Eastern Mediterranean, Balkans & Rivieras - 6430D Seabourn Quest departing 26 Apr 2024

Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is said to have been founded by the Phoenicians, and was once the rival of the powerful states of Venice and Genoa for control of the Mediterranean trade. Today, it is Spain’s second largest city and has long rivaled, even surpassed Madrid in industry and commerce. The medieval atmosphere of the Gothic Quarter and the elegant boulevards combine to make the city one of Europe’s most beautiful. Barcelona’s active cultural life and heritage brought forth such greats as the architect Antonio Gaudi, the painter Joan Miro, and Pablo Picasso, who spent his formative years here. Other famous native Catalan artists include cellist Pau Casals, surrealist Salvador Dali, and opera singers Montserrat Caballe and Josep Carreras. Barcelona accomplished a long-cherished goal with the opportunity to host the Olympics in 1992. This big event prompted a massive building program and created a focal point of the world’s attention.

Spain’s Balearic Islands are among Europe’s most popular resort destinations. Mallorca is the largest and most developed of these islands. Rome and Carthage battled over this territory and portions of ancient Roman constructions still remain. Founded almost 2,100 years ago, the city of Palma de Mallorca, the island’s busy capital city boasts a considerable store of history. Mallorca welcomes its visitors to an island, which can be both exciting and tranquil. The abundant sightseeing and sunshine are yours to enjoy.

Alexander the Great founded this city, but never lived to see it. When he took Egypt from the Persians in 332 BC, he decided to move the capital from Memphis to the Mediterranean. Leaving instructions with his architect, he traveled on to Asia where he died. Egypt passed under the control of his general, Ptolemy I, who made Alexandria a great intellectual center. The city was designed with grand proportions. Its lighthouse, the Pharos, was a beacon to all. The Mouseion, from which our word “museum” derives, incorporated laboratories, observatories and a vast library. With the fall of the Ptolemies, Alexandria slumbered in obscurity until revived as an international seaport. A cosmopolitan, decadent colonial era, captured such works as Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandrian Quartet, ended in the 1950’s, but the beaches, restaurants and architecture still draw visitors, along with such excavations as Cleopatra’s Palace, where this Queen of Egypt shared her love with Mark Anthony.

Alexander the Great founded this city, but never lived to see it. When he took Egypt from the Persians in 332 BC, he decided to move the capital from Memphis to the Mediterranean. Leaving instructions with his architect, he traveled on to Asia where he died. Egypt passed under the control of his general, Ptolemy I, who made Alexandria a great intellectual center. The city was designed with grand proportions. Its lighthouse, the Pharos, was a beacon to all. The Mouseion, from which our word “museum” derives, incorporated laboratories, observatories and a vast library. With the fall of the Ptolemies, Alexandria slumbered in obscurity until revived as an international seaport. A cosmopolitan, decadent colonial era, captured such works as Lawrence Durrell’s Alexandrian Quartet, ended in the 1950’s, but the beaches, restaurants and architecture still draw visitors, along with such excavations as Cleopatra’s Palace, where this Queen of Egypt shared her love with Mark Anthony.

The largest port in Israel, Ashdod is a gateway to Jerusalem, the 5,000-year-old walled city that is considered sacred to more than a third of the people on Earth. Numerous sites exist nearby, including the Jewish sacred Western Wall, and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre said to be the site of Calvary and to contain a piece of the true cross.
Meander along the seaside promenade, or dip your toes in the Dead Sea waters, long known for their health benefits. Visit the Bar-Gera Museum to view a collection of art by artists who were either banned or persecuted by the Nazis and other fascist governments. The Yad Vashem Memorial Museum is dedicated to the six million Jews who
lost their lives during the Holocaust.

Situated on the slopes of Mount Carmel, along one of the most beautiful bays on the Mediterranean coast, Haifa is Israel’s primary port. It also serves as an important gateway to the biblical and historical sites of this sacred land. Although the origin of Haifa is obscure, its name appears for the first time in the 3rd century A.D. in Talmudic literature. Over the years, Crusaders, Arabs, Turks and the British occupied the city. Today, this bustling city possesses the nation’s largest industries, several important museums and the respected Haifa Technical Institute. It is also the world center of the Baha’i faith, symbolized by a beautiful gold-domed shrine.

Limassol on Cyprus’ south coast is the island’s largest seaside resort. It meanders for ten miles along the coast with the Troodos Mountains providing a magnificent backdrop. Sunshine, blue sky and beaches are the criteria that attract scores of vacationers each year. The more adventurous traveler, too, finds worthwhile attractions, such as medieval castles, remote mountain villages, archaeological sites dating back to 7,000 B.C., and inviting cedar forests, orange groves and vineyards. Although the easternmost island of the Mediterranean, eastern culture is augmented by a large dose of European. Rome and Byzantium, the Crusaders and the Venetians, the Turks and the British have all left their traces. Since the Middle Ages, when the Crusaders held Cyprus under Richard the Lionhearted, Limassol has been known to traders for its wine and sugar cane. Today, the island’s second largest city is the hub of its wine-making industry and an important commercial center.

