In over 800 years of its history, the world famous leading Tower of Pisa has finally stopped moving and has stabilised. A team of engineers and geologists finally stabilised it.

The cost of this stabilisation was pretty high, at over £20.5 million. It also took a long time as the stabilisation project has been going on for over ten years now and involved extracting more than 700 tonnes of earth from the side of the tower.

According to one project leader, this project should have stabilisted the tower for the next 300 years. The project leader, Professor Michele Jamiolkowski, said:

“All of our expectations have been confirmed. Now we can say that the tower can rest easy for at least 300 years.”

The leaning Tower of Pisa was built in 1173 and has been tilting ever since due to the poor foundations and loose ground.

flights and car hire in Italy are relatively cheap, and the much-photographed leaning Tower of Pisa can be found in the Piazza del Duomo, in the city of Pisa. Pisa is in Tuscany, Italy.

Portofino, made famous in several films, including the Michael Caine film Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, is a draw for the jetset.  It is one of Liguria’s most exclusive seaside resorts, situated east of Genoa.

The harbour is full of elegant yachts and the yellow and orange houses that ring the water make the setting perfect.  Hollywood stars such as Clark Gable, Elizabeth Taylor and Greta Garbo have stayed here, scriptwriters wrote here, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor honeymooned here and you never know who you might spot hiding behind their sunglasses or taking a trip on their yacht.  Private villas, home to celebrities, are situated in the hills behind the town.

There are plenty of flights to the area and you can take a bus or train from Santa Margherita.  Be sure to see the five villages of Cinque Terra, see the views from the lighthouse, take a boat trip out into the waters or visit the eleventh century Abbazia di San Fruttuoso in the middle of the olive groves and pine trees.

Out in the sea, there is a bronze statue of Christ.  The statue was put on the seabed back in 1954 to protect sailors.  You can either take a boat trip out to see it or for a really close look you can go for a dive nearby.  There are plenty of boutiques in the town and cafes to sit and sip a cappuccino whilst you soak up the relaxing atmosphere.

This weekend sees the opening of a new museum of modern and contemporary art.  The museum is in the Italian city of Bolzano in the south Tyrol region of Northern Italy.

The museum is called Museion and is situated in the Italian Alps just south of Austria.  It opened its doors yesterday and has caused a stir with its design.  It was designed by the award-winning firm of architects called Kruger, Schuberth, Vandreike from Berlin and is largely transparent, front and back, with a square-ish form.

The surfaces can be used as projection screens at night and according to reports, this makes it the world’s first 24 hour art gallery.

As Museion is in a place that uses three difference languages - Italian, German and also a romance language called Latin - its collections will therefore focus on the area of language in art.  It will show works of art from a wide range of modern artists.

Cheap flights to the Tyrol region can be booked with airlines including British Airways, flying to Verona.

Bologna is a city in Italy, famous for its character, history and sightseeing and ideal for a family holiday.  It also has a wealth of events throughout the year, with which you may not be so familiar.

The year kicks off with the Carnevale dei Bambini in February or March time.  This carnival, as the name implies, is the ‘carnival of the children’ and really is a carnival dedicated to children, so it’s an ideal time for a family holiday.

The whole of the first half of the year is the Teatro Comunale Season, running from January to June, there are concerts and opera galore at the city’s famous theatre and nobody does opera like Italy.

From July to September, you can see the Bologna Est, the annual summer festival of music and dance, theatre and street entertainment wherever you go.

In October, children are celebrated yet again.  This time with the Children’s Song Festival, an annual celebration of the music of youth.

From the end of October until November is their antiques fair, called La Mostra Belle.

That leaves December for traditional Christmas celebrations and then it’s back to the start again.  Bologna truly is a city of celebrations.

flights take just 2 hours from London to Bologna airport, which is only 4 miles outside the city.

After Paris, Venice may be considered the most romantic city in Europe with its sterotypical image of romantic gondola rides and is the perfect destination for a cheap city weekend break.

Venice is a ‘floating city’ built on wooden piles on mud islets so it appears to float on the water. The Grand Canal makes an S shape through the centre of Venice with more than 300 palaces on either side.

Must-see places include the Doge’s Palace, home to the government for over 700 years, the Basilica of St Mark and La Fenice Opera House. (more…)

If you are a lover of classical music, then you will no doubt already appreciate Italy’s world famous classical music styles.

