An Extended Journey of Classical Wonders and Eye-C

Embark on a European and Asian adventure packed with a wealth of charm and cultural diversity. Roam the ‘blue’ mosque of Sultan Ahmet, the Grand Bazaar, opulent Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia or sink into a serene Turkish Bath experience. Embrace the city’s vine-shaded homely district where ladies shop for butter-soaked baklava and freshly picked olives. Explore further to haggle for gold jewellery, linen and oriental antiques. Dine in the atmospheric old city or take a ferry to Asia for street-served food. Feast over rich platters of meze, moist grilled bluefish and succulent kebabs. Heighten your senses even further in the spice bazaar with enticing aromas and vibrant, colourful displays. After such a sensorial feast, indulge in a restorative raki, whichever continent you’re in. By night parties don’t start until late, but expect to dance till dawn. Join the late crowd spilling into the streets overlooking the Bosphorus. Sway at European rooftop bars, shimmer by ferry over to the Asian suburbs or remain ensconced in old-fashioned folk venues. An eclectic fusion of east and west, this city is conservative at heart with a truly modern soul.

Embark on a European and Asian adventure packed with a wealth of charm and cultural diversity. Roam the ‘blue’ mosque of Sultan Ahmet, the Grand Bazaar, opulent Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sophia or sink into a serene Turkish Bath experience. Embrace the city’s vine-shaded homely district where ladies shop for butter-soaked baklava and freshly picked olives. Explore further to haggle for gold jewellery, linen and oriental antiques. Dine in the atmospheric old city or take a ferry to Asia for street-served food. Feast over rich platters of meze, moist grilled bluefish and succulent kebabs. Heighten your senses even further in the spice bazaar with enticing aromas and vibrant, colourful displays. After such a sensorial feast, indulge in a restorative raki, whichever continent you’re in. By night parties don’t start until late, but expect to dance till dawn. Join the late crowd spilling into the streets overlooking the Bosphorus. Sway at European rooftop bars, shimmer by ferry over to the Asian suburbs or remain ensconced in old-fashioned folk venues. An eclectic fusion of east and west, this city is conservative at heart with a truly modern soul.

Breeze into a beguiling mix of vintage and modern, awash with a thriving art, culture and history scene. Crowded with museums dedicated to the past plus an extraordinary 15 UNESCO sites – there’s much to learn. Admire ramparts built to last; the impressive Galerius Palace, the beautiful domed multi-serving Rotunda, a bevy of Byzantine churches and the curious 15th century White Tower. Dig deeper into the past to trace pre-historic times at the Archaeological Museum. Rove around Ladadika narrow streets and charming squares that emit a Parisian air, absorb Greek produce in the Market’s holy halls and soak up modern art on the lively waterfront. Raise hairs at Heptapyrgion, take coffee in Aristotelous Square or head out of town to peer at Alexander the Great’s birthplace in Pella and Vergina’s royal tombs. Perfectly poised on the placid Thermaic Gulf, Thessaloniki brings past and present together in remarkable harmony.

Volos deals a perfect blend of architectural gems, scented archaic landscapes and beach-fringed salty bays. Discover treasures in the mythical home of Jason and the Argonauts before bearing off to Pelion, homeland of the mythical Centaurs. Zig zag through a network of old cobbled donkey tracks linking villages and wander a botanist’s dream of eucalyptus, fruit trees and thyme-scented woodland. Dip in blissfully quiet Pagasitic waters, bring history to life on gorge and bridge crossing Moutzouris and paddle past secluded coves into eerie sea caves and the Secret School. Visit Damouchari for a riot of bougainvillea and silvery olive trees, Tsagarada for the oldest plane tree in Greece and Milies for murals and absurd acoustics. This playground of the gods remains a quiet memory of Greek gone by – the Centaurs have protected it well.

Experience the vibrant, cosmopolitan charm of Kefalonia. Wind through the crescent-shaped Venetian architecture surrounded by the sounds of classical music. Head to pebbled coves, bijoux boutiques and gelato caverns, or snorkel, dive, kayak and hike through nature in all its Mediterranean glory, surrounded by the scents of pine, lavender and cedar. Slip across to the secluded beaches of Ithaca – home to Homer’s ‘The Odyssey’ and vibrant underwater reefs. And relax at lavish seafood eateries and sip robola as you mingle amid refined, elegant guests.

Marvel at this chic walled city paved with a wealth of aristocratic palazzi, ancient forts and epic Adriatic views. Enter grand Pile Gate to lose yourself in intricate alleys, stage-set squares, museums and baroque churches. Ease out of town to kayak around sturdy ramparts, taste Dalmatian wines in the Konavle countryside, and visit archaic Cavtat and history-packed Mostar. Escape the crowds to cacti-clad Lokrum for a spot of yoga and botanical walking, or join in to graze at trendy restaurants on the rocks. It’s no wonder the glitterati flock to the strength of this charming and inspiring medieval Dalmatian marvel.

Sheltered by mountains and hills of pine, Split casts a sirenic spell, its terracotta-tiled rooftops spilling straight down to the sparkling Adriatic. Wander within the ancient walls of Diocletian’s seafront palace to its collonaded courtyard and cathedral, the sinuous streets and sunny squares abuzz with cafes and shops, and everyday life ongoing amid the palace’s atmospheric alleyways. From here, people-watch over coffee on the Saint Tropez-esque Riva promenade; climb to the hilltop park, small churches hidden along the way, for a sundowner; or seek the sandy Bacvice beach, swimming the shallows as Splicani play picigin (ballgame), and perfecting the Dalmatian art of fjaka, the sweetness of doing nothing.

Unleash your artistic soul in Ravenna, where 1500-year-old churches are embellished with intricate mosaics and Byzantine art. Flooded crypts, columnar bell towers and Dante’s tomb make this Emilia-Romagna city divine. The Basilica of SantApollinare Nuovo, once the home of bloody King Theodoric the Great, is one of eight UNESCO treasures. Feast on Adriatic octopus in Piazza del Popolo, pedal through pine forests in nearby Cervia, cross invisible borders in espresso-sized San Marino, or discover the canals and flamingo-flecked wetlands of Comacchio.

The Sanctuary of Samos Authentic and non-intrusive, life couldn’t get much more low-key on the haven that is Samos. Enjoy the quiet romance and rare beauty of this Greek isle, where youll only need to decide which sweet local wine to sip, remote beach to visit or quiet spot of cool inland forest to frequent. With warm waters so clear and inviting, you’ll get why this was the goddess Hera’s private sanctuary. Listed by UNESCO, the ruins of Heraion and the astonishing Eupalinos Tunnel won’t fail to impress.

Athenians don’t live in the past. Ahead of its time, Athens exudes glamour and a sense of possibility – housing galleries, gelaterias, bijoux boutiques alongside a plethora of museums. And you can’t help but marvel at the archaeological wonders of the Acropolis and the Parthenon. Stroll through vibrant streets and markets, dance at buzzing bouzoukia, sing along in tavernas. At night, head to the harbour, where dimly lit bars serve the local ice cold beer. And, as you inhale the salty air and watch Greek fishing boats peacefully depart for their catch, reflect on this ancient citys progressive attitude.