Adriatic & Aegean Icons

Rome, the capital, and largest city of Italy, is full of unending possibilities. It can be reached from the port of Civitavecchia in approximately ninety minutes either by train or coach. Rome greets visitors with a multitude of faces, such as the Ancient City with ruins like: the Colosseum; the seven hills; the Roman Forum; and the Sacred Way, the path used for triumphal processions. Read more about Rome (Civitavecchia), Italy

Naples is an historic city over 2,500 years old, sitting on the west coast of southern Italy by the Gulf of Naples. Located halfway between two volcanic areas, Mount Vesuvius and Camp Flegrei and with numerous tours and cruise excursions available at the port, one may be inclined to miss out on what Naples itself has to offer. It has some of the world's best opera houses and theatres, and is often called an open-air museum because of its many historic statues and monuments. Read more about Naples, Italy

Taormina is a small town on the island of Sicily in Italy, in the Province of Messina. Settled on a hill, the town - accessible via an aerial tramway - dominates two sweeping bays, and on the southern side the top of Mount Etna can be seen. While it is unashamedly touristy and has a main street lined with high-end designer shops, the town remains a striking location with gorgeous medieval churches, a stunning Greek theatre, and sweeping views. Read more about Taormina, Italy

Zakynthos is the main city on the island of the same name, the third largest of the Ionian Islands in Greece. It is difficult to realise that the island was hit by a series of four earthquakes in 1953, an earthquake swarm on an almost daily basis in 2006, and an horrific forest fire in the same year. The island today is regarded as The Flower of the Orient and one of the most beautiful islands of the Ionians. Read more about Zakynthos, Greece

Durrës, located on the central Albanian coast, about 33 km west of the capital Tirana, is the most ancient and one of the most economically important cities of Albania, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea in the Mediterranean. While many new public and residential buildings have been built, monuments of the ancient city, such as the Resistance Monument, have been preserved. Then there’s the ancient amphitheatre, a very impressive stadium built by the Romans in the second century AD, and well worth the walk up from the waterfront. Read more about Durres, Albania

Located along one of Montenegro's most beautiful bays is picturesque Kotor. The bay is the deepest natural inlet in the Adriatic Sea, and the scenery around it is spectacular. Its well-preserved Old Town - surrounded by an impressive city wall - nestles at the head of southern Europe’s deepest sunken river valley. Read more about Kotor, Montenegro

Dubrovnik, a Croatian city on the Adriatic Sea coast, is a prominent tourist destination. The city joined the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites in 1979. An outstanding feature of the Old Town of Dubrovnik is its intact city walls that run uninterrupted for 1,940m encircling the city. Read more about Dubrovnik, Croatia

Hvar is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea located off the Dalmatian coast. The climate is characterised by mild winters and warm summers, and this, together with beautiful beaches and Mediterranean vegetation, make it a most attractive tourist destination. Hvar town features a large public square - St Stephen’s Square - that is open to the sea, and in season the port is filled with large yachts. Read more about Hvar, Croatia

The modern port city of Ancona is located on the Adriatic Sea in the Le Marche region of central Italy. Its untouched natural beauty includes plantations, vineyards and olive groves. Add to this its vitality and delicious cuisine, that not surprisingly results in the growth of the number of tourists to the city. Read more about Ancona, Italy

Koper, on the Adriatic Sea, is Slovenia’s largest commercial port. Interestingly, it is bilingual with Slovene and Italian being the official languages. Steeped in rich history, it is a university town with numerous sights including the 15th-century Praetorian Palace in Venetian Gothic style that now houses the tourist office. Read more about Koper, Slovenia

Located at the head of the Adriatic Sea between the mouths of the Piave and Po Rivers, an intricate web of 118 tiny islands and canals make up the enchanting city of Venice in Italy. Considered to be an extremely beautiful and romantic destination, it is not surprising that Venice has played an important role in the history of symphonic and operatic music. One must take a gondola ride along some of the over 150 canals, including the Grand Canal. Read more about Venice, Italy

