Istanbul to Fusina (Italy) Cruise on Seven Seas Grandeur from Istanbul

Istanbul

Istanbul is Turkey's most populous city, and its cultural and financial center. It is also one of the largest cities in Europe and the world. Located on both sides of the Bosphorus, the narrow strait between the Black Sea and the Marmara Sea, Istanbul bridges Asia and Europe both physically and culturally. Istanbul attracts visitors not only for its history and its monuments, but also for their way of life and its lovely people. It is the city of churches, synagogues and thousands of mosques Istanbul is the city of the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and Suleymaniye, Grand Bazaar and Topkapi and Dolmabahce palaces.

Kavala

Chios (Greece)

Chios is the fifth largest of the Greek islands, situated in the Aegean Sea, 4.3 mi off the Anatolian coast. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. The island exports mastic gum. Tourist attractions include its medieval villages and the 11th-century monastery of Nea Moni, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Chios regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean region. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Chios town. Places of Interest: Nea Moni is a monastery with fine mosaics from Constantine IX's reign and a World Heritage Site, Castle of Chios, Chios Byzantine Museum, Archaeological Museum of Chios, the town of Vrontados is home to a unique Easter celebration, where competing teams of locals gather at the town's two (rival) churches to fire tens of thousands of homemade rockets at the other church's bell tower while the Easter service is going on inside the churches, in what has become known as rouketopolemos ("the Easter church war"), there is reportedly a "small country church" on Chios that has a family memorial which lists 14 generations of a family, starting at the fifth century BC and going back to the tenth century BC, before there were any written records in Greece.

Athens (Piraeus)

Athens, the capital city of Greece is an active cosmopolitan mix of different cultures and people, passionate about their art and history. The climate is one of the best in Europe, with mild winters and very hot summers, ideal for tourism. It is located just a few miles from the port of Piraeus, the central commercial port of the capital, and the shores of southern Attica. The main attractions of Athens are The Ancient Agora, Anafiotika, The Acropolis, Mount Lycabettus, Thiseion Cinema, Gazi, Monastiraki Flea Market, Pireaus seaside, Pireaus open air market, Kastella Hill, Veakio open air theatre and Piraeus Archaeological.

Mykonos

Probably the most famous of the Greek Islands, Queen of the Cyclades, and the most cosmopolitan. Mykonos, owes its fame to the beauty of its capital, its white houses narrow passages, and their numerous high quality beaches. Tourism is a major industry, and Mykonos is particularly renowned for its cosmopolitan nightlife; many international celebrities visit the island every summer and and its proximity to the island of Delos, rich in archaeological treasures.

Santorini

Santorini is an island in the southern Aegean Sea, about 200 km (120 mi) southeast from Greece´s mainland The island remains the home of a small, but flourishing, wine industry, based on the indigenous grape variety, Assyrtiko, with auxiliary cultivations of two other Aegean varietals, Athiri and Aidani. Wine Industry The vines are extremely old and resistant to phylloxera (attributed by local winemakers to the well-drained volcanic soil and its chemistry), so the vines needed no replacement during the great phylloxera epidemic of the late 19th century. In their adaptation to their habitat, such vines are planted far apart, as their principal source of moisture is dew, and they often are trained in the shape of low-spiralling baskets, with the grapes hanging inside to protect them from the winds. Architecture The traditional architecture of Santorini is similar to that of the other Cyclades, with low-lying cubical houses, made of local stone and whitewashed or limewashed with various volcanic ashes used as colours. The unique characteristic is the common utilisation of the hypóskapha: extensions of houses dug sideways or downwards into the surrounding pumice

Argostoli (Kefalonia island)

Argostoli is a town and a former municipality on the island of Kefalonia, Ionian Islands, Greece. Argostoli developed into one of the busiest ports in Greece, leading to prosperity and growth. To the east of Argostoli, at the end of the bay, beneath the aforementioned Castle of St. George, sits the Koutavos Lagoon, a feeding ground for the Loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta). Now a nature reserve, the Koutavos Lagoon was once an almost impassable swamp where mosquitoes and malaria were rife. Under the British governor of the island, a wooden bridge was constructed across the lagoon.

Kotor (Montenegro)

Kotor is a coastal town in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor in Montenegro. The old Mediterranean port of Kotor is surrounded by fortifications built during the Venetian period. It is located on the Bay of Kotor , one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Some have called the southernmost fjord in Europe, but it is a ria, a submerged river canyon. Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovcen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive and picturesque Mediterranean landscape. In recent years, Kotor has seen a steady increase in tourists, many of them coming by cruise ship. Visitors are attracted both by the natural beauty of the Gulf of Kotor and by the old town of Kotor. Kotor is part of the World Heritage Site dubbed the Natural and Culture Historical Region of Kotor. Kotor has one of the best preserved medieval old towns in the Adriatic and is a UNESCO world heritage site. Narrow streets, contiguous houses, bulwarks, churches, cathedrals, squares, carnivals and feasts. It is home to numerous sights, such as the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon in the old town (built in 1166), and the ancient walls which stretch for 3 miles directly above the city. Sveti Ðorde and Gospa od Skrpijela islets off the coast of Perast are also among the more popular destinations in the vicinity of Kotor.

Dubrovnik (Croatia)

Dubrovnik is situated on the Adriatic Sea coast in the extreme south of Croatia, at the terminal end of the Isthmus of Dubrovnik, Nerevta country. Places to visit: Lokrum is an island in front of Dubrovnik and because it takes only 15 minutes by ferry to get there from the Old Town it is a popular destination for both tourists and locals. Zaton, another place to find natural peace and beauty, it takes 20 minutes by bus to get from Dubrovnik to Zaton. Other tourist attractions are: Franciscan monastery, fortresses, Medieval walls encircling the city and Sponza palace.

Ravenna (Italy)

Ravenna is a pleasant inland city connected to the Adriatic Sea, by the Candiano Canal. Revenna is still retaining the splendor of his great past and today it is a cozy little town where you can have a nice walk along the main streets and have a look at its elegant boutiques. The indoor market, the People's Square cafes, restaurants, are ideal places to get a taste of the authentic local life.

Rijeka (Croatia)

This cosmopolitan coastal city is famous for its annual carnival, Rijeka’s theatres, museums and abundant history make cruises to Rijeka an intriguing destination at any time of the year. The unique Baroque rotunda of St Vitus Cathedral, dedicated to the port’s Patron Saint and protector, is in the old town. He appears again in a relief on the early 16th century city flagpole outside the Municipal Palace close to the Church of St Jerome, once part of an Augustinian monastery complex. Further stone decorations, this time of fish and molluscs, are found in the city’s Great Market. Energetic visitors on Rijeka cruises can climb the 500 steps to reach the ancient district of Trsat and the Church of Our Lady of Trsat, the oldest Croatian sanctuary dedicated to the Virgin Mary

Fusina (Italy)