Bologna

The late film director Pier Paolo Pasolini described Bologna as Italy's most beautiful city after Venice. But there are no superstar monuments or galactico museums here. With its pleasing warren of medieval and Renaissance streets, the city is more of a team effort. As the church of San Petronio might put it, 'full credit to the rest of the piazza'. Rather than sightseeing, visitors soak up the vibes and make the most of Italy's food capital. The perfect day in Bologna often follows the same pattern: wander around a bit. Eat. Wander around a bit more. Eat.

Then eat a bit more. After dark, the streets to seek out are the anarcho-funky Via del Pratello (cheap bars and trattorias, white Rastas with dogs on strings) and Via Mascarella, in the buzzing university district, home to the famous cellar jazz club Cantina Bentivoglio. The city's football team, Bologna FC, has won the league seven times but not since 1964. The main aim since then has been to avoid relegation from Serie A, something they failed to do in 2004-05 - leaving Bologna languishing in Serie B with teams like Crotone and Ternana rather than Juve and Inter.