Urbino, Italy

URBINO is Marche's most immediately likeable town, a walled hilltop jumble of Renaissance and medieval houses, churches and palazzi dominated by the tremendous Palazzo Ducale. During the second half of the fifteenth century, it was one of the most prestigious courts in Europe, ruled by the remarkable Federico da Montefeltro, who employed some of the greatest artists and architects of the time to build and decorate his palace in the town.

Nowadays Urbino is saved from an existence as a museum piece by its lively university. There's a refreshing, energetic feel to the place and plenty of places to eat and drink. Its nightlife is hardly wild, but a few bars host local bands and the like. Although a new town has grown up in the valley below, it seems to have been almost wilfully designed to be as ugly as possible, so as to better highlight the glories of the walled upper town, which, after all, is where you'll want to spend most of your time.