Italian Lakes, Alpine Rail & Mediterranean

Your holiday begins as you fly from Australia to your destination.

Lake Maggiore sits in the foothills of the Italian and Swiss Alps. During a three-night hotel stay, explore the Borromean Islands with their magnificent palaces and enchanting gardens, or take a leisurely boat ride to discover nearby villages

During a day at leisure on the shores of Lake Maggiore, you could wander through Stresa’s streets, indulge in local cuisine at a lakeside café, or take a cable car ride up Mottarone for panoramic views.

Today you’ll ride the Centovalli Railway through the “One Hundred Valleys” between Domodossola and Locarno. Witness cascading waterfalls, alpine meadows, and lush vineyards on an unforgettable 53-kilometre journey.

On your tour of the idyllic Lake Como, spend a day losing yourself in its awe-inspiring emerald waters, with storybook villages dotting the shores. Following your tour, you’ll transfer to Garda for a two-night stay.

Tucked between the Alps and tiered vineyards, Lake Garda is a natural paradise. With tickets for the hop-on-hop-off lake ferry, explore at your own pace, pausing to wander around characterful shoreline towns such as Sirmione and Malcesine

Step on board Enchanted Princess®, where elegant design meets modern opulence. Appreciate spacious staterooms, multiple dining venues, and comfortable lounges. Enjoy endless entertainment, serene pool decks, and world-class service as you cruise in style.

Pine-clad hills, secluded coves, beaches – Split and the Dalmatian Riviera have been premier destinations on the Adriatic since the days of the Roman emperors. In fact, medieval Split was built within and around the palace complex built for the emperor Diocletian in his retirement. (The complex included both a villa and a castrum – a Roman camp capable of garrisoning three legions!) The charms that soothed an emperor are still evident today. The Dalmatian Riviera offers the traveler a heady blend of natural beauty and fascinating cultural sites.

Kotor lies at the head of Boka Bay. Bordered by towering limestone cliffs, the winding bay is actually Southern Europe’s longest and most dramatic fjord. The port itself is a medieval gem: its narrow, asymmetrical streets are lined with ancient stone houses, old palaces, and churches dating from the 12th century. Kotor is also your gateway to the cultural and scenic wonders of Montenegro, from the old royal capital at Cetinje to the marshes and wildlife of Lake Skadar National Park.

Kotor is renowned for its nightlife: the streets of the old port are lined with pubs, taverns and cafés. The city is also host to a renowned summer carnival.

Kotor is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore via ship’s tender.

The lush and verdant island of Corfu lies in the Ionian Sea, midway between Greece and Italy. The island has a long and colorful history. First colonized by the city-state of Corinth, Corfu has been ruled by the Romans, the Venetians, the French and the English. Corfu Town boasts fortresses bearing the insignia of the Venetian Republic, an esplanade lavishly planted by the French during the Napoleonic Wars, and an English cricket pitch. The island also offers some of the finest coastal scenery in the entire Mediterranean.

Perched on the west coast of the Peloponnesus, Greece’s largest peninsula, this sleepy fishing village of some 300 souls is your gateway to Olympia, site of the original Olympic Games. Held every four years between 776 B.C. and 393 A.D., when the Emperor Theodosius banned pagan festivals, the Olympic Games celebrated the ideal harmony of mind and body. Every four years, the sacred flame of Altis is rekindled to light the torch for the Modern Games.

Olympia’s temples were destroyed after the games were banned. An earthquake in the 6th century compounded the destruction, and floods buried the site. Excavation of the ruins began in 1875, and Olympia was declared a National Park in 1976.

Did the catastrophic volcanic eruption that ravaged Santorini circa 1600 B.C. destroy Crete’s ancient Minoan civilization – and give birth to the myth of Atlantis? In 1967, archaeologists on Santorini unearthed the remains of a Bronze Age city that may have been home to as many as 30,000 people. Whether the Lost Continent of Atlantis is rooted in myth or reality, an undisputed fact remains. The eruption created a caldera – and one of the most dramatic land and seascapes in the entire Mediterranean. On Santorini, whitewashed buildings cling to vertiginous cliffs that plunge to a turquoise sea. Part of the Cyclades Archipelago, the three-island group of Santorini, Thirasia and uninhabited Aspronisi present the traveler with unforgettable vistas.

