Written by expert travel-writers with more than 40 titles to their name, Bradt's Gascony & the Pyrenees is the only current English-language guide to the entirety of this fascinating, relatively under-visited and consequently affordable region of southwest France. Offering advice on where to stay and eat with what to do and see, this new guide provides everything you need for an enjoyable, fulfilling visit. In Gascony, everyone can find their own adventure. Surfers can ride Atlantic waves at Hossegor and Mimizan. Sun-seekers can loll on the Landes' beaches, then stretch their legs by climbing Europe's tallest sand dune, the Dune du Pilat. Hikers can trek high into the Pyrenees to gawp at majestic cirques, while those less energetic riding can go on a donkey-back uphill. Families can bike along numerous backways, while cycling buffs cheer on the professionals during the Pyrenees stage of the Tour de France. Activity enthusiasts aside, the region will delight anyone who craves a slower-paced holiday in beautiful natural landscapes. Culture buffs can linger in the coastal art havens of Collioure, Port- Vendres and Céret, or discover Palaeolithic cave art at Niaux and Le Mas-d'Azil. Pilgrims can follow the path to Lourdes. Fans of the bizarre can visit Salvador Dali's 'centre of the universe' (Perpignan train station) or La Pourcailhade, the pig festival of Tri-sur-Baïse. Urbanites can enjoy the splendours of Perpignan, Bayonne, Biarritz and Auch, or take it down a notch at medieval Catalan villages. For quirky retail therapy, shopaholics can browse the espadrilles for which Mauléon is famed or the berets synonymous with Oloron-Sainte-Marie. Gourmets will delight in the quality of local cuisine, from cèpe mushrooms and poulet au pot to a flock of duck-based dishes. Cocooned within quiet, natural settings, yoga practitioners can calm mind and body with various wellness therapies. And whatever floats your boat, everyone can relax in some of the hundreds of personally recommended places to stay - from charming inns and spas to restored medieval stables, and even the astronomers' dormitories at the Pic du Midi. All conveyed through the intimate expert insights that characterise Bradt's Gascony & the Pyrenees.

Bradt's Dordogne & Lot, with Bordeaux & Toulouse is the most detailed guide to the entire region, with coverage that includes the Lot-et-Garonne and Tarn-et-Garonne in addition to Dordogne, Lot and Bordeaux. Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls (authors of the original Cadogan guide to the area) have lived in the Lot valley for over thirty years and are the perfect guides to the region's landscapes, towns, food, art, architecture and, of course, wine: Bordeaux's 8,800 wine chateaux produce on average 650 million bottles a year! Their guide starts with Bordeaux, the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region as well as the world capital of wine, along with the departements of the Gironde, Dordogne, Lot, Lot-et-Garonne, and Tarn-et-Garonne in between. This is a land of great wines and stunning rivers, encompassing long sandy beaches along the Cote d'Argent (with Europe's biggest sand dune on the south end), forests and rolling hills. Here, too, are the UNESCO-listed Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vezere Valley, and extraordinary Palaeolithic masterpieces (Lascaux, Font de Gaume and Pech Merle). History has been made here, evidenced in medieval castles and bastides, and beautiful old cities such as Sarlat, Perigueux, St-Emilion, Cahors and Figeac. Hundreds of unspoiled villages dot landscapes that are among the most idyllic in France, while Romanesque churches, including the great abbey at Moissac, are a feast for art lovers. Outdoor activities are well covered, too, including cycling, sailing, surfing, canoeing, kayaking and walking the numerous Grand Randonnees (including three main routes of the Camino de Santiago) that pass through here, along with scores of other paths. And last but not least, the food is good: think truffles, oysters, duck, saffron, strawberries and melons, walnut groves and orchards. The weekly markets are gorgeous, and the summers are filled with wine, music and theatre festivals. All of this and more is covered by expert authors Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls in this new title from Bradt, offering all the information you need both prior to departure and while on the road.

