The largest and most famous of Tuscany’s spa towns, Montecatini Terme has been revered for its curative waters since at least the 16th century, when the first baths were built here. Two centuries later, neighborhood royalty began to take note after the opening of the town’s first grand spas, putting Montecatini Terme firmly on the aristocracy's radar. Beyond the array of fine spas featuring treatments old and new, today’s visitors come for the shopping, dining and sporting offerings, as well.

Wandering the narrow caruggi alleyways of Genoa is a bit like solving a medieval labyrinth. In the heart of the Italian port city lies Piazza de Ferrari, a main square with a beautiful fountain and a perimeter lined with historic buildings, including the Palace of the Doges the Teatro Carlo Felice, which was destroyed during WWII and subsequently rebuilt. The seaside neighborhood of Boccadasse is vision of pink and yellow buildings that brighten up this lovely fishing village.