Flam's Carnival Freedom Meditteranean Cruise

Whatever your real interest in Campania, the chances are that you'll wind up in NAPLES – capital of the region and, indeed, of the whole Italian south. It's the kind of city that is laden with visitors' preconceptions, and it rarely disappoints: it is filthy, it is very large and overbearing, it is crime-infested, and it is most definitely like nowhere else in Italy – something the inhabitants will be keener than anyone to tell you. In all these things lies the city's charm. Perhaps the feeling that you're somewhere unique makes it possible to endure the noise and harassment, perhaps it's the feeling that in less than three hours you've travelled from an ordinary part of Europe to somewhere akin to an Arab bazaar. One thing, though, is certain: a couple of days here and you're likely to be as staunch a defender of the place as its most devoted inhabitants. Few cities on earth inspire such fierce loyalties.

In Naples, all the pride and resentment of the Italian south, all the historical differences between the two wildly disparate halves of Italy, are sharply brought into focus. This is the true heart of the mezzogiorno, a lawless, petulant city that has its own way of doing things. It's a city of extremes, fiercely Catholic, its streets punctuated by bright neon Madonnas cut into niches, its miraculous cults regulating the lives of the people much as they have always done. Football, too, is something of a religion here, though support is not as fanatical as it used to be since the demise of the club from Italy's serie A to B status.

Music, also, has played a key part in the city's identity: there's long been a Naples style, bound up with the city's strange, harsh dialect – and, to some extent, the long-established presence of the US military: American jazz lent a flavour to Neapolitan traditional songs in the Fifties; and the Seventies saw one of Italy's most concentrated musical movements in the urban blues scene of Pino Daniele and the music around the radical Alfa Romeo factory out at Pomigliano. More recently, a distinctive style of Neapolitan rap emerged from the centri sociali or "social centres" – groups of left-wing urban activists who challenge the establishment, of which the most famous exponents are 99 Posse.

DUBROVNIK is a beautifully preserved medieval fortified city. First settled by Roman refugees in the early seventh century and given the name Ragusa, the town soon exploited its favourable position on the Adriatic with a maritime and commercial genius unmatched anywhere else in Europe. By the mid-fourteenth century, having shaken off the yoke of first the Byzantines and then the Venetians, it had become a successful and self-contained city state, its merchants trading far and wide. Dubrovnik fended off the attentions of the Ottoman Empire and continued to prosper until 1667, when an earthquake devastated the city. Though the city-state survived, it fell into decline and, in 1808, was formally dissolved by Napoleon. An eight-month siege by Yugoslav forces in the early 1990s caused much destruction, but the city swiftly recovered. The prestigious Summer Festival (July 10 to Aug 25; tel 020/412-288, www.dubrovnik-festival.hr) is a good, if crowded, time to be around, with classical concerts and theatre performances in most of the city's courtyards, squares and bastions. Book tickets well in advance.

Barcelona has boomed since the early 1990s, when preparations for the Olympic Games wrenched it into modernity, and today it remains well in the vanguard of other Spanish cities (with the possible exception of Madrid) in terms of prosperity, stability and cultural activity. It's a confident, progressive city, looking towards the rest of Europe for its inspiration and its innovations – the classic tourist images of Spain seem firmly out of place in Barcelona's bustling central boulevards and stylish modern streets. And style is what brings many visitors here, attracted by enthusiastic newspaper and magazine articles which make much of the outrageous architecture, user-friendly city design, agreeable climate and frenetic nightlife. Even the medieval Gothic quarter and its once-notorious red-light area have been swept up by the citywide renovation programme, which is still running at full tilt. As the new millennium starts Barcelona has continued to blossom from provincial city to putative European capital.

It's no accident that the city's current development outstrips most of the rest of Spain. With the return to democracy following the death of Franco, the various Spanish regions were allowed to consolidate their cultural identities through varying degrees of political control over their own affairs. Catalunya (Catalonia in English), of which Barcelona is the capital, has an historical identity going back as far as the ninth century, when the first independent County of Barcelona was established, and through the long period of domination by Castile, and even during the Franco dictatorship when a policy of cultural suppression was pursued, it proved impossible to stifle Catalan ethnicity. In Barcelona itself, this regionalism is complemented by a strong socialist tradition – the city was a bastion of the Republican cause during the Civil War, holding out against Franco until January 1939, and remained the scene of protests and demonstrations throughout the dictatorship.

As a result of this urge to retain its own identity, Barcelona has long had the reputation of being at the forefront of Spanish political activism and of radical design and architecture, but these cultural distinctions are rapidly becoming secondary to the city's position as one of the most dynamic and prosperous commercial centres in the country. As the money (much of it from the EU) continues to pour in, the economic transformation of a city deprived under Franco, continues at a remarkable pace: entire districts, from the harbour to the suburbs, have been replanned and rebuilt; historic buildings and museums have been given face-lifts; and roads and communications have been upgraded. In part, this progress is due to the huge psychological shove that the granting of the 1992 Olympics gave to Barcelona. When the Games had finished, the city was left with an entirely new harbour development containing the futuristic Olympic Village. And along with a construction programme that touched every corner of the city, went the indisputable knowledge that these had been Barcelona's Olympics, and not Spain's – an important distinction to the Catalan people, who, bolstered by the gradual integration of immigrants from other parts of Spain, endow the city with a character distinct from Spain's other regional capitals.