Bradt's new Emilia-Romagna is the most thorough and in-depth guide available to this entire north Italian region (not just Bologna and the main cities) with a strong focus on history, background information, art and culture, as well as extensive detail on the Apennines along the Tuscan border, where you can escape the flatlands of the Po and go trekking, cycling and skiing. Here are some of region's prettiest villages, including Vignola, famous for cherries and lovely medieval Castell'Arquato and Brisighella. To the east, the Romagna part of this hyphenated region boasts long sandy Adriatic beaches, wildlife-filled lagoons around the Po Delta, and the world's smallest republic, San Marino. Written by expert authors Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls, possibly the world's most experienced travel writers on Italy, Bradt's Emilia-Romagna is the definitive guide to this diverse and authentic area. Bologna, the regional capital, is covered in detail, from accommodation and restaurants to galleries, museums, shopping and the new FICO Eataly food theme park. Emilia-Romagna combines the rich farmlands of the Po plain with dazzling cities strung like pearls along the straight-as-a-die Via Emilia. The capital, Bologna, home to the world's oldest university, and the smaller cities of Parma, Modena, Ferrara, Piacenza, Ravenna and Rimini are year-round destinations, each strikingly different, each filled with art and architectural masterpieces and fascinating museums housing everything from Etruscan vases to still life by Giorgio Morandi. Ravenna glitters with Byzantine mosaics; Parma, the town of Correggio, is mad about opera; Modena, with its stupendous medieval cathedral, is the hometown of Pavarotti and Ferrari; Ferrara has delightful early Renaissance frescoes; Rimini was immortalised by Fellini in Amarcord. With Bradt's Emilia-Romagna you can discover all of this and more. With 22 town and area maps, plus language, art and architecture glossaries, full practical information and all the background context you could need, Bradt's Emilia-Romagna is the perfect companion for art lovers, food lovers, families taking a beach holiday and city-break enthusiasts of all ages.

This new guide to Northern Greece, written by Greece expert and long-time travel writer Dana Facaros, is the only guide available to the region and includes the areas of Epirus, Thessaly, Macedonia and Thrace, complete with their five dramatically beautiful national parks, the country's highest peaks and mountain lakes, rushing rivers and the world's deepest gorge, and (this is Greece, after all) long sandy beaches. Sections on background and practical information are followed by an easy-to-follow breakdown of the area offering detailed coverage in 12 chapters, from Greece's second city, Thessaloniki, to Chalkidiki, Central Macedonia, Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, Western Macedonia, Epirus (including Ioannina), Thessaly and Magnesia, the Pelion Peninsula and the Islands, plus a short chapter on Athens, the gateway for many visitors to Greece. Greece is becoming more popular by the year and this area in particular offers the more natural, authentic experience that many travellers seek. Bradt's Northern Greece focuses on just this relatively unknown but up-and-coming region and is an ideal companion for travellers of all ages, budgets and interests, from culture lovers to wildlife enthusiasts, history buffs to archaeologists, foodies to wine connoisseurs. Holidays in the great outdoors are covered, too, including mountain climbing, skiing, white water rafting, rock climbing, sailing, canyoning and sea kayaking, not to mention those who just want to sit on a sandy beach and dance the night away.

Bradt's Umbria & the Marche is the most detailed guide to combine these two small central Italian regions, which offer all the beauty, history and culture of neighbouring Tuscany only without the crowds, the traffic or eye-popping prices. Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls (authors of the original Cadogan guide to the area) lived in Umbria in the 1980s and have been returning regularly and writing about it ever since. They are the perfect guides to the region's landscapes, hill towns, food and wine, and art and architecture. The superb art cities of Umbria and the Marche steal the limelight - Perugia, Orvieto, Urbino, Assisi, Spoleto, Loreto, Todi, where art fills every church and palazzo. But never far from these centres wait unspoiled countryside of rolling olive groves, forests and meadows, long walks and towns and tiny villages, nearly all with a masterpiece or two to show off and a great little family-run restaurant. The Bradt guide covers them all, along with the republic of San Marino. The Apennines rule here. The Marche's geography is dominated by a series of east-west river valleys - the Metauro, Esino, Tronto, etc - twisting down to the Adriatic and often ending in long sandy beaches, from the historic towns of Senigallia and Fano through Ancona's Cornero Riviera to the Riviera delle Palme at San Benedetto del Tronto. Landlocked Umbria, where rivers flow into the mighty Tiber, has exceptional water features as well: Italy's fourth largest lake, Trasimeno; the Tiber Valley; Clitunno springs (once sacred to the Romans); and Italy's most beautiful waterfall, the Cascata delle Marmore. Featuring superb photography and expert recommendations to suit all budgets, Umbria & the Marche - the fifth in Bradt's increasingly highly regarded series of Italian regional titles - is a timely guide to a more authentic corner of Italy.

