Cagliari

Standing firm on its precipitous and ancient bluffs above the Gulf of Cagliari, the city of the same name remains unquestionably one of the most dramatic and eye-watering to behold in all of Italy. At its foot, rings of colourful townhouses are masked by the gliding outlines of pearly-white yachts drifting over the Mediterranean, while the fortified pinnacle of Il Castello on high proudly presents its formidable rings of bulwarks and domes and red-tiled roofs for all to see.

The wealth of must-see attractions here coalesces around Cagliari’s higher levels, with the high-perched Rampart of Saint Remy, the Pisan Elephant Tower and the opulent marble faces of Saint Mary’s Cathedral all within walking distance of each other. Nearby, the town’s branches of the National Archaeology Museum and National Gallery cluster neatly on the edges of the Cittadella dei Musei. And let’s not forget this city’s perfect location at the extreme southern reaches of sun-kissed Sardinia either, because Cagliari tour guides are also quick to champion the paradisal beaches of Poetto and Chia, along with the volcanic ridges of San Pietro Island and the ancient UNESCO World Heritage-listed Su Nuraxi di Barumini to the north.