Nicknamed “The Isle of the Aromas”, Spetsai is a delight to all of the senses. The island’s historic old town is a yachtsman’s paradise, boasting a stunning harbor, quaint shops and some of the finest restaurants in the Saronic Gulf. The rest of the island is relatively unpopulated and is ringed by a single road, along which you can travel in a horse-drawn carriage. As you pass by quiet, rolling hills, be sure to pause at one of the many quiet coves along the way to refresh yourself with a dip into the cerulean waters.

Piraeus has been the port for Athens since 482 BC. The busy harbor is filled with ferries and cruise ships making their way to the Greek Islands and other Mediterranean cities. The busy metropolis of Athens and its treasure trove of antiquities lie just a few miles from the port. Even as the reality of the modern city took hold, with its high-rise apartments, crowded sidewalks and bustling traffic, the beauty of the Acropolis, the outstanding museums, charming cafés, sidewalk markets and startling views come together in a cultural mosaic for all to enjoy.

The quintessential Greek island of Mykonos is marked by whitewashed houses, domed churches, imposing windmills, and a labyrinth of winding streets designed to disorient pirates. Everywhere there is a dash of bright, bold blue – doors, shutters and window frames, sea and sky. The harbor bustles with colorful fishing boats, vendors selling fish and locals gathered with visitors in the casual seaside cafes. The port even comes with two beloved mascots, the pelicans Petros and Irini.

Kusadasi, which means “bird island,” is set in a superb gulf known for its sparkling water, broad sandy beaches and large marina. The city has managed to retain a certain earthiness while doing a brisk trade in Turkish carpets and leather goods to visitors. The town’s old quarter is a picturesque maze of winding streets and houses adorned with flowers and birdcages. In the center stands a 17th-century caravanserai, now converted into a hotel. The resort is also gateway to important sites of archaeological and religious interest.

Today Bodrum is a picturesque yacht harbor filled with traditional wood-varnished sailboats, charming outdoor cafes and streets bursting with small shops selling carpets, leatherwear, jewelry and local artwork. In antiquity, it was the site of ancient Halicarnassus. Under King Mausolus, the city prospered, and in death, the king left the city its most enduring legacy, his majestic tomb, from which we derive the term “mausoleum.” Only its massive foundations remain today but it was the largest tomb ever built by the Greeks and one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Models on the site recreate its form for visitors. Alexander the Great attacked the city in 334 BC, leveling all but the Mausoleum, which was later destroyed by an earthquake.
When the Knights of St. John lost their castle in Smyrna in 1402, they came here. Finding the mausoleum in ruins, they used the stone to construct the Castle of St. Peter, which proudly stood sentinel to the city. Together with their fortifications on Kos and Rhodes, the Knights dominated the southeastern Aegean, running a hospital for passing pilgrims and ruling the seas as privateers in swift vessels. They remained until 1523, when Ottoman ruler, Suleyman the Magnificent, conquered Rhodes and the Knights’ position became untenable. The castle still dominates the harbor and houses an archeological museum.

Located on the east coast of Kefalonia, Sami is home to beautiful beaches and pleasant cafés and tavernas around the harbor that provide an ideal setting to soak up the traditional Greek atmosphere. Situated on a hill to the south of town are the ruins of ancient Sami, where visitors will find a fascinating site consisting of artifacts spanning several different civilizations over thousands of years.

A scant few miles off the Albanian coast lies the island of Corfu, one of the most richly endowed of all the Greek Isles. Praised by Homer in “The Odyssey” and selected by Shakespeare as the setting for “The Tempest,” the island retains evidence of cultural heritage from each of its past rulers – Byzantium, Venice, France, Russia and Great Britain. Rolling acres of olive groves, small orchards of lemon and orange trees, tall cypress, oleander, and myrtle bushes lend a lush, verdant look to the island. While the oldest part of Corfu Town has cobblestone lanes so narrow only pedestrian travel is possible, the modern sector has wide avenues. Residents boast that its “Spianada” is the largest and most beautiful square in all Greece.

Nestled among the myriad islets of the Istrian coast in the Gulf of Venice, the charming harbor of Rovinj is comprised of candy-colored buildings, fringed with marinas and dominated by the fairytale spire of the Cathedral of Saint Euphemia, modeled on St. Marks’ in Venice. The old town is a treasury of historic monuments – a 13th-century Romanesque baptistry, a baroque City Hall, and an 18th-century monastery – all tucked among cobbled streets that invite exploration. Known as the “Montmartre of Istria,” this is an artists’ colony with many galleries.

