The beguinages of Flanders and the Netherlands are always oases of calm and stillness, where you might still expect to see an old beguine mumbling her prayers in a doorway. Two of Ghent’s three beguinages have been included on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Although the Old St Elizabeth Beguinage, in Begijnhofdries in Ghent, is no longer enclosed by a wall, making it simply part of the city, it still has a unique atmosphere. Today the Old St Elizabeth Beguinage is known as ‘holy corner’, a place of religious tolerance, because it has no less than three different churches: one is Roman Catholic, one is Orthodox and the other is Protestant. From bleachfield to orchard This open beguinage grew into something of a ‘beguine city’ in the 13th century, with a church, the ‘Grootjuffer’s House’, an infirmary, a chapel, more than a hundred houses for beguines, a bleachfield (a field where linen was laid out to bleach) and an orchard. After the French Revolution, with increasing industrialisation, the inhabitants moved to their new beguinage in Sint-Amandsberg in 1873.

Located in the Porto Conte bay, this Nuragic site, discovered as recently as the 1980s, held some of the most amazing archaeological findings on the island of Sardinia, including Greek and Phoenician ceramics. A testament to the region's culture and history, this site makes for an interesting visit.

If visiting an ancient underground passage that has served as a war refuge sounds thrilling to you, then don't miss this fascinating archaeological museum in Naples. More than 500 metres long and 150 years old, the Bourbon Tunnel, Tunnel Borbonico, or Bourbon Gallery has been recently restored to the detail and offers experiences for all tastes, from historical tours to speleological excursions.

The Museum Casa Manno gives visitors a taste of a more recent history, the 18th and 19th centuries, through the life of historian and Alghero native Guiseppe Manno. The exposition's 11 rooms take you through interactive multimedia displays and exhibits, making it engaging for children as well.