Italy—along with the landlocked states of San Marino and Vatican City—has the tastiest food in Europe (shh … don’t tell the French). This culinarily (and culturally) rich nation deserves a spot on every beginner's Europe itinerary, and it’s easy to devote an entire vacation to sampling Italian dishes (though the art and architecture are pretty fantastic, too). Once you've had your fill, you can head south to the nearby island nation of Malta, known for its historic cities and glorious sea caves.

Did you know?: In Italy, pasta is typically served as the primo (first course), after antipasto but before the secondo course, which is usually meat.