Lakes, coasts & cities
Where to stay 4
Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca – Venice's garden hotel since 1958
Belmond Hotel Cipriani on Giudecca: Giuseppe Cipriani's hotel from 1958, the Guinness sisters, the only pool in central Venice and Palazzo Vendramin.
Belmond Hotel Caruso – the palace in Ravello that became a guesthouse in 1893
Belmond Hotel Caruso in Ravello: the 11th-century Palazzo d'Afflitto, Pensione Belvedere from 1893 and the 18th-century frescoes found under the…
Villa d'Este in Cernobbio – the cardinal's villa that became a hotel in 1873
Villa d'Este in Cernobbio: built 1565–1570 for Cardinal Gallio, named by Caroline of Brunswick, a hotel since 1873 and home of the Concorso…
Rome's grand hotels – six addresses and their history
Rome's grand hotels, from the Hassler at the Spanish Steps and Hotel Eden to Hotel de Russie, St. Regis, the Excelsior on Via Veneto and Bulgari…
Itineraries 8
The Borromean Islands – a day on Lake Maggiore from Stresa
A day on Lake Maggiore from Stresa: Isola Bella's baroque palace and terraces, the fishermen's island, Isola Madre's English garden and Villa Taranto.
Florence on the Medici path – from the Uffizi across the river to the Oltrarno
A day in Florence along the Medici route: the Duomo, the Uffizi, the reopened Vasari Corridor, Ponte Vecchio, Palazzo Pitti, Boboli and San Miniato…
The Venetian Lagoon – Murano, Burano and Torcello in a day
A day by water bus in the Venetian Lagoon: the glassworks of Murano, the coloured houses and lace of Burano and Torcello's cathedral and its mosaics…
48 hours in Venice – from Tintoretto to Harry's Bar
Venice in two days: St Mark's, the Doge's Palace, Florian, the Grand Canal and Rialto, Tintoretto at San Rocco, the Accademia, Guggenheim and Harry's…
A perfect day in Positano – the town of stairs on the Amalfi Coast
A perfect day in Positano: Santa Maria Assunta and the Roman villa, the beaches and towers, a boat to Li Galli and the Path of the Gods down to…
Lake Garda all the way round – from Sirmione in the south to Riva in the north
A journey around Lake Garda: Roman ruins in Sirmione, D'Annunzio's Vittoriale, Limone's lemon terraces, Riva's winds and Monte Baldo above Malcesine.
48 hours in Bellagio – the point in the middle of Lake Como
Two days in Bellagio on Lake Como: the Borgo's stepped lanes, Villa Serbelloni's park, Villa Melzi's garden, Punta Spartivento and ferries across the…
A perfect day in Sanremo – the city of flowers on the Italian Riviera
A day in Sanremo near the French border: the medieval Pigna, Via Matteotti and Teatro Ariston, the 1905 casino, the Russian church and Villa Nobel.
What to see 6
Costa Smeralda – Aga Khan's coast on northern Sardinia
How the Aga Khan's consortium built the Costa Smeralda from 1962: the architects, Porto Cervo and its marina, the classic hotels and the Maddalena…
Tuscany's great estates – from Brolio in Chianti to Bolgheri by the sea
Five Tuscan addresses: Castello di Brolio in Chianti, Pius II's Pienza, Brunello country in Montalcino and Sassicaia and Ornellaia at Bolgheri.
Ravello – Wagner's Garden and the Terrace of Infinity
Ravello above the Amalfi Coast: Wagner's garden at Villa Rufolo, the Terrace of Infinity at Villa Cimbrone, the cathedral and the summer music…
Capri on two levels – Piazzetta, Anacapri and Munthe's San Michele
Capri on two levels: the Piazzetta and Augustus Gardens, Anacapri and Axel Munthe's Villa San Michele, the Blue Grotto and Tiberius's Villa Jovis.
Portofino, Santa Margherita and Camogli – three harbours on the same headland
Three harbours on one Italian Riviera headland: postcard Portofino, elegant Santa Margherita Ligure, fishing-town Camogli and the San Fruttuoso abbey.
Villa Carlotta and Balbianello – Lake Como's two great gardens
Two of Lake Como's great villa gardens in Tremezzina: Villa Carlotta's azaleas and Canova sculptures, and Balbianello's terraced headland at Lenno.
