Vatican City

The Vatican is the smallest country in the world, and it holds an astonishing amount of art. Step into St Peter's Square, framed by Bernini's great colonnades, and walk into a basilica topped by a Michelangelo dome. Inside the Vatican Museums you can follow galleries of sculpture, maps and Renaissance rooms to the Sistine Chapel, where the ceiling you have seen in pictures turns out to be even better. It is the centre of the Catholic Church, a living religious site and a cultural treasure house. Dress respectfully and prepare for crowds, but the experience is worth it.

Talking points

• It is the smallest country in the world.
• St Peter's Basilica is crowned by a dome designed by Michelangelo.
• Bernini's colonnade embraces St Peter's Square like two arms.
• The Sistine Chapel ceiling was painted by Michelangelo in the early sixteenth century.
• Shoulders and knees must be covered to enter the sacred sites.