The island has had a number of names throughout history – from Strongyle or “Round” to Thera in honor of an ancient hero. Santorini is more recent and stems from the island church dedicated to St. Irene – Santa Rini to foreign sailors.

Chania is a city on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. It’s known for its 14th-century Venetian harbor, narrow streets and waterfront restaurants. At the harbor entrance is a 16th-century lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian and Ottoman influences. Opposite, the Nautical Museum has model ships, naval objects and photographs.

The largest and arguably the most beautiful of the 12 islands forming the Dodecanese, Rhodes has long played a major role in history. Lying just 12 miles off the coast of Turkey, the island straddles the sea-lanes linking Egypt, Southern Europe and the Holy Land. Rhodes Town bears witness to that long history. The ancient city features a classical stadium and the ruins of the Temple of Apollo. The “old” city is a walled town with medieval buildings and streets harking back to the days of the Crusades. The new town is a Mecca of luxury resorts lining the island’s picturesque Mandaraki Harbor.

The Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is reputed to have once stood guard over the harbor. Today, the bronze statues of a stag and doe top the two columns marking the harbor entrance.

Limassol, the second-largest city in Cyprus and the biggest port in the Mediterranean transit trade, is an important tourist and commercial hub. Flanking Akrotiri Bay on the island’s southern coast, the town sprawls between two ancient cities, Amathus and Kourion.

From the port of Kusadasi on Turkey’s Anatolian Coast, one travels into the past. Nearby stand the ruins of ancient Ephesus, a major site of archeological excavation. The city was once a Roman provincial capital and trading center. Ephesus is also home to several of Christendom’s holiest sites. St. Paul preached at the Great Theater and the ruins of Ephesus’ Basilica cover the tomb of Christ’s most beloved disciple, St. John the Apostle.

In Kusadasi, whitewashed stone houses rise in tiers behind the market district. The palm-lined esplanade is the center of town life, with thousands of merchants offering wares to rival the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

The past maintains a vibrant presence in the cradle of Western civilization. Atop the Acropolis, the serene Parthenon sails above the commotion of the modern city. The tragedies of Aeschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides were performed in the Theater of Dionysus at the foot of the Acropolis. On Pnyx Hill, citizens of a fledgling democracy gathered to cast their votes on Athens’ destiny. Then there is the hustle and bustle of the modern city, a metropolis of 4.5 million that spreads out from the foot of Mt. Lycabettus and across the plain. Packed with busy shops and lively tavernas, modern Athens is a colorful counterpoint to classical Greece.

Piraeus is the port city for Athens and has been Athens’ port of entry for over two millennia.

Did the catastrophic volcanic eruption that ravaged Santorini circa 1600 B.C. destroy Crete’s ancient Minoan civilization – and give birth to the myth of Atlantis? In 1967, archaeologists on Santorini unearthed the remains of a Bronze Age city that may have been home to as many as 30,000 people. Whether the Lost Continent of Atlantis is rooted in myth or reality, an undisputed fact remains. The eruption created a caldera – and one of the most dramatic land and seascapes in the entire Mediterranean. On Santorini, whitewashed buildings cling to vertiginous cliffs that plunge to a turquoise sea. Part of the Cyclades Archipelago, the three-island group of Santorini, Thirasia and uninhabited Aspronisi present the traveler with unforgettable vistas.

The island has had a number of names throughout history – from Strongyle or “Round” to Thera in honor of an ancient hero. Santorini is more recent and stems from the island church dedicated to St. Irene – Santa Rini to foreign sailors.

Chania is a city on the northwest coast of the Greek island of Crete. It’s known for its 14th-century Venetian harbor, narrow streets and waterfront restaurants. At the harbor entrance is a 16th-century lighthouse with Venetian, Egyptian and Ottoman influences. Opposite, the Nautical Museum has model ships, naval objects and photographs.