The first settlement of the marshy islands in the lagoon was for protection from barbarian tribes that terrorized mainland farms and villages. Island living quickly led to the development of skills in handling boats, then ships. Maritime trade conducted by shrewd merchants brought great wealth, which permitted the building of palaces, churches and monuments. The city became the center of the vast Venetian empire, its name forever summoning visions of grandeur, magnificence, richness, graciousness and beauty. Although later linked to the mainland, first by a railway bridge built in 1848 and then by a motor causeway in 1930, this island city will always be considered the “Queen of the Sea.” There are no cars in Venice; all transportation is by boat or on foot along the time-worn, cobblestone streets and across some 400 bridges that span the city’s 177 canals. Enchanting Venice truly offers an atmosphere that exists nowhere else.

Located on the tip of Istria, Slovenia’s main port was an island until the 19th century, but local history goes back much further. Called Aegida by the Greeks, Capris by the Romans and Justinopolis in Byzantine times, Koper was the influential city in the Venetian Empire and five mayors sat on the throne of the Venetian doges. Today monuments of this Golden Age line the cobblestone streets of an Old Town that boasts a wealth of architecture, cultural monuments and intriguing shops.

On the western peninsula of Croatia, just south west of the city of Rijeka Croatia, lies the beautiful town of Opatija. Anyone visiting the area will instantly understand why this small Croatian village of just 8,000 inhabitants is so popular. With its breathtaking views over the Adriatic towards the Kvarner Islands and up towards the Istrian mountains in the distance, Opatija really is a place of natural beauty. It is an ideal holiday resort, with its lovely mild climate, extensive beaches and 43-kilometre coastline. The European elite frequented the town for many centuries, earning it the well-deserved title, “The Adriatic Nice”.

Founded in the 7th century, Dubrovnik rose to greatness as a merchant state, independent republic and cultural crossroads. The traffic-free Old Town has been called a Croatian Athens. This UNESCO designated World Heritage Site is a living museum of the ages with fortifications, chapels, monastic cloisters and Europe’s second-oldest synagogue crowded into its ancient walls. Relax at a sidewalk café, listen to the chimes of the 14th-century bell tower or join the promenade down the palace-lined avenue known as the Stradun.

One of the best preserved medieval towns of the Adriatic, Kotor is protected by UNESCO. Between 1420 and 1797, the area was under the rule of the Republic of Venice and the Venetian influence can be seen in its architecture. The Gulf of Kotor is sometimes called the southernmost fjord in Europe, although it is actually a submerged river canyon. The overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovcen complete one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful landscapes.

Durres is a very ancient city, but today its antiquities are only visible intermittently. Originally a Greek colony, it has endured Roman and Byzantine rule and more recently a long, dark chapter under a severe Communist dictatorship. It is a busy port, located at the narrowest passage of the Adriatic Sea just across from Bari, Italy. Notable sites in Durres itself include a large, but only partially unearthed Roman amphitheater, built in the 2nd Century AD by the Emperor Trajan. It is a candidate for UNESCO World Heritage inscription, surrounded and in a few cases actually occupied by modern housing. Nearby, a colonnade of a 5th Century Byzantine marketplace is another surviving relic. From Durres, you can also visit the Albania’s capital, Tirana, a vibrant modern city flexing its muscles after its long enforced isolation. The large National History Museum has an extensive and fascinating collection, including a pavilion containing numerous Eastern Orthodox icons by the master of color Onufri, and another dedicated to the late Albanian nun Mother Teresa. East of Tirana, an Austrian-built cable car can carry visitors up the slopes to panoramic views at the Mt. Dajti National Park.

Lipari is the largest of the seven major islands making up the Aeolian Islands. They were originally named after Aeolus, the mythical god of wind who the ancients believed made his home in a cave here. Recently renamed the Lipari Islands, they were created by volcanic eruptions thousands of years ago and have a primitive rocky beauty accented by Mediterranean greenery. Their natural beauty and easy lifestyle have made the islands increasingly popular for those who wish to escape the modern world and its stresses. The crystal clear aqua-blue waters and the volcanic beaches are some of the most inviting in Italy. Many are inaccessible except by fishermens’ boats. An abundance of fish and shell fish makes for some very good restaurants specializing in seafood.

The Amalfi Coast has been called the greatest meeting of land and sea on earth. Situated in the Campania region between Sorrento and Salerno, Amalfi and Positano are the two main towns on the world-famous Amalfi Drive – renowned as the most scenic and romantic road in Italy. The road is carved into the side of rocky cliffs plunging into the sparkling sea. Erosion has sculpted the rocky slopes into gargoyle shapes and hollowed out fairy grottoes where the air is tinted turquoise by the glowing blue water below. During the Middle Ages, Amalfi was an independent maritime state with a population of 50,000. The ship compass was invented here in 1302. Approximately 10 miles away from Amalfi is the village of Ravello. An enchanting village with wonderful views and quiet lanes, Ravello boasts romantic gardens surrounding medieval ruins, affording magnificent views of the entire Bay of Salerno.

