Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission – learn moreMountains, lakes and rolling hills. Medieval cities stuffed with Renaissance artworks. World-class food and wine and nearly 5,000 miles of coastline. No wonder Italy’s nickname is Bel Paese: beautiful country.And while I’m biased – my grandfather came from Liguria and I’ve lived in Venice, Sicily and Marche – for me, no country can match Italy’s diversity.The flipside, of course, is that I’m not alone. Everyone loves Italy, meaning the main sites can be unbearably overcrowded, particularly in the high season.But that doesn’t mean you should deny yourself a stroll through the Colosseum’s bowels, a gondola ride, or a gawk at Michelangelo’s David. Getting the best from this well-loved country means travelling smarter; give yourself a few days of breathing room for a crowded destination, and pair a big hitter with a lesser-visited spot.Here are my all-time favourite Italian destinations – plus a few to miss.VIRTUOSO VENETO Prato della Valle in vibrant Padova is one of the largest public squares in Europe.While everyone should enjoy the charm of Venice’s canal-lined streets and historic churches at least once, leave time on your visit to the city for the wider Veneto region, home to some of Italy’s most beautiful towns.In buzzy Padova there’s the Scrovegni Chapel, frescoed from floor-to-starlit-ceiling by Giotto; Verona’s pink-stone amphitheatre is just one of its many Roman ruins; and elegant Vicenza is a catwalk of Renaissance palaces. The Prosecco Hills (AKA the home of bubbles) are ravishingly beautiful – and most wineries do tastings.MY TIP: Break up your sightseeing with a beach day – Jesolo’s miles-long sands are some of the Adriatic’s finest.BOOK IT: A seven-night walking holiday in Veneto costs from £1,699pp, including flights, half-board accommodation in Padova, transfers and luggage (involvedholidays.com).SIZZLING SICILY Sicily’s beaches should be firmly on your Italian holiday mapThe Med’s biggest island is having a well-overdue moment. Sicily has everything: beaches (the Zingaro reserve is spectacular), ancient history (Syracuse and Agrigento have incredible Greek remains, while the Villa Romana del Casale is carpeted with the famous ‘bikini girls’ mosaics), and incredible architecture, from Norman castles to Baroque palaces.Gutsy capital Palermo is a showstopping mix of it all. Then, of course, there’s the ever-active Etna. What’s not to love?MY TIP: Head inland on the island for spectacular landscapes and hilltop towns such as Enna, or the Baroque beauty of Noto.BOOK IT: An eight-day escorted tour around Sicily, including Palermo, Agrigento and Villa Romana del Casale costs from £1,339pp including flights, transport and guides (cosmos.co.uk).ETERNAL ROME Beyond Rome’s popular tourist attractions, explore the 2,000-year-old Appian WayThe Eternal City is ever-changing – new museums, hotels, popes – but what stays constant is its immense cultural weight; I’ll never tire of ancient Rome.Once you’ve seen the city-centre sights, though, don’t miss a wander along the 2,000-year-old Appian Way, bordered by tombs, catacombs and the fabulous Villa dei Quintili ancient estate.Renaissance Rome is also spectacular – Palazzo Barberini and Villa Borghese both have extraordinary art collections.MY TIP: See the Roman Forum before the Colosseum – the ticket is for both sites, but the Forum queues are far shorter.BOOK IT: A seven-night Rome and Florence twin-centre holiday cost from £979pp B&B, including flights to Rome and back from Florence, private transfers, and first-class train travel between the two (tropicalsky.co.uk).TUSCAN DREAM In Tuscany, Pienza is one stellar option for a getaway that oozes Italian charmThat dreamy landscape of rolling hills and cypress avenues that screams ‘Italy’? It’s Val d’Orcia, in southern Tuscany. Start in Siena – which rivals Florence for its Renaissance art – and rent a car to weave through the undulating Crete Senesi landscape and into Val d’Orcia, where jewel box towns Montalcino, San Quirico and Pienza crown the hilltops.MY TIP: Descend into Montepulciano’s ‘cathedral of wine’ – vintners’ cellars dug into the hillside. Part of the De’ Ricci vineyard, it really could be