Recipefiesta

Tell us about your favourite Italian trip – the best tip wins £200 towards a Coolstays break

With its epic cities, feted gastronomy, romantic landscapes and historic sites, Italy has enough variety for a lifetime of holidays. But what has been your favourite discovery? Perhaps it was a foodie break, a lazy beach holiday at a less-known Mediterranean resort, a culture-fuelled weekend at an under-the-radar town, or a hiking tour exploring the country’s wilder side.

Share your suggestions for Italy beyond the usual big-hitters, for a chance to win a holiday voucher.

Bathing waters in Rutland, Devon and Suffolk will be monitored for water quality regularly

Wild swimming fans will be able to enjoy access to four new sites in the UK that are being designated as bathing waters ahead of summer, the government has announced.

The sites in Rutland, Devon and Suffolk will receive bathing water status from next month, meaning they will soon benefit from regular water-quality monitoring.

Tourism here was once all about Dracula, but the Netflix show is drawing young visitors keen to see where the gothy teen unleashed mystery, mayhem and murder

‘Wow, it’s … it’s Nevermore Academy!” There are delighted gasps from younger members of my tour group as we enter the TV set courtyard at Bucharest Film Studio, known as Buftea, after the small town it’s in, just outside the Romanian capital.

“They don’t listen to my educational stuff,” sighs our guide. “They just want to see the Wednesday sets.” Under gothic-looking stone arches built for Netflix’s smash hit series, it’s selfie-geddon.

Leeds’ summer festival is the perfect time to visit – and explore its ornate architecture, dynamic art scene and Britain’s only gaslit cinema

Leeds has long been known for its energy and innovation, but now this former industrial powerhouse is showcasing its playful side.

Built on the back of the wool trade, the city retains a reputation for enterprise and commerce: it’s a place of swish shopping arcades, shiny tech startups and financial services giants. Not the obvious choice, then, for a cultural weekend away.

Now’s the time to enjoy Suffolk’s sandy North Sea coastline – and its new seaside hotels

There’s a light breeze cutting across the North Sea as we step out on to Aldeburgh beach and make our way across the shingle towards the distant silhouette of Maggi Hambling’s Scallop shell. The 13ft high steel sculpture, a tribute to the composer Benjamin Britten who lived and worked in this Suffolk seaside town, will mark its 20th birthday this year. It ruffled feathers when it first appeared but, two decades on, it feels as much a part of this coastal landscape as the beached fishing boats and piles of lobster pots.

With perfect timing the sun appears from beneath a low bank of clouds, turning everything golden. In summer you’re likely to find the Scallop being used as a climbing frame or windbreak – which is exactly what Hambling intended – but today we have only the seagulls for company as we slowly circle it, the low rays of afternoon sunlight playing on its rippled surface.