Perched on the west coast of the Peloponnesus, Greece’s largest peninsula, this sleepy fishing village of some 300 souls is your gateway to Olympia, site of the original Olympic Games. Held every four years between 776 B.C. and 393 A.D., when the Emperor Theodosius banned pagan festivals, the Olympic Games celebrated the ideal harmony of mind and body. Every four years, the sacred flame of Altis is rekindled to light the torch for the Modern Games.

Olympia’s temples were destroyed after the games were banned. An earthquake in the 6th century compounded the destruction, and floods buried the site. Excavation of the ruins began in 1875, and Olympia was declared a National Park in 1976.

Messina has played a major role in European history since its founding as a Greek colony in the 8th century B.C. During the Roman Empire, the city was a major port and commercial center, during the Middle Ages, Messina was the major port of departure for Crusaders. History has also left its scars: a massive earthquake leveled much of the city in 1908 and the World War II campaign for Sicily devastated Messina. Yet Messina emerged from that devastation with some of its historic treasures intact, including the 12th-century Annunziata dei Catalani Church. Messina is also your gateway to the rugged beauty of southeast Sicily, from the seaside resort of Taormina to Mt. Etna.

Between the fall of Rome and the 1861 unification of Italy, the Arabs, the Normans, the Germans, the Spanish and the French ruled Sicily.

Malta is the largest in a group of seven islands that occupy a strategic position between Europe and Africa. The island’s history is long and turbulent. Everyone from the Normans to the Nazis have vied for control of this small, honey-colored rock. For centuries the island was the possession of the knightly Order of St. John – the Knights Hospitaller. Valletta, Malta’s current capital, was planned by the Order’s Grandmaster Jean de la Valette to secure the island’s eastern coast from Turk incursions. Founded in 1566, Valletta’s bustling streets are lined with superb Baroque buildings and churches.

Malta has a long history: the megalithic stone temples at Gozo may be the oldest freestanding structures on Earth. Malta has two official languages, Maltese (constitutionally the national language) and English. Malta was admitted to the European Union in 2004 and in 2008 became part of the eurozone.

Dubrovnik is a beautiful stone jewel hugging the Adriatic Sea. This picture-perfect medieval walled city offers ancient stone buildings, narrow cobbled streets and fortified ramparts rising above red-tiled rooftops. Stradun is the city’s focal point and main artery while Dubrovnik’s streets are blessedly free of vehicular traffic. Despite the heavy damage inflicted by shelling in the early ’90s, Dubrovnik has been restored to its pre-war beauty. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old city remains the pride of the Republic of Croatia.

For six centuries Dubrovnik was an independent republic – an oligarchy ruled by patrician families. The Republic was overthrown by Napoleon in 1808.

Kotor lies at the head of Boka Bay. Bordered by towering limestone cliffs, the winding bay is actually Southern Europe’s longest and most dramatic fjord. The port itself is a medieval gem: its narrow, asymmetrical streets are lined with ancient stone houses, old palaces, and churches dating from the 12th century. Kotor is also your gateway to the cultural and scenic wonders of Montenegro, from the old royal capital at Cetinje to the marshes and wildlife of Lake Skadar National Park.

Kotor is renowned for its nightlife: the streets of the old port are lined with pubs, taverns and cafés. The city is also host to a renowned summer carnival.

Kotor is an anchorage port. Passengers transfer to shore via ship’s tender.

Pine-clad hills, secluded coves, beaches – Split and the Dalmatian Riviera have been premier destinations on the Adriatic since the days of the Roman emperors. In fact, medieval Split was built within and around the palace complex built for the emperor Diocletian in his retirement. (The complex included both a villa and a castrum – a Roman camp capable of garrisoning three legions!) The charms that soothed an emperor are still evident today. The Dalmatian Riviera offers the traveler a heady blend of natural beauty and fascinating cultural sites.

Your holiday complete, today you’ll disembark your ship and head to the airport for your flight home.

Land back in Australia