a church.BOOK IT: Seven nights at Borgo Tre Rose, in a vineyard 20 minutes from Montepulciano, from £645 including flights (citalia.com).BEACHSIDE PUGLIA Visit the fishing town of Gallipoli for harbourside charmThe stiletto heel of Italy’s boot is a popular beach destination for good reason – but most visitors head to the wrong side. Avoid the rocky shores of the Adriatic coast, and instead pivot west on the sizzling Salento peninsula for sandy beaches (I like Porto Cesareo) and sleepy towns built in the frilly Pugliese Baroque style (try Nardò). Fishing town Gallipoli, thrusting out into the Ionian Sea, is a must.MY TIP: Add an overnight at UNESCO World Heritage site Matera, across the border in Basilicata, and sleep in a ‘cave hotel’ dug into the cliffside of this ancient stone city.BOOK IT: Three nights’ B&B at Tenuta La Baronessa Resort in Gallipoli from £328pp B&B including flights and coach transfers (tui.co.uk).POWERHOUSE POMPEII Pompeii might be amazing – but check out Herculaneum nearby for mosaics and well-preserved ruinsNo matter how many times I visit, walking the streets of this city trapped in time gives me shivers.At Pompeii, you can stroll into people’s houses, visit the baths, and even see the Roman equivalent of McDonald’s.Another must-see is nearby Herculaneum, which was also destroyed by the 79AD eruption of Vesuvius.Indeed, while Pompeii is beautiful for its vastness, the ruins of Herculaneum – once a seaside resort for wealthy Romans – are teeming with incredible detail, such as mosaics and preserved door frames. Both sites are about a 30-minute drive from Naples, which makes for a lively city break by the sea – and is home to the distinctive (and delicious) Neapolitan pizza.MY TIP: Take the free Artebus shuttle from Pompeii to nearby ancient sites, including the ravishing Roman villas at Oplontis and Castellammare di Stabia.BOOK IT: A seven-night twin-centre break between Sorrento and Capri costs from £1,599pp including flights, transfers, hydrofoil to Capri, two nights’ B&B accommodation in Capri and five nights’ half-board at the four-star Jaccarino hotel, in the mountains behind Sorrento, from where you can get the train to Pompeii (citalia.com).LAKESIDE LOVELIES Italy’s lakes are – and have long been – in vogue, including Lake Garda, picturedHugged by the Alps and warmed by the sun, northern Italy’s glacial lakes have been drawing sightseers since Roman times, each with its own atmosphere.If money’s no object, I like Como for five-star sprawling in the magnificent lakeside villas-turned-hotels.For a more active holiday, you can’t beat Garda: road trip or cycle round the pretty waterside villages, see Roman remains at Sirmione or head into the nearby Valpolicella wine country.MY TIP: If you’re visiting Como and Garda, stop off at Lake Iseo, in between. Small and peaceful, this is the Goldilocks of the lakes.BOOK IT: Seven nights at the La Paul hotel in Lake Garda from £485pp room only, including flights and private transfers (easyjet.com/holidays).DRAMATIC DOLOMITES The Dolomites reign supreme when it comes to imposing, impressive viewsI’m no mountaineer or skier, but the Dolomites, in north-east Italy, are sheer magic, with toothy peaks, rolling hills and spectacular plateaus that are a joy to behold – especially when shrouded in rosy-pink sunsets.To me, they’re at their most beautiful in summer, when you can road trip, walk, or simply take the cable cars to mountain-top rifugi to drink high-altitude wine as you bask in the sun.The area between Cortina d’Ampezzo and Ortisei is the most spectacular, but I love laid-back Alta Badia as a base.MY TIP: For some of Italy’s most breathtaking views (plus easy walks), try the Alpe di Siusi plateau above Ortisei.BOOK IT: A seven-night summer stay in the Alta Badia area costs from £1,533pp including flights, transfers and half-board accommodation at Sporthotel Panorama (inghams.co.uk).FOODIE BOLOGNA Bologna is perfect for foodies – but there’s more to it than just thatFoodies should make straight for Italy’s capital of cucina, where delicate tortellini come drowned in cream and tagliatelle al ragù knocks spag bol into a cocked hat. But don’t let that fabulous food blind you to Bologna’s other charms: its 