This new title continues Bradt's coverage of lesser-known but increasingly popular Italian regions and is the only guide available to Friuli Venezia Giulia, a region that forms the major part of the hinterland of Venice (but does not - despite the name - include Venice itself), and which is a convenient and fascinating place to spend time on the beach, in the Alps or relaxing in the country. It is notable also for its wines and distinctive cuisine, which, with touches of neighbouring Austria and Slovenia stirred in, are starting to attract attention around the world. Written by long-time travel authors and Italy specialists Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls, background and practical information are complemented by ten easy-to-follow chapters, covering Trieste, its coast and the Carso, the Friuli coast, Gorizia and the Collio, Udine, Pordenone and Western Friuli, and the mountains: the Friulian Dolomites, Carnia and the Julian Alps. Set in Italy's northeastern corner, Friuli Venezia Giulia is one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse parts of the country - and also one of the least known. With Bradt's Friuli Venezia Giulia, explore this small but varied region in detail, from the Alps of the north to the coastal resorts, unspoiled wetlands and lagoons, and from medieval towns like Cividale del Friuli to the strange desert steppe called the Magredi and the lovely wine region of Il Collio. Discover the regional capital, caffeine-mad Trieste, where there are 67 different ways of ordering a cup of coffee, and Gorizia, one of the biggest battle fronts of World War I, which survives almost intact, with miles of trenches and fortifications open for exploration. Bradt's Friuli Venezia Giulia offers everything you need for a successful trip.

This title features: dynamic new two-colour layout for clear navigation; new magazine style, combining stunning photography, new itineraries and the author's personal take on the country; extensive listings of hotels and restaurants (often far more than other guides) - all personally visited and recommended for a really local flavour; top 'Don't Miss' sights at the start of every regional chapter, plus new 'Author Choices' of personal favourite places to stay and eat; clear, newly-designed two-colour maps throughout for increased ease of use; and, the only guides with full-colour touring maps of the whole region.This title: takes you right into the heart of southern Spain by uncovering the delights of Granada, Seville and Cordoba, the sparkling coastal resorts and the magnificent landscape; visits Seville, a city of drama and passion, home to those most Spanish creations, flamenco and tapas, and the greatest gothic cathedral in the world, La Giralda; explores spiritual Cordoba, with its Great Mosque and medieval quarters, and refined and wistful Granada, with its extraordinary garden-hung Alhambra palace and spectacular views of the Sierra Nevada; and, relaxes on the best of southern Spain's beaches and seaside towns, travels over to Gibraltar and shows you the best places to unwind with a glass of sherry.

This title presents dynamic new two-color layout for easy navigation. It features new magazine style, combining stunning photography, tailored itineraries and a personal take on the country; and, clear, newly designed two-color maps throughout for increased ease of use. This is the only guides with full-color touring maps of the whole region. This title includes extensive listings of hotels and restaurants - all personally recommended for a really local flavor. It also includes Top Don't Miss sights for each regional chapter, plus Author Choices of personal favorite places to stay and eat. The author swans around Brigitte Bardot's former haunts in St-Tropez; explores Monaco's glittering nightlife and smells the money in Monte-Carlo's glamorous casinos; takes in the fragrant plains that produce flowers for the perfumers of Grasse; visits tranquil villages perches just behind the coastal strip; lets you learn to cook with a top chef; explores flower markets and turtle sanctuaries, and takes a boat trip to the golden Iles d'Hyeres; and, follows an art trail in the colorful footsteps of Cocteau, Matisse, Dufy and Cezanne.

This title explores vibrant Avignon and tranquil St Remy-de-Provence; discovers the Roman ruins of Arles and the graceful culture of Aix-en-Provence; tries bouillabaisse in Marseille; and tours vineyards and fragrant lavender fields.It features dynamic new two-colour layout for easy navigation; new magazine style, combining stunning photography, tailored itineraries and a personal take on the country; and clear, newly-designed two-colour maps throughout for increased ease of use.The only guides with full-colour touring maps of the whole region. The title offers extensive listings of hotels and restaurants - all personally recommended for a really local flavour. It features Top Don't Miss sights for each regional chapter, plus Author Choices of personal favourite places to stay and eat.