Split, in Croatia, is a busy port on the shores of the Mediterranean and has numerous ferries operating to and from nearby islands. It is also a popular tourist resort with beaches and pleasant promenades. Venetian, Gothic and Renaissance houses and several medieval churches add architectural interest. Read more about Split, Croatia

Korcula is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea lying just off the Dalmatian Coast. The greenest, most independent and most interesting of Croatia's 1,000 or so islands, Korcula is very much a law unto itself, as you might expect from a community that has resisted the sieges of centuries. Korcula Town is a mini-fortress enclosed with honey-coloured stone walls built in the 14th century, with round defensive towers. Read more about Korcula, Croatia

Corfu Island, located just off the west coast of Greece, boasts some of the most stunning scenery in the Greek Isles. With its impressive landscapes, rich vegetation, long golden beaches, the elegant capital Corfu Town, and many traditional villages, it is not surprising that this island receives many visitors each year. The capital is possibly most impressive, due to the Venetian, French and English civilisations that are remembered for the architectural elements they have left behind. Read more about Corfu, Greece

The scenic seaside Greek town of Katakolon, with a population around 3,000, is your typical small-town cruise port with delightful cafes along the waterfront, shops that sell T-shirts, hats and jewellery, and a small beach that draws swimmers and sandcastle-builders. But that's not why ships make the town a destination. They arrive because Katakolon serves as the cruise gateway to ancient Olympia, just 40 km away, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. Read more about Katakolon, Greece

Santorini is a small, circular archipelago of volcanic islands located in the Aegean Sea, about 200 km from Greece's mainland. It is essentially what remains of an enormous volcanic explosion some 3500 years ago, which destroyed the earliest settlements on what was formerly a single island, and which resulted in the creation of the current geological caldera. Take the cable car to view the beautiful panorama of Santorini. Read more about Santorini, Greece

Athens, the capital and largest city of Greece, is also one of the world's oldest cities with an unparalleled history that spans around 3,400 years. Experiencing long periods of sunshine throughout the year, and known as "the cradle of Western civilisation", it is a 'must-see' destination for world travellers. The city contains a fascinating variety of different architectural styles, ranging from Greco-Roman through Neo-Classical, to Modern. Read more about Athens, Greece

Kusadasi is a resort town on Turkey's Aegean coast and the centre of the seaside district of the same name. While best known as a starting point for visiting Ephesus, once one of the most beautiful cities in the world with a history dating from 3000 BC, there’s also a delightful range of activities in town. Places of interest include: the City Walls, of which one gate remains to-day; the peninsula at the end of the bay with its castle and swimming beaches; several aqua parks with wave-pools and white-water slides; Ladies Beach, once segregated but now open to all; and Dilek Peninsula National Park. Read more about Kusadasi, Turkey

Istanbul (Byzantium from 660 BC, Constantinople from 330 CE, and Istanbul since 1930) is the largest city in Turkey and the fifth largest city proper in the world. It has dominated the Straits of Bosphorus, in the NW of the country, for 25 centuries, and as Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was a metropolis of stunning splendour when the great capitals of Europe were mere villages and is the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. Read more about Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul (Byzantium from 660 BC, Constantinople from 330 CE, and Istanbul since 1930) is the largest city in Turkey and the fifth largest city proper in the world. It has dominated the Straits of Bosphorus, in the NW of the country, for 25 centuries, and as Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was a metropolis of stunning splendour when the great capitals of Europe were mere villages and is the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. Read more about Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul (Byzantium from 660 BC, Constantinople from 330 CE, and Istanbul since 1930) is the largest city in Turkey and the fifth largest city proper in the world. It has dominated the Straits of Bosphorus, in the NW of the country, for 25 centuries, and as Constantinople was the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire. It was a metropolis of stunning splendour when the great capitals of Europe were mere villages and is the only metropolis in the world that is situated on two continents. Read more about Istanbul, Turkey