Must-see Attractions in Italy

Italy,the hub of endless beauty, artistic and brilliant minds, is a traveler's dream made up of one special iconic city after another. To tour Italy is to venture through a living museum of Western civilization, where the past and present merge on every corner in an open air gallerythat holds a story, a fresco, or simply a stunning view. The making of a definitive list of 'must-sees' is impossible, for the riches in this country are inexhaustible. But as you walk among its greatest treasures, you may smell the very essence of it.

1. Rome, the Eternal City

At the obvious starting point, that is Rome and the eternal city. Here history is not so much confined to your books as it magnificently towers over you. The Colosseum still stands for imperial power with its gladiators and agitated crowds. Right in the neighborhood, the ruins of Roman Forum tell some stories about ancient Rome s vibrant heart. A must-see when in Rome is to go over to Vatican City, the world's smallest independent state. At monumental scale, St. Peters Basilica is a tribute to Renaissance and Baroque architects–including Michelangelo–the Vatican Museums contain the Sistine Chapel though, of course also its ceiling frescoes by Michelangelo take your breath away.

2. Florence

Next stop, head north from Rome is Florence, cradle of the Renaissance. In this city, you have all of the world's masterpieces around you as if in your own living room. The Duomo dominates the skyline and miraculously red-tiled dome. Just a blocks away from here is Galleria dell'Accademia, where you can witness Michelangelo's David in the flesh. Just behind Piazza della Signora, the Uffizi contains a collection that is matchless. Florence is the sort of place where centuries of history do not seem to have simply been put into museums and from life.

3. Venice

From Florence it is a drive through the picturesque Tuscan countryside at the end of which lies wonderful Venice – a city like no other. Reared over water, its streets are waterways and its traffic are gondolas and watertrucks or, in Venetian banditry, "vaporetti." The pulsing heart of Venice, however, is the fine Piazza San Marco flanked by St Marks backdrop by its walls and Palazzo Ducale. To me what sums up Venice best is going through this labyrinth of narrow alleys and cobwebbed squares, over the millions of tiny bridges; it's like stepping into some romantically insoluble moment in history.

4. Others

That may be the Big Three in her icons, yet Italy only really starts at this point. To the south, Pompeii — ghostly testament of life at the time of Vesuvius in AD 79 (what a bittersweet sight) — cannot be missed. Also nearby, Amalfi Coast – with its cliffside towns like Positano and Ravello. Beauty and drama at every corner. Or if a different style be desired the northern lakes – Como, Garda and Maggiore – all provide mirror views of glacially waters set among mountains or their villas are stunning.

Italy after all is not a simple check-it-off-the-list sort of destination. It's a mood, a sensory bounty of art, history, food and landscapes that have inspired for thousands of years. From the towering remains of ancient Rome, through timeless artistry in Florence, on along peacefully flowing canals of Venice to beautiful shores beyond, these iconic places are invitation to an ever-renewing story. The most important advice is to go with an open heart, ready to accept the bountiful sights and also a slower pace of life, as well as sensual flavors and welcoming people that combined are the real, irresistible magic of Italy.