7 nights. Montenegro, Greece, Italy

Day 1

venice, italy

Departure: 16:00

Perhaps no city is as fabulous as Venice, a metropolis built upon pilings, a labyrinth poised over a lagoon. Venice has been called the drawing room of Europe, and indeed for centuries the city was a sanctuary for ideas and idealists, a crossroad of the Byzantine and Roman worlds. Today Venice is a different kind of drawing room. Wealthy visitors clamber into gondolas to gawk at the Byzantine palaces while being serenaded by accordionists and art appreciators stand on tiptoe for a glimpse of Renaissance masterpieces. No monument is as memorable as the city itself, so use the major sights only as an excuse for wandering. Venice revolves around piazza San Marco. The best feature of the mosaic-covered Basilica di San Marco is the Pala D’Oro, a glittering gold Byzantine bas-relief. The Torre dell’Orologio, left of San Marco, is a beautifully embellished clock tower. For culture vultures check the Accademia for the best of Venetian paintings. Some say that the tourist Venice is indeed Venice, but there are other Venices as well. To find them, wander away from the major sights and into the quieter outlying residential neighbourhoods, you won’t be disappointed, this maze of stone and colour exudes enchantment from every brick.

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Day 2

kotor, montenegro

Arrival: 15:00 - Departure: 20:30

Kotor is a coastal town in Montenegro. It is located in a secluded part of the Gulf of Kotor. It is located on the Bay of Kotor (Boka Kotorska), one of the most indented parts of the Adriatic Sea. Together with the nearly overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovćen, Kotor and its surrounding area form an impressive and picturesque Mediterranean landscape. Kotor is part of the World Heritage Site dubbed the Natural and Culturo-Historical Region of Kotor. MAIN TOURIST ATTRACTIONS • Old Town. The Old Town is the most famous part of Kotor, where the Kotor history, culture, and tradition are being preserved. They are complemented with the multitude of narrow streets, squares, and markets. The main and the biggest square is Trg od oruzja (Square of arms). The old town of Kotor today is considered to be the best preserved medieval urban entity in the Mediterranean. • Maritime Museum. The memories on those long gone sailing days and years, the successes of the famous Kotor seaman, artists, ship builders, crafts man, states man, and diplomats, intermediaries between west and east, are kept in the Maritime museum, which is housed in the baroque palace Grgurin. • The Island Gospa od Skrpjela. The Island Gospa od Skrpjela is one of two gorgeous islands in Kotor Bay, which are situated in the bay across from Perast. That island is also called ""the island of the dead captains"". The Island Gospa od Skrpjela is an artificial island, made by seaman from Perast and Kotor, who on their big sail boats brought in large boulders.

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Day 4-5

mykonos, greece

Arrival: 10:00 - Departure: 02:00

Mykonos, the island of stunning beaches, labyrinthine white streets, and vibrant sunsets over the Aegean Sea. This gem of the Cyclades is famous for its lively nightlife, iconic windmills, and cosmopolitan atmosphere. With its picturesque white churches and trendy venues, Mykonos is an oasis of fun and beauty

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Day 5

santorini, greece

Arrival: 07:30 - Departure: 18:00

Formed by the massive volcanic eruption which gave rise to the Atlantis legend, Santorini is the most striking island in the Aegean. The island is actually the outer rim of a sunken volcano, its entire eastern coast is a succession of small towns perched on high hills. Fira is the island’s dramatically situated capital. Perched on the cliffs, overlooking the sea, the town of Fira shares with the Parthenon the fame of the best known images of Greece. The narrow streets are filled with souvenir shops, lovely boutiques and a lot of jewellery shops. It has two beautiful churches, the Greek Orthodox and the Catholic Cathedral of St John the Baptist. It also has a small local museum. Nightlife in Fira is also quite lively with good restaurants and bars, plus a few nightclubs. The city is a spectacle in itself, with a climax at sunset. Another great place to enjoy the sunset is the town of Ia, a small village clinging to the rocky point of land at the northern tip of the island, 300m above the sea. The beaches in Santorini are much different than other beaches in Greece due to their special geographical features. Red and black volcanic pebbles lay the shores of Santorini beaches and steep cliffs provide a picturesque ambience. The most famous of Santorini beaches is the Red beach, while particularly popular are Perissa, Kamari and Perivolos. Santorini is a truly wonderful destination. The siting of some of its major towns along the clifftop rim of the caldera is one of the most spectacularly lovely sights in the world. The buildings seem to defy gravity in the way they cling to the cliffs and are stacked one on top of the other like so many sugar cubes. The sandy, multicoloured beaches are simply the icing on the cake.

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Day 7

ancona, italy

Arrival: 14:00 - Departure: 20:00

Ancona is a municipality and port brands (Marche), a region of Central Italy, with a population of 102.521 inhabitants (2009). It is located on the West coast of the Adriatic Sea in the Bay of Ancona. It is the center of the homonymous province and the capital of the region. The city is located 210 km northeast of Rome. It is just between the slopes of the mountains Conero, Astagno (occupied by the Citadel) and Guasco, on which rises the Duomo (150 m). The latter, dedicated to San Ciriaco, occupies the former site of a temple of Venus, who is mentioned by Catullus and Juvenal as the deity tutelary of the place.

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Day 8

venice, italy

Arrival: 07:00

Perhaps no city is as fabulous as Venice, a metropolis built upon pilings, a labyrinth poised over a lagoon. Venice has been called the drawing room of Europe, and indeed for centuries the city was a sanctuary for ideas and idealists, a crossroad of the Byzantine and Roman worlds. Today Venice is a different kind of drawing room. Wealthy visitors clamber into gondolas to gawk at the Byzantine palaces while being serenaded by accordionists and art appreciators stand on tiptoe for a glimpse of Renaissance masterpieces. No monument is as memorable as the city itself, so use the major sights only as an excuse for wandering. Venice revolves around piazza San Marco. The best feature of the mosaic-covered Basilica di San Marco is the Pala D’Oro, a glittering gold Byzantine bas-relief. The Torre dell’Orologio, left of San Marco, is a beautifully embellished clock tower. For culture vultures check the Accademia for the best of Venetian paintings. Some say that the tourist Venice is indeed Venice, but there are other Venices as well. To find them, wander away from the major sights and into the quieter outlying residential neighbourhoods, you won’t be disappointed, this maze of stone and colour exudes enchantment from every brick.

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7 nights. Montenegro, Greece, Italy

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