There are three major classical music festivals held in Italy:

Ravello Music Festival - held in Ravello, this festival is a series of famous open air concerts. Held in June and July, these concerts take place in the stunning setting of the Villa Rufolo Gardens and are unmissable

Puccini Festival - this festival is held annually in Tuscany and takes place in a gorgeous open air lakeside theatre, itself an experience. The theatre is located at Torre del Lago, south of Viareggio and Lucca. The Puccini Festival takes place in July and August

Settimane Musicali - this festival takes place in Stresa and is held in late August / early September

These classical music festivals are a must for any true classical music fan. It is recommended you book your tickets as early as possible.

Florence is considered to be one of the most stunning and ancient cities of Italy and the world. Innumerable tourists visit Florence on a regular basis. Often the sheer number of visitors during the peak season can be mind-boggling, only pointing to the popularity of the destination.

The magnificent masterpieces and the rich cultural heritage are two important factors that draw tourists from far and wide to Florence. If you want to get away from it all, or take a weekend break, this is the place to visit. Although the city is pretty minuscule, it is an art lover’s treasure trove.

You will find exquisite creations like Michelangelo’s ‘David’, Giotto’s ‘Life of St. Francis’, Leonardo da Vinci’s ‘Annunciation’. There are many other masterpieces that you can get to see. Places like the Piazza de Duomo and the Pizza della Signoria have statues belonging to the Renaissance time and are a delight to watch. Florence is a city teeming with industries, art, science, craft & culture.

505 steps leading to the Torre del Mangia will give you a fantastic panoramic view of major part of the city. Volterra is a quaint small town with meandering lanes and buzzing streets. Florence has umpteen numbers of churches and museums to visit. You can visit the areas around San Lorenzo, Piazza Della Signoria Piazza Della Signoria (Florence Showpiece Piazza), Santa Croce (the riches neighbourhood to explore).

All you need to do is book a ticket for a luxury holiday to Florence and let the city weave its magic on you.

Music, art, cafes, theaters, wines, walzes; pastries are all a part of Vienna’s appeal. People of all nationalities live here giving it its special essence. It is an adobe for music lovers the world over. Great composers like, Beethoven, Strauss, Mozart and Haydn lived here. The Viennese folk have music in their blood and you can take in the various music programs at the Staats Opera. Vienna has a beautiful amalgamation of the quaint ancient allure as well as the sophisticated modern day charm. This would make this Austrian capital an ideal luxury holiday destination. The brimming cultural scene and pulsating night life adds to its attraction.

Walking or bicycling is the best way to visit some of the magnificent sights. The Donnerbrunnen Fountain, the Rathaus, the Loos Haus are some of the 90 museums that you will be able to see here. The innumerable hotels scattered over the city and suburbs cater to all classes of people. There are tons of options for children too, making it an ideal family holiday destination.

Top Attractions:
- Enjoy the Hot Spa in Baden
- Giant Wheel ( this is especially good if you have kids, it is one of Vienna’s best attractions)
- Hofburg ( Imperial Palace)
- Skiing

When to Go:
June and September are particularly favourable months to visit to place. You might want to skin the chillier January month and the hotter months of July and August.

Getting Around:
Vienna has an excellent transport system consisting of trams, buses fast U-Bahn (undergrounds) and S-0Bahn (railway)

Vienna is a visual and gastronomic treat, it never fails to delight tourists

Rome the “Eternal City” is the capital of Italy and the Lazio region. It lies on the River Tiber, between the Apennine Mountains and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Rome is the main centre for the Roman Catholic Church. The head of the Catholic Church the Pope resides in the Vatican City. Rome is an international pilgrim centre with about 900 churches in it.
A city of contrasts, Rome has affectionately managed to fuse the old and the new. Rome is divided into two sections. The expansive outer city with its changing suburban development and the historical centre containing many monuments from all periods in ancient history makes up this great city.

Getting Around:
Walking the quickest way to visit the historical places in the City .This makes for a cheap family holiday as much of your expenditure on transport is saved. Buses are another mode of transport but the Metro is quiet useful and safe as long as you are alert. If you require a taxi, look for the metered yellow or white taxis

Where to Stay:
Whatever your budget, rooms are available at great bargain rates. Small guest houses to modern and cosmopolitan hotels, to traditional rustic pads, you will be spoiled for choices.
Please Note: Rome is a relatively safe city to visit, however you should be careful of pickpocket in crowded areas. All valuables should be carried in secure money belts ties safely in front of you.