Since 1992, the developments have continued unabated; indeed Barcelona's drive for self-improvement and self-promotion seems to know no bounds. The commercial port continues to expand, and is now dominated by a futuristic World Trade Center set in the central harbour, while the airport is given a new runway and the city anxiously awaits the arrival of a high-speed train (AVE) line. There's a pride in the city which is expressed in a remarkable cultural energy, seen most perfectly in the glorious modernista (Art Nouveau) architecture that studs the city's streets and avenues. Antoni Gaudí is the most famous of those who have left their mark on Barcelona in this way: his Sagrada Família church is rightly revered, but just as fascinating are the (literally) fantastic houses and apartment buildings that he and his contemporaries designed. In art, too, the city boasts a stupendous legacy, from important Romanesque and Gothic works to major galleries containing the life's work of the Catalan artists Joan Miró and Antoni Tàpies, and – perhaps the greatest draw of all – a representative collection of the work of Pablo Picasso.

For all its go-ahead feel, though, Barcelona does still have its problems. A traditionally homogeneous society, accustomed to Spanish emigration, has been changed forever by the arrival of large numbers of immigrants from Asia, Africa and South America, many of whom enter illegally, looking to grab a share of the city's economic success. Partly as a consequence of this, the petty crime rate has rocketed, and tourists must take precautions when visiting the city, and despite the work done on the infrastructure, there is still a lot to do. There's also a growing gap between rich and poor, and one repercussion of the gentrification of poorer districts is that the original dwellers are being priced out – real estate speculation has led to a curious situation wherein the city, in the midst of an acute housing crisis, has tens of thousands of empty apartments which are not on the market.

Florence is famous amongst tourists and scholars for her glorious artwork, her cultural heritage, and the major role she played in the Renaissance and Humanist movements. All these facets combine to make this one of the most glorious cities in the world. Florence may be a small city, but she is extremely beautiful and a favourite meeting place for visitors and ex-pats of all ages and nationalities.

Florence - the cradle of the Renaissance - is truly a city of treasures. Here you will find some of the world's greatest artworks from such masters as Leonardo da Vinci and Boticelli. You'll be astonished by the magnificent frescoes, ornate cathedrals and Ghiberti's famous doors, the Gates of Paradise. But of all the masterpieces in this miraculous city on the Arno, the one you can't leave without seeing is, of course, Michelangelo's David .The historic city centre (centro storico) is most representative of Florence. The layout of the district follows a road system created by the Romans (known as the 'cardo' and 'decumano' system). In the centro storico, you will see the enormous, imposing structure of the Duomo, with its Brunelleschian cupola, a beautiful dome that adds splendour to the city skyline. The city has also preserved its medieval network of streets, lined with regular, geometric Renaissance palaces such as Palazzo Strozzi and Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, which once belonged to Florence's powerful, oligarchic families. Florence is divided into five districts and the centre is divided into four sections (San Giovanni, Santa Croce, Santa Maria Novella and Santo Spirito Oltrarno). Here is a brief guide to the city and its districts:

San Giovanni takes its name from St John the Baptist, Patron of Florence, in whose honour the Baptistery was built. This area covers most of the historic city centre and is now full of exclusive boutiques that are concentrated in a few of the most well known streets, such as Via Calzaiuoli. The university and the Tribunale di Firenze (which is housed in the Complesso di San Filippo Neri) are also in this district.

Santa Maria Novella is named after the Santa Maria Novella church - a Dominican basilica and important cultural centre during the Middle Ages. The train station of the same name (designed in the 1930s by the young architect Michelucci) is also situated nearby. Not far from the station is the Basso Fortress, which is now used as an important centre for conferences, conventions and exhibitions. The zone is also home to the Parco delle Cascine, one of the city's green oases. In this area lies Via Tornabuoni, a street which is famous for being home to some of Italy's most prestigious designer boutiques e.g. Versace and the Florentine Ferragamo.

Santa Croce is named after Santa Croce church, a medieval Franciscan basilica. The National Central Library (built in the tenth century) is also located here.

Santo Spirito Oltrarno stretches from San Frediano to San Niccolò Oltrarno, but its heart is probably the Piazza Santo Spirito, which has retained much of its historic charm and is filled with artist's workshops. This piazza is the place for parties on summer evenings, bringing together young Florentines and foreigners, many of whom live in this area. The Pitti Palace with its old Medicean garden and the Boboli Garden, are both in Oltrarno. The famous Piazzale Michelangelo (with its incredible view) is also in this district. From here, it is possible to see one of the few remaining stretches of medieval wall around the Belvedere Fort that was spared from demolition in the nineteenth century.

