An Extended Journey of Bridges, Sunsets and Ruins Cruise on Explora I from Venice

Venice

Venice is a city in northeastern Italy sited on a group of 118 small islands separated by canals and linked by bridges. On both sides of the Grand Canal you will find historical palaces and bridges. The city along with its lagoon is listed as a World Heritage Site. Places of interest: St. Mark's Square and visit the Ducal's Palace and St. Mark's Basilica. Bordering the islands via Della Giudecca canal you will find the Lido Island, famous for hosting the Venice Film Festival. Of course do not forget to take a gondola ride through the tiny channels.

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

Hvar (Croatia)

Hvar is the largest of Croatias islands located in the Adriatic Sea. With its warm "mediterranean" type climate, spectacular scenery and beautiful beaches it's no wonder this island is one of the most popular destinations of the Croatian Coast.

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.

Brindisi (Italy)

Brindisi is a city in the Italian region of Puglia, the capital of the province of Brindisi ,off the coast of the Adriatic Sea.The city offers You a cosmopolitan atmosphere and interesting nightlife and also many beautiful sandy beaches for windsurfing and sailing.Places to visit:Large Castle,the Cathedral,Church of San Benedetto, Victory Square and Provincial Archaeological Museum.

NYDRI

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.

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.

Skiathos, Greece

Skiathos is a small Greek island in the northwest Aegean Sea. Skiathos is the westernmost island in the Northern Sporades group, east of the Pelion peninsula in Magnesia on the mainland, and west of the island of Skopelos.Despite its small size, Skiathos with its many beaches and wooded landscape is a popular tourist destination. It has over 60, mostly sandy, beaches scattered around the 27 mi coastline. Some of these are Trulos, Vromolimnos, Koukounaries, Asselinos, Megali Ammos and Mandraki. Much of the island is wooded with Aleppo Pine and a small Stone Pine forest at the Koukounaries location where there is a lagoon and a popular beach. The island's forests are concentrated on the southwest and northern parts, but the presence of pine trees is prevalent throughout the island.

Thessaloniki (Greece)

Thessaloniki, is the second largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace. The city is renowned for its festivals, events and vibrant cultural life in general, and is considered to be Greece´s cultural capital. Events such as the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair and the Thessaloniki International Film Festival are held annually, while the city also hosts the largest bi annual meeting of the Greek diaspora. Thessaloniki is home to numerous notable Byzantine monuments, including the Paleochristian and Byzantine monuments of Thessaloniki, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as well as several Roman, Ottoman and Sephardic Jewish structures. The city´s main university, Aristotle University, is the largest in Greece and the Balkans. The earliest known letter by Paul the Apostle was written to the early Christian church in Thessaloniki and is identified as First Thessalonians; it is among the books in the New Testament whose authorship by Paul is generally regarded by scholars as being undisputed. A later letter to the same church follows in the Christian Bible as Second Thessalonians. In addition to its historic roots, Thessaloniki is also a very popular tourist destination in Greece. In 2010, Lonely Planet ranked Thessaloniki as the world´s fifth-best party city worldwide, comparable to other cities such as Dubai and Montreal.For 2013 National Geographic Magazine included Thessaloniki in its top tourist destinations worldwide.

Kavala

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.