Originally built by Emperor Trajan who had a villa here, Civitavecchia has flourished as a major port for Rome since the 13th century. Today it is an important ferry terminal and for many travelers the gateway to the Eternal City, Rome. The Renaissance fortifications that surround the harbor area were begun by Bramante and completed by Michelangelo in 1535.

The Sardinian coastline is serrated by deep-cut coves of sparkling sea, surrounded by rocky prominences and edged in lovely strands of beach. The Aga Khan fell in love with the place, and dubbed it the Costa Smeralda, creating a magnet for the global glitterati. At Golfo Aranci, shining arcs of silvery sand are linked into a larger curve, encircled by a muscular peninsula that looms protectively between the town and the sea. It looks expensive, and it is.

Corsica, the “scented isle,” was the birthplace of Napoleon, and as late as the last century bands of brigands controlled his mountainous and rugged homeland. The beaches of Ajaccio, ranging from narrow crescents to broad, golden expanses help to account for the city’s rise as a popular resort. Such scenic attractions as the Calanches of Piana, those red granite mountains with their spectacular slopes and formations add an additional element of interest.

In 350 BCE Greeks from Marseilles founded Nice in honor of the goddess of victory, Nike. The Romans showed little interest in this town sheltered by an amphitheater of hills. In 1388 it was incorporated into the Duchy of Savoy, then united with Sardinia, passed to France in 1712, passed back to Sardinia in 1814, and finally returned to France in 1860.

Today, Nice as it is now known, enjoys a popularity which stems from its charming setting, artistic treasures, wonderful climate and innumerable attractions.

On the southern shore of one of the most beautiful bays of the Riviera, the little port of St. Tropez has become one of the best known resorts in Europe, a crossroads where journalists, photographers, writers, artists and celebrities meet. Guy de Maupassant discovered the town, but it was the painters who made it more widely known – Signac, Matisse, Bonnard, Marquet, Camoin – who all stayed for varying amounts of time. The harbor teems with life. Fishing boats, excursion craft and hundreds of yachts share the harbor. On the waterfront are old pink and yellow houses, which have been converted into cafes, cabarets and restaurants, luxury boutiques, galleries and antique shops. A picturesque and cosmopolitan crowd strolls the streets in season.

The port town of Sete hugs the tiny Mont St. Clair, and is caught between the Mediterranean and the Bassin de Thau, a salt lake directly behind it. It is crisscrossed by numerous canals which link the lake to the sea, and connected by 12 bridges. Along the quay, renovated buildings provide a multitude of architectural details from the 18th and 19th centuries. The life of the town is found in its squares: Place Leon Blum, with its fountain and Wednesday morning flower market; Place Aristide, with its old fashioned bandstand; and Place de la Republique, with its huge retaining walls and vaulted loggias. Sete retains its historic purpose as a fishing boat haven for North African trade; the old harbor dates from the time of Louis XIV.

Almeria is a seaside city in Andalucia in the province of the same name. The picturesque town is dominated by the hilltop Alcazaba fortress, originally built by the Caliph of Cordoba during the Moorish occupation and later expanded by Christian rulers. The cathedral dates from 1524, and replaces an earlier one lost in an earthquake in 1522. Its fortress-like structure bespeaks the continuing raids of pirates from North Africa at that time. Enjoy the town, the smaller villages of Mojacar or Roquetas del Mar, and the rugged coast of the Cabo de Gata.

Often little more than a gateway to the Costa del Sol for sun-seeking vacationers, Malaga is a most interesting city in its own right. First settled by the Phoenicians, Malaga was held by virtually every ruling power in the Mediterranean at one time or another. Two Moorish fortresses, the 11th-century Alcazaba and the 14th-century Castillo de Gibralfaro still stand sentry above the harbor. Malaga was the birthplace of Pablo Picasso as well as the Malaguena style of flamenco. During your time here, you may wish to sample some of the sweet Malaga wine and excellent tapas for which the city is noted.

The great period of “the Discoveries” accounted for phenomenal wealth brought back from India, Africa and Brazil by the great Portuguese navigators. Gold, jewels, ivory, porcelain and spices helped finance grand new buildings and impressive monuments in Lisbon, the country’s capital city. As you sail up the Tagus River, be on deck to admire Lisbon’s panorama and see some of the great monuments lining the river. Lisbon is one of Europe’s smallest capital cities but considered by many visitors to be one of the most likeable. Spread over a string of seven hills, the city offers a variety of faces, including a refreshing no-frills simplicity reflected in the people as they go unhurriedly through their day enjoying a hearty and delicious cuisine accompanied by the country’s excellent wines.