Italy is chock full of places you will have heard about from history books, travel brochures and television programmes. But there are other equally amazing places the country has to offer that aren’t anywhere near as well known.

A good example is Portofino. When you see some pictures of this delightful place you will think it was specifically put together as a contender for the prettiest location in all of Italy. This is not to exaggerate in any way either – the fishing village has been adopted somewhat by many rich and famous people and it is not hard to see why. You may not be able to afford to live here but you can certainly pay it a visit while you are holidaying in Italy.

The village is in the northern reaches of Italy, settled in the Genoa province. If you see pictures of it before you go you will still be amazed at how beautiful it is when you see it in person. Colour is a big theme here – you will witness pastel painted houses and the deep blue of the waters that flow into the small harbour. It may not be a big place but it doesn’t need to be. It has everything it could possibly need to tempt many visitors to its shores every single year. Once it captures your imagination you will find it hard to resist a repeat visit.

One of the things to do here is simply to wander around and take in the beauty of your surroundings. This should include a look at the many boats bobbing around in the harbour. There’s no telling if any of them have famous owners, but it’s certainly nice to think about the possibilities!

The curved nature of the bay lends it a cosy feel. There is nothing better than to find a chair at one of the local cafes so you can drink coffee and watch the passers by as they explore Portofino for themselves. Don’t just explore with your feet: exploring with your eyes can reveal many new places and things to delight in when you arrive in Portofino.

Italy really does spoil us when you stop and think about it. It has lots of big cities to visit, including Rome, Milan and Naples, and plenty of ancient sights to see as well. But if you only visit the obvious destinations you will miss out on many of the smaller but equally well formed places you could see while you are in the country.

Take Bologna for example. Situated in Northern Italy, it is often referred to as one of the most attractive places to visit in the entire country. When you see it for yourself you will soon see why this is the case. Holidaymakers are spoiled when they arrive here to explore everything it has to offer.

There is a university here that was founded more than nine hundred years ago, so you can see there is a good degree of history to be found in Bologna itself. Even though the city is highly developed it still retains all the best parts of its past. As such it provides an amazing experience to all those who visit it – whether it is for the first time or the hundredth.

There are two squares to be found in Bologna – Piazza Maggiore and Piazza del Nettuno. Both of them are equally good places to start any exploration of the city, since they draw the crowds and provide a point from which to branch off to other areas.

Look out for such delights as the two leaning towers, which are just a short walk away from the Piazza Maggiore. Lots of people who know Bologna well recognise these as the symbols of the city. One of the best things about Bologna is that while it has plenty to offer to tourists, it is not overrun with them in the same way that many other Italian cities are. It may be a long way from Rome, but it is worth planning a weekend away in Bologna if you want to see a different and yet equally charming side of Italy. Bologna might just surprise you in more ways than one.

Anyone planning a trip to Italy has any number of amazing destinations to choose from. For instance you might want to head for a huge place such as Rome, with its many associated sights to see.

But if you want to stay away from the blatantly obvious locations and head for the coastline instead, you can do no better than to decide to stay on the Amalfi Coast. Situated about halfway down the boot that is Italy, you will find that the Amalfi Coast hides many jewels that are well worth staying in.

Take Sorrento for example, jutting out into the sea as if it is trying to stay as far away as possible from the mainland. This is a delightful place to stay in and it also gives you good access to the rest of the Amalfi Coast.

Salerno can also be found in this part of Italy. This is really one part of the coastline that you would not base an entire holiday in, but you can still while away a few hours here quite happily enough. For instance there are signs of mediaeval times here, signs that still remain today and are just as much a part of the town as the modern bars that also take up residence here.

Positano is another town that can also be found along the Amalfi Coast. This is more expensive than many of the other locations in the area, but it is also incredibly dramatic in nature. It exists on the cliff face and you might almost expect to come along one day and find that it has given up against gravity and disappeared into the waters.

There are lots of places you can stay in while you are visiting Positano, and indeed if your budget can stand it you can make this your base for your time on the Amalfi Coast. As an ideal place for finding your seat on a boat trip to various other locations, you can see that it has everything that the Amalfi Coast is best known for.

If you have been following the news recently you will know that one of the buildings that was left in ruins after the eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79 finally crumbled and fell in November 2010. The House of Gladiators succumbed to the elements in recent days and the event has made headlines around the world.

But perhaps the biggest worry here is not the consequences of losing such a notable structure dating from some two thousand years ago. It is the worry that other buildings in Pompeii may eventually follow in the same manner.

Newspapers, reporters and other experts have said that Pompeii is in desperate need of support. Despite the popularity and historical importance of the site it is known that the government does not give it too much attention – and certainly not enough. This collapse of a major landmark in Pompeii has led to more calls for support, and for the whole area to be privatised. This should bring in much needed financial support to protect the area and also to make sure it is given the respect it deserves.

So does this mean you should think about visiting Pompeii now before anything else happens?

