Eastern Mediterranean Cruise - from Venice - 129900

With 160 canals, Venice is the city of gondolas and boats. It lies in a lagoon comprises a total of 116 islands. All of the buildings, bridges and squares are built on wooden stilts. The most famous canal is 'Canale Grande', on which you can explore the old town in a gondola. You could of course take a stroll through the city centre and have a look at the elegant shops or enjoy a well-deserved break at one of the typical Italian cafés. The special attraction in the lagoon city are the one hundred churches, the museums and art collections, as well as the Rialto bridge, which dates from the 16th century. Venice hosts the international festival for contemporary art, music and film, the 'Biennale'. The city was designated a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1987 . Other sights include: St. Mark's Square and St. Mark's Basilica, the Doge's Palace and the 'Bridge of Sighs'.

Argostoli is the capital of Kefalonia, the largest of the Ionian islands. Sights include: the ruins of the Venetian castle "Agios Georgios", the 17th century monastery "Agios Andreas" with interesting frescoes and the remnants of the ancient city of Krani, which was the island's capital in the Mycenean age. The main attraction of the islands are, however, the "Sea Mills", which are not far from the town. They are driven by sea-water surging along a channel cut through the rock and then disappearing into hidden underground passages. For many years where the water went was a mystery until scientists finally discovered that the water flows through caves below the island before re-emerging on the east coast of the island.

The town at the North coast of Crete impresses tourists with its beautiful harbour, which lies in front of the old town. Aghios Nikolaos is characterised by its countless winding alleyways, filled with hoardes of little shops, taverns, rustic pubs, cafés and restaurants.

Rhodes, the island of the Sun God Helios, is the largest and most popular island in the south-eastern Aegean. Due to its favourable geographic position it was once an important link between the Orient and the Occident. The 220 km long coastline is a mix between coves with beautiful flat sandy beaches and steep cliffs. The landscape inland is dominated by mountains, valleys and plateaus. Rhodes' history goes back more than 3,000 years. There are many archaeological excavation sites of ancient buildings, bearing witness to Rhodes' eventful past. Sights include: ruins from the Mycaean era, the ancient theatre, the gothic buildings, the round fort dating from the time of the Knights of St. John, the Turkish mosque and the Turkish baths.

Marmaris is a real jewel in the bay of the Aegean Sea. The port is the holiday resort of the city of Mugla in the Turkish Aegean, opposite the island of Rhodes. Marmaris has excellent bars, restaurants and shopping facilities. Sights include: "Marmaris Kalesi", a medieval castle with a cultural heritage museum with seven galleries, the castle at the harbour, built in the year 3000 B.C., the oriental bazaar, Ibrahim Aga mosque, the gravestone of Sariana.

Santorini is one of the Cyclades islands in the Greek Aegean. This unique, craggy island was created by a volcanic eruption. Today, its inhabitants live on the edge of the crater of the volcano. White villages lie at dizzying heights close to the edge. The most beautiful of the Cyclades combines blue sea, breathtaking views and a bizarre landscape. The typical architecture of the cyclades consists of cube-shaped houses with coloured window frames and lots of small chapels with blue domes. Sights include: the excavations at Akrotiri, the beach at Mavro Rachidi with its impressive black and red-coloured cliffs, the beach of Perissa with finest black sand, the rock massif of Mesa Vuno, Dorf Pyrgos.

Piraeus, today a modern port town, has been Athens' port since ancient times and used to be connected with the capital by means of city walls. Only remnants of these wall remain. Piraeus has made a name for itself primarily on account of its appealing nightlife and the romantic fish restaruants by the sea. Sights include: the ancient harbour Zea Marina, the remnants of the long walls (5th century B.C.), the Archaeological Museum with ancient shipwrecks, statues of Apollo and Athena, the Hellenic Marine Museum and the Veakio Theatre.