Climbing up the crater of Stromboli, one of the few active volcanoes in the world, is a unique and unforgettable experience. The crater consists of a cluster of five mouths. A few hundred metres away, you can observe the regular spray of incandescent..

The night-time sight of Stromboli's magnificent natural firework display will leave an indelible impression (during the day the eruptions do not create such a stark contrast). Indeed, after dark is perhaps the best time to appreciate the different as..

Lampedusa's prettiest beach nestles within the vast bay of Isola dei Conigli, Rabbit Island Bay, which is crowned with white cliffs. The place is reminiscent of the Caribbean with its dazzling white sand sloping gently down to a transparent sea, whic..

The mosaics are the work of Venetian and Sicilian masters (12C and 13C). They tell the story of the divine plan of universal salvation, from the creation of the world and of man up to the intervention of God (central nave). The coming of Christ incar..

In this room in the Villa Romana del Casale , the Room of the Small Hunt, five paintings illustrate the significant moments of a hunt. In an attempt to win favour with Diana, goddess of hunting, who is depicted on a column in the centre of the secon..

This immense gallery in the Villa Romana del Casale , the Corridor of the Great Hunting Scene, contains fine mosaics. On the ground an astounding hunting scene depicts panthers, lions, antelopes, boars, ostriches, camels and elephants being captured..

Three semicircular exhedras open onto a large, square central hall. The central part is decorated with mosaics depicting the Twelve Labours of Hercules , for example the Hydra of Lerna, with Hercules depicted cutting off its heads. At the centre of ..

Several rooms of the National Archaeological Museum are devoted to this villa discovered in Herculanum in the 18C. The Papyrus Room (n o 114) contains photographs of some of the 800 papyruses that were housed in the library. The bronze statue..

These rooms of the National Archaeological Museum house objects and paintings from the temple discovered at Pompeii . The focus is on three spaces, partially reconstructed here: the portico, the ekklesiasterion (where Isis's followers would gath..

These rooms of the National Archaeological Museum house exquisite frescoes from Pompeii , Herculanum and Stabies. The diversity of styles and colours is testimony to the incredible richness of Roman decoration. There are splendid paintings ins..

This wild, limestone mountain range forms an extension of the Dolomites beyond the Val d'Adige. Its deep valleys, such as the Val di Genova , in the Adamello mountains, are impressive. Its solitary lakes , such as Lago di Tovel, which takes on a re..

The Terrazza Umberto I offers exceptional views of the town and the Gulf of Angels. You reach it via the grand stairs of the Bastione di St Remy, completed in 1902, which incorporates the former bastions built by the Spanish in the second half of the..

The basilica dates from the 6C, making it the region's first example of early Christian architecture. It was built on the site of the Martyrium of Saturno, who was an inhabitant of Cagliari, and the central body of the original edifice remains: four ..

The Basilica of Our Lady of Bonaria, patron saint of seafarers, is one of the symbolic spots of Cagliari. At the top of a staircase, the former sanctuary (1324-1326, reworked in the 16C) stands next to a pre-Roman and Roman necropolis. Don't miss the..

Film crews come to Punta Molentis to film scenes supposedly taking place in the Caribbean! This dream beach, the best of the bunch, boasts sand and pebbles, exotic coral reefs and sensational waters.

Porto Giunco is another gem with its extremely fine white sand and pink flamingoes in the neighbouring laguna. This cove sheltered by Notteri beach (lovely but always crowded) separates in two at the foot of the Saracen tower. Both beaches are often ..

The Parco Archeologico di Pranu Muttedu is located in the heart of a magnificent copse of cork oaks. The megalithic tombs and menhirs (there are some 50 in total, in pairs, aligned or on the tombs) of this Italian Stonehenge form a superb whole. Obje..

The Supramonte – literally "above the mountain" – that culminates in the 1 463m-high Punta Corrasi to the southeast of Nuoro is an untamed world of unexplored caves and cork oak forests that have never been cut back. The only humans present..

Cala Luna, south of the Grotta del Bue Marino, has fine white sand on the beaches and coarser, multicoloured sand beneath the green sea; the bay stretches out at the foot of a cliff face punctuated with eight spectacular grottos affording some welcom..

The coast of the Golfo di Orosei is at its most impressive between Cala Sisine and Cala Biriola. Piscine di Venere beach is spectacular with its azure waters from which white rocks poke out.