It would certainly be a good idea. Officials have stated that the building collapsed due to heavy rain, but many have said that if the building had been properly maintained in the first place, it would not have happened. Hopefully this dreadful event will make the government sit up and take notice of the responsibility they have to protect this national monument.

Pompeii was buried along with its many inhabitants back in AD 79. It would be a shame if the ruins that have since been uncovered were allowed to succumb to mere rain storms instead of a fresh eruption by Mount Vesuvius. Hopefully things will improve but if you want to see as much of Pompeii as possible you should perhaps think about taking a trip to Italy now, instead of leaving things open to chance in the future. Hopefully Pompeii will receive the respect it deserves and the government will plough in the cash needed to protect it from another disaster – this time in the 21st century.

There are many different answers to that question, and they all take a huge step towards offering you a sensational long weekend in the city. You may find that however long you are there it simply isn’t long enough to drink in all the sights and sounds there are to see and hear.

Naples sits in between two volcanic areas, one of which is the famous (or infamous) Vesuvius. In fact if you are staying in Naples for any length of time you should definitely take the time to go out to Pompeii and Herculaneum to see evidence of what happened when Vesuvius erupted back in 79 AD.

One thing you will notice about Naples is the history that seems to seep into your surroundings wherever you go. There are thousands of years of history here, and even though Naples has been through its share of upheavals over that time, it is amazing to see how much has remained intact.

Be sure you don’t miss the main centre of Naples – the historic centre – because this has been accorded the honour of being included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. The city dates back as far as 470 BC so it is not surprising that the centre should be given this status. It is perhaps more surprising that so much of the history of the city has remained until the present day.

There are many locations worth seeing in Naples. The Piazza del Plebiscito is a huge square in the city – the biggest one it has – with a church that looks much like the Pantheon in Rome. It is a place to wander and take in your surroundings, much like the rest of Naples in fact. It seems that whatever corner you walk round you will see something else you did not expect. This is why Naples draws people in just as much as other cities including Rome and Florence. It is an excellent choice for a long weekend away, especially given its proximity to Pompeii and the volcano itself.

The big question is this – how long will it be before you take a trip there yourself?

Everyone has heard of the Vatican. But how much do you really know about it? The Vatican City itself is a landlocked state and as such it is walled off from the rest of Rome.

This does not mean you cannot visit the city however, and in fact there are several significant reasons why you would want to do so. One of the main ones is the presence of the Vatican Museums.

Make no mistake – many of the world’s most famous artists have works inside these museums. Names such as Raphael, Matisse, Leonardo and Van Gogh are represented here, and their works are definitely well worth seeing. Ideally you should plan an entire day here to appreciate everything fully, particularly if you are a fan of art anyway.

Not everyone is aware that the Sistine Chapel forms part of these museums. As you make your way around the museums and their many delights, you will be able to see the chapel itself and its very famous ceiling. To give you an idea of how big the ceiling here is, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint some 12,000 square feet of it. Small wonder it took him four years to complete it – especially when you consider the amazing degree of detail it contains. Be prepared to get neck ache as you gaze up and try to take it all in.

There are many different sections in the museums themselves, and this is partly why a whole day is ideally required to see it all. On one Sunday at the close of each month, the museums open their doors to the public free of charge. You may want to avoid this date however because the queues to get in and see the works of art are phenomenal. The artists would be amazed that their work is still much in demand all these years later.

You won’t just see frescoes, paintings and ceilings during your time in the museums however. You will also see statues and busts; indeed there are separate galleries dedicated to each of these. Are you ready to be overwhelmed by the power of the Vatican Museums?

When something has been six centuries in the making, you know it is going to be worth seeing. And this is just such the case with Florence Cathedral in Italy. The cathedral is known here as a Duomo Cathedral, and you may well see it listed as such in some of the guidebooks you have here.

One of the reasons you should make the time to see this cathedral is because there are only two others in the world that are larger than this one is. So whichever other cathedrals you have seen before, you can be sure this one is one of the best and most impressive there is.

After six centuries of building, the structure was not actually complete until the late 19th century. From then on it has attracted plenty of visitors over time, making it one of the key sights in all of Florence and indeed Italy itself. This is quite something when you consider that the first stone to be laid as the building began was put into place way back in 1296.

The exterior of the cathedral is simply stunning in its intricate design and appeal. Make sure you spend some time taking photos and simply looking up at the façade, which is something worth noting. When you get inside you will be able to appreciate the gothic interior. The windows are as stunning as you would expect them to be inside a cathedral, and some of the stained glass dates from the mid-1400s.

In this sense the Duomo is an exploration that begins long before you even reach the front doors. You can see it from some distance away as it towers above many other structures in Florence. When you approach it you can enter inside and discover all the delights of architecture and design that lurk within. Every aspect and facet of this cathedral is notable for some reason or another. They are all quite stunning and it is no wonder that plenty of tourists visit the cathedral every single day of the week. When you visit Florence yourself, make sure you are one of them.