see some of Piero della Francesca's finest frescoes; San Gimignano a small walled medieval gem known as the town of the fine towers (The Historic Centre of San Gimignano is a UNESCO World Heritage Site).
Umbria and Marche are the green heart of Italy and have hills aplenty and medieval towns atop many of them. The wealth of historical and artistic treasures in towns such as Assisi, Orvieto and Perugia is extraordinary. Stunning landscapes and enormous panoramic vistas are around every corner and the Apennines, snow-capped in winter before being enrobed in spring flowers, make ideal walking country. Alternatively, you could laze on a sandy Mediterranean beach with great local wine and delicious pasta, flavoured with the mysterious truffles that grow here.
Explore monumental Rome, Lazio's and Italy's capital, and go beyond the Eternal City's ancient gates to discover what lies outside - volcanic lakes, beaches and islands, refined hill towns, Etruscan tombs and the snowy peaks of the Apennines. In Northern Lazio there is a little known but very beautiful area called La Tuscia.