ITALY

Sicily's second-largest city is intimately connected to the active volcano that towers above it. The smoking, gurgling peak of Mt. Etna, one of the island's most iconic landmarks, has shaped Catania significantly, most notably in the 1600s when an eruption sent lava flowing to the sea. But the real damage happened some 25 years later when an earthquake rocked and destroyed the city. Catania was reconstructed in the Baroque style using the lava rock at hand, earning the historical center its UNESCO World Heritage status. Recent decades have seen major restoration and revitalization, making the city an ideal spot and a great base for exploring.

First settled by Phoenicians, this under-the-radar Corsican town of only 3,000 deserves far wider fame. Thank goodness, however, that it hasn't achieved it. It's ideal for lazing away an afternoon in the town square, navigating quiet streets, visiting several attractive churches or strolling around the harbor and along fine white beaches. Tucked away in its unusual grid-patterned thoroughfares are handsome old villas and buildings that date from the late 18th century and the Napoleonic era. If you are feeling more adventurous, L'Île-Rousse serves as a base from which to explore some of Corsica's rugged interior, where ancient stone villages sit atop steep hills and vineyards fill entire valleys.

Portoferraio is the main town on Elba, the Mediterranean island of the Etruscans, Romans, Medici, and of course, Napoleon. Visit Villa San Martino, the summer residence of Emperor Napoleon; wander Portoferraio's centuries-old labyrinth of alleys, monuments and churches; and visit a winery on the Etruscan wine road. 

Visit Rome’s legendary Colosseum. Shop Monaco’s glamorous boutiques. Sample succulent tapas in Barcelona. Walk the medieval wall that guards Dubrovnik’s charms. Unwind under a canopy of stars. 

A walker’s paradise and shopper’s mecca, Ravenna is home to the Basilica of Sant' Apollinare Nuovo, with its intricate mosaics; Dante’s tomb (author of The Divine Comedy); posh boutiques and cafés.  

Rome is both a modern bustling city and an ancient open-air museum. You can walk in the footsteps of emperors, have coffee in Renaissance piazzas and see contemporary art all in one afternoon. Your sightseeing time in Rome begins at the nearby port of Civitavecchia.