7Civita di Bagnoregio, Lazio

This hilltop town looks spectacular at any time, but especially so when rising out of fog or early morning mist.

First inhabited over 2,500 years ago, the town is now known in Italy as ‘the dying town’ after an earthquake caused public institutions and many residents to move out, as well as the fact that erosion of the cliff means the island is in danger of crumbling away.