There are sunny isles and electric blue surf, glacial northern lakes and fiery southern volcanoes, rolling vineyards and an urban landscape that harbours more UNESCO World Heritage sites than any other country in the world. Few places offer such variety and few visitors leave without a fervent desire to return.

Further south lies Rome, Italy’s capital city. Within its precincts is the Vatican City. The south of the country is hotter, wilder and much, much drier than the north, characterised by dry sierras, rocky mountain ranges and volcanic outcrops, including three of Europe’s most active volcanoes: Vesuvius, Etna and Stromboli. Puglia, the ‘heel of the boot’, is a mixed landscape of fertile plateaus, expansive olive groves and flat, ochre-coloured plains. The islands of Sicily and Sardinia lie offshore to the southwest and west respectively.

Currency

Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.

Standard time zone

UTC/GMT +1 hour

Electricity

230 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the two round-pin type.

2018

Capodanno (New Year’s Day): 1 January 2018
Epifania (Epiphany): 6 January 2018
Pasqua (Easter Sunday): 1 April 2018
Lunedì dell’Angelo (Easter Monday): 2 April 2018
Festa della Liberazione (Liberation Day): 25 April 2018
Festa del Lavoro (Labour Day): 1 May 2018
Festa della Repubblica (Republic Day): 2 June 2018
Assunzione di Maria Vergine (Assumption):
15 August 2018
Tutti i santi (All Saints’ Day): 1 November 2018
Immacolata Concezione (Immaculate Conception): 8 December 2018
Natale (Christmas Day): 25 December 2018
Santo Stefano (St. Stephen’s Day): 26 December 2018

All information subject to change.

Gigantic, brightly painted papier mâché figures float through the streets of Tempio Pausania, less than an hour’s drive from Olbia, in this magnificent carnival parade. The star is King Giorgio, who sits on his throne for six days before being burnt at the stake at dusk on Shrove Tuesday.

Olbia celebrates Easter with sombre, elaborate processions beginning on Palm Sunday. A highlight for many is the Good Friday procession, remembering Christ’s descent from the cross; a statue of Jesus and the cross is wrapped up and carried aloft through the streets with his mother Mary.

The highlight of this important religious festival honouring the town’s patron saint is a solemn procession on 15 May, when an icon of San Simplicio is carried through town accompanied by priests and residents dressed in traditional costume. Other festivities include a mussel festival, live concerts and sporting events.

Horses hurtle along a road-turned-dusty-racetrack in this competition featuring riders from 26 towns in the province. The aim is to grab a star with a spear. Riders also carry out daring stunts, including standing on top of their galloping steeds. The competition takes place during the San Simplicio Festival.

Film fans hop on little ferries to Tavolara Island to enjoy a magical week of open-air cinema. Screenings take place beside the sea and beneath the stars, with the emphasis on Italian films, in particular movies shot by young directors or set in Sardinia.

Summer sees a whole host of jazz stars arriving in the pretty seaside town of Cala Gonone, an hour and a half’s drive south of Olbia. Jazz aficionados can enjoy first-class performances in traditional concert venues, open-air stages and the magnificent Grotta del Bue Marino (Cave of the Sea Cow).

Leading reggae acts from Sardinia, Europe and Jamaica draw huge crowds to this popular festival in Cargeghe, a little over an hour’s drive west of Olbia. On the go since 2008, this event is fast growing into one of Sardinia’s must-do music festivals.

Traditional folk dancing, live bands, sweet treats and copious amounts of beer are the order of the day at this lively summer festival on Sardinia’s northwest coast. It’s well worth the day trip from Olbia to Trinità d’Agultu, just over an hour’s drive away.

Attracting a stellar line-up of yachtsmen and a glitzy crowd to match, this glamorous sailing competition sees around 40 maxi yachts slicing through the waves of the Costa Smeralda, to the north of Olbia. Races take place over a week, with daily post-race drinks at the yacht club’s Piazza Azzurra.

For two decades, the Lorenzo Perosi choir has been organising this annual sacred music festival. Classical music fans are treated to a terrific programme of choral works performed by both the choir itself and a carefully selected line-up of invited choirs from across Europe.