Hidden Italy: where to stay and what to do off the beaten track

In our third instalment on less-visited corners of Europe, we look at Italy, home to some of the world’s best-known sights, but also plenty of quieter beauty spots
Hidden Greece | Hidden Croatia

It’s now more than two years since Italy was the first western country to declare a nationwide lockdown. After travel started again, some Italophiles were surprised to find a country with a very un-British attitude to queues and personal space suddenly distant and obedient. Even now there is noticeably less kissing and hugging in streets and squares.

But everything else that makes Italy such a favourite – food, wine, history, art, landscapes and people – is still there to be savoured, and all the more rewarding off the beaten tourist track.