Italy

Pisa is a perfectly lovely Tuscan student town that's become a landmark around the world because of its extraordinary gravity-defying tourist pull: There's no denying the Tower, or Torre in Italian, is unique, but the town has loads more on offer.

Leave all your preconceptions about southern Italy at the departure gate - Naples is a hidden gem of culture, history and, of course, food. Nestled in the shadow of an active volcano and infamous as a mafia hot-spot, it's safe to say that this is a city with an edge.  For decades considered little more than northern Italy's crime-ridden junkyard, Naples has cleaned itself up and is now enjoying a second renaissance, but hasn't yet had its authenticity beaten out of it by gentrification and tourism. 

Thinking of going skiing this year, but not sure where your budget can take you? Let us help you with a few options. You have to be quick though before these well-kept skiing and snowboarding secrets are discovered by the masses.  Destination ranges from Europe, North America to the Far East. Some of these were once used as Winter Olympic destinations.

Overlooked by an active volcano, perched on a port, and full of shabbily beautiful streets housing ancient pizzerias and buzzing bars. Naples' scruffily beautiful streets are refreshingly ungentrified: no chance of finding a chain coffee shop here. Every nook and cranny holds a baroque courtyard or a lush, leafy garden, and walls are adorned with cool street art, posters advertising all-night parties in tumble-down abandoned renaissance prisons or a flyer letting the community know a loved one has passed away.

The stunning Valais region has more than 40 ski areas and 2,500km of slopes; of 45 mighty summits above 4,000m, including the famous, pyramid-shaped Matterhorn; of glorious panaromic views; of 50 grape varieties (best enjoyed chilled in a glass on one of the region’s many sun terraces) and one UNESCO World Heritage Site.  When the first thing you say about a Swiss ski region isn’t the fact that it’s probably the most snow-sure in a country pretty reliable for its snow, you know it’s got a whole lot more going for it.  Valais is one of the most spectacular ski regions in all of Europe.

Puglia: part car park, part poetry. Part agricultural flatland, part trulli-struded settlement.  Also,  fashionable or, at least, the stylish summer secret is now bellowed across cyberspace thanks to Instagram.  It seems that everyone in the know hide here in the summer months - from supermodels and super writers to super designers and Hollywood superstars - avoiding the well-trodden charm of Tuscany to experience the rawer allure of the south of Italy, deep in the boot.

Ask many who have travelled to Italy what cities they visited and I bet they will all give you similar answers: Rome, Florence and Venice.  Here we introduce you to three other less-visited Italian cities we think you might enjoy.

GENOA: LA SUPERBA

As the sixth largest city in Italy, Genoa can often be overlooked by tourists with only a weekend to spare.  But, nicknamed la Superba (‘the Superb one’) thanks to its stunning landmarks, the city is well worth a visit.  You can wander the maze of narrow alleyways, called vicoli, that make up the medieval heart of Genoa – the birthplace of Christopher Columbus.  Young people on bikes and scooters dart by, old women carrying bags full of groceries bargain with fishmongers and chatty students walk towards the university – the place really is the quintessential port city, bustling with life.

Rome isn't just about gelato and ogling art. When it comes to eerie corners, underground chambers and messages from the 'undead', it's a city that holds its own.  Admittedly Rome's chaotic, sun-bathed piazzas may seem an unlikely setting for an atmospheric encounter with the dark side, but once you've seen the Sistine Chapel and ancient ruins, get off the tourist trail in favour of the Italian capital's lesser-known, creepier side.

Eye-poppingly beautiful, Florence – or Firenze as the Italians know it – is rich with unforgettable architecture and beautiful scenery. The city features historic works of art including Michelangelo’s David and the birth of Venus in the world – renowned Uffizi gallery. Perfect for couple, you can take a stroll through the stunning Boboli Gardens, enjoy a late-night walk along the Arno River and see the Golden Bridge before a romantic meal at one of the city’s many top restaurants.

To be bored of Italy is to be bored of bliss. Whether pouring that second glass of prosecco on the edge of a glistening Lake Como, sampling pistachio gelato outside the Colliseum or stealing another forkful of tomato laden fresh pasta in a Tuscan ristorante, there really is no destination more reliably decadent and delicious new world of Italian splendour still to be discovered. Discover the magical hidden villages just beyond the beaten track.  Pack a bag, grab your passport and start your next adventure with one of these gorgeous unspoilt hideaways.