Livorno, Italy

Medieval hilltop towns spread out across the undulating countryside where tall, slender cypresses march like sentinels past rolling vineyards. Iconic names like Chianti, Brunello and Vino Nobile are celebrated the world over, but the art and architecture of Tuscany may be the region’s biggest draw. Just a few hours from Livorno, you can visit Florence: the cradle of the Renaissance, beloved by great thinkers like Dante and Galileo, and utterly captivating. Wandering the streets and museums, you’ll meet da Vinci, Raphael, Botticelli, Donatello and many other great masters of the Renaissance. Or set out to explore the other medieval towns that are sprinkled across the hills of Tuscany and prized for their own essential beauty: Pisa, Siena, Lucca, San Gimignano … any town will do.