25 miles of porticoes, tipsily leaning ‘twin’ medieval towers and history of female Renaissance artists – still visible in its churches and museums – are worthy ways to walk off the city’s culinary delights. Modena and Parma are easy foodie day trips, too.MY TIP: Take a day trip to nearby Ravenna, the final capital of the Western Roman Empire, and see glittering Byzantine mosaics – the finest in the world.BOOK IT: A seven-night trip to Bologna, Parma and Ravenna costs from £1,688pp, including flights, airport transfers, train tickets between cities, and a walking tour in Bologna (kirkerholidays.com).LIGURIAN IDYLL Portovenere is a highlight, too – not to be missed, even if you’re keen to visit popular and oh-so-chic Cinque TerreI’m biased, as this is where my great-grandmother grew up, but for me, the coastline from La Spezia to Levanto is Italy’s finest. Cinque Terre – five chocolate-box fishing villages spilling down the cliffs – is spectacular. Nearby Portovenere is also stunning, while Lerici, where Percy and Mary Shelley lived, has a quiet, beautiful bay and a medieval castle.MY TIP: Avoid weekends and Italian holidays, when the area is rammed.BOOK IT: Three nights at Grand Hotel Portovenere from £1,298pp B&B including flights and transfers (kirkerholidays.com).AEOLIAN ISLAND-HOPPING The black sand beach in Stromboli makes for a welcome change of sceneryThe Odyssey has sent the crowds to the Egadi Islands (film-maker Christopher Nolan’s Ithaca) this year, so it’s the perfect time to visit Sicily’s other archipelago, the Aeolians: seven volcanic islands erupting from the water. Don’t miss picture-perfect Salina, chi-chi Panarea, and black-sanded Stromboli, an active volcano that puffs away every 15 minutes.MY TIP: Central Lipari makes the best island-hopping base.BOOK IT: Seven nights at Hotel Mea on Lipari from £1,105pp B&B including flights, private transfers from Catania and the hydrofoil (kuoni.co.uk).MAGICAL MARCHE The city of Urbino is the main attraction in the Marche region of ItalyBordering the Adriatic, the Marche region is everything you want – and expect – from Italy: rolling hills, medieval towns and wonderful beaches. From the resorts of Fano and Pesaro to the wild Riviera del Conero, where the Spiaggia delle Due Sorelle is one of Italy’s best wild beaches, this is the Bel Paese at its peak.The Renaissance city of Urbino is the main draw, but I also love the towns further south, such as hilltop Treia and Ascoli Piceno, whose travertine streets shimmer in the sun.MY TIP: Add in a day trip to San Marino, the fifth-smallest country in the world, a 70-minute drive through the hills from Urbino.BOOK IT: Three nights at Gallery, inland from beach town Senigallia, from £598pp B&B including flights and car hire (kirkerholidays.com).SPIRITUAL UMBRIA In the green heart of Italy, Umbria, visit medieval hill towns including SpelloInstead of a coastline, Italy’s ‘green heart’ has rippling hills rising into emerald mountains and medieval hill towns, such as Spello, blazing with Renaissance art.See Raphael and Perugino in laidback capital Perugia, taste sagrantino wine in Montefalco, and channel Umbria’s sacred serenity in Assisi, the home of St Francis, where Giotto changed art history with his frescoes in the basilica.MY TIP: Don’t miss Umbria’s under-visited sites, from the Roman town of Carsulae to the fossilised forest at Dunarobba – one of just three in the world.BOOK IT: Four nights at Borgobrufa Spa Resort outside Assisi from £853pp B&B including flights from Heathrow (ba.com/holidays).ARTY FLORENCE Florence, an art lover’s paradise, is full of galleries and museums to exploreFor art lovers, nowhere on the planet holds a candle to Florence, the riverside city where the Renaissance began. Where to start?The Uffizi and the Accademia, of course, but Florence’s lesser-visited museums are more atmospheric. The Bargello, Orsanmichele and Casa Buonarroti – home to tiny sculptures and models by Michelangelo – are my favourites.MY TIP: Skip the interior of the Duomo (the cathedral), but do climb up to the rooftop, through Brunelleschi’s famous dome.BOOK IT: Three nights at Palazzo Lorenzo Hotel Boutique and Spa from £329pp B&B including flights from Gatwick (easyjet.com).