Campo di Marte is home to many historical buildings dating back to the turn of the century, as well as to many modern stone and cement apartment blocks which were built from the fifties onwards. There are also numerous sports venues, several swimming pools and the Franchi Stadium. Fiesole, and the Bellariva zone are close by; these are swathes of Piagentina countryside that always induced feelings of nostalgia in Tuscan painters.

Gavinana is south of the Arno and leads to the well-known Chianti wine region. On the southwestern side lies Galluzo, famous for its Carthusian monastery.

Isolotto e Legnaia combines areas of the city that were developed during the sixties and seventies and are still expanding. The 'Isolotto' district was once the scene of various clashes and social unrest during the sixties.

Rifredi is in the northwestern part of the city and is a place of contrasts; home to many beautiful country villas as well as industrialized residential areas and host to many Chinese and African immigrants. The influx of immigrants means that even a city like Florence cannot live forever in the past but must create a new multi-ethnic history.

It's hard to describe Rome in a few words; a city so vast and rich in art, monuments and exquisite views, a historic city, which has preserved its charm and independence throughout the centuries.

Rome's history can be read in every monument, and palazzo; in fact, each and every stone bears witness to the periods of splendour, decay, wars, and numerous architectural styles. The city could be described as a gigantic open-air museum, visited each year by millions of tourists, scholars and pilgrims from all over the world.

It is hard to believe that Roman civilization began with a small settlement of shepherds and farmers near the Tevere river, on Palatino (one of the seven hills on which Rome was built and where most of the Roman archaeological treasures were found), tradition dictates that this is where Romulus founded the city and where Augustus, the first Emperor, built his house, which is now widely (and incorrectly) known as the house of Livia, his wife.

The city extended over six other hills: Quirinale, Viminale, Esquilino, Celio, Aventino and Capitolino.

Quirinale, the highest of the seven hills, has Piazza Omonima on its summit, with its colossal statues of the gods, Castor and Pollux and the Palazzo del Quirinale, where the president lives. Opposite the Palazzo are the Scuderie, open to the public thanks to the architect Gae Aulenti, who created a functional exhibition space inside the building.

Viminale stands next to Quirinale, it is smaller in size, split into two by Via Nazionale, and dominated by the huge Palazzo delle Esposizioni building (designed by Pio Piacentini) on Piazza della Repubblica, near Rome's principal railway station, Stazione Termini. Piazza della Repubblica is one of the most beautiful piazzas in Rome, surrounded by arches. The restored Fontana delle Naiadi takes pride of place in the centre of the square.

Esquilino is the home of the great poets Virgilio and Orazio. It has three peaks, one of which is Monte Oppio, where you can find the ruins of Domus Aurea, finally opened to the public after years of restoration. Initially, Esquilino was a suburb of Rome, which is the reason for the nickname 'exquilini' (non-tenants) given to its inhabitants, some believe that this is how the hill got its name.

Further south stand Celio and Aventino. The former has a long promontory, called Monte delle Querce, as it was once home to many oak trees (querce). It is possibly the greenest and most charming of the seven hills and is home to Parco del Celio and Villa Celimontana. There are many beautiful buildings here, especially along the magnificent Via Appia Antica. Almost all are places of worship. Both Aventino and Celio have few inhabitants. Aventino is rich in important medieval monuments such as the Santa Maria in Cosmedin basilica, where the famous Bocca della Verità, or mouth of truth, is housed.

Last but not least is Capitolino, which stands between Palatino and Quirinale: this used to be the religious and political centre of the city during the Roman era. It is dominated by the Michelangelo styled Piazza del Campidoglio, perfectly proportioned, with a statue of Emperor Marcus Aurelius on horseback in the centre. Located here, the Capitoline Museums, have some of the most precious art collections in the world.

The seven hilltops offer a number of beautiful views; the most breathtaking of these are Pincio, the dome of San Pietro and the Gianicolo.

Rome has spread outwards in a rather haphazard manner, without much regard to town planning; many fields were acquired by the local authorities and transformed into new neighbourhoods. North of Rome, near the Vatican are the Aurelio, Prati and Mazzini neighbourhoods, which are more commercial and residential, as well as the elegant quarters of Parioli and Nomentano, home to many foreign embassies. At nearby Montesacro, visit Ponte Nomentano, the storied fortified bridge that has seen the rise and fall of many eras. Neighbouring Monteverde is home to Villa Doria Pamphili, the largest park in all of Rome. Further south are Prenestino and Tiburtino, more populated areas, due to the fact that they are university areas, full of students, who can also be found in the nearby S. Lorenzo, a charming district with a wide variety of pizzerias and bars. Trastevere, is undoubtedly one of the most charming areas of the city, and one of the most crowded areas too - especially on summer evenings. Many people (foreigners and Romans alike) want to live in this highly desirable district, home of historic places of worship such as the Santa Maria and hot night spots like Trastè. Finally, Eur, one of Rome's most modern neighbourhoods, is home to some fascinating Fascist-style architecture, as evidenced by the many offices and administration centres in and around the Piazzale delle Nazioni Unite.