Campeggio Pineta

Excellent Urbino, the capital city of the Marche region, was once the capital of Renaissance Italy and is stuffed with arty and architectural sights to see. (Tiptop bonus: its setting on the other side of the Apennines to Florence, Siena, Perugia and Assissi means it's not thronged with visitors even in high season.) The best known site in town is the Ducal Palace, dating back to the 15th century. It's home to the Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, an extensive collection of Renaissance paintings that includes works by native of the town Raphael, as well as Titian, Timoteo Vito and Piero della Francesca, painter of the famed Flagellation. After seeing the palace and its arty works, have a bite to eat in the café then visit the 16th-century cathedral next door to see works by Barocci including a Last Supper. And after that? Raphael's birthplace, the UNESCO World Heritage Old Town and the Oratory of St John the Baptist are all excellent picks to round off a sightseeing day before a succulent evening meal in one of the Urbino restaurants. For day trips around the Marche region, you could buy terracotta in Fratterosa, go foraging for herbs, berries and mushrooms in the Nuova valley, delve into the spectacular Frasassi Caves or hike the Furlo Pass, a gorge on the ancient Roman road Via Flaminia. Sorbolongo, Orciano and Barchi all have spectacular hilltop views.