Western Mediterranean Cruise - from Nice - 131620

The capital of the Cote d'Azur stretches along the wonderful Baie des Anges. Thanks to its favourable geographical and climactic position, this location has had a settlement since early days. Nice is a flourishing modern town with cultural activities on a grand scale (congresses, exhibitions, festivals). The town nevertheless retains its old traditions, e.g. the famous carnival and the charm of its picturesque old town with bustling little streets, the colourful flower market and the old harbour. As soon as you say 'Nice', people immediately think of the famous "Promenade des Anglais'‚ which has become the town's landmark and is now an international meeting place. Sights worth seeing: the Palais Lascarris, the Hotel Négresco, Place Masenna, Museum Massena, the harbour area, the castle hill and the Cadran solaire humain de Rauba Capeu.

The capital of the French island of Corsica and the "Département Corse-du-Sud" is surrounded by beautiful mountainous countryside, valleys and little villages that make it the perfect place for walks and daytrips. But this city, which has a population of 59,300, is not only a popular winter resort, but also the birthplace of Napoleon I., who was born on August 15th 1769 in a house in the Rue Saint Charles. Today, many streets, statues and monuments commemorate the city's most famous son. The town hall also has some impressive exhibits relating to the coronation of the former emperor. Sights include: the Saint-Erasme church where Napolean was christened in 1539 , also dedicated to the patron of seafarers and decorated with model ships. The Fesch Museum has a collection of works by Boticelli, Bellini und Titian -donated by Cardinal Fesch, Napoleon's uncle. Sporting activities in Ajaccio focus mainly on water sports: all year round, visitors can enjoy diving trips, jet-ski, sailing, fun-boards and angling.

Marseille is considered to be the largest and oldest port on the French Mediterranean coast and a glamorous metropolis. The city was founded in a picturesque bay in the 6th century B.C. by the Greek colonists. Initially it thrived from trading and quickly developed into an important port. Marseille is a welcoming cosmopolitan tourist town with a wide variety of shopping, entertainment and recreational facilities. Sights include: St. Victor's basilica, the old harbour, the poor house "la Ville Charité", the cathedral of la Major, the town hall, the historical museum, the Roman Docks Museum, the Archaeological Museum, Longchamp Museum, Grobet-Labadié Museum, Cantini Museum.

The small harbour town of Port Vendres still has an impressive fleet of fishing boats, and in its heyday it was a passenger port for the North African colonies. Ramblers can take a walk along the small beach and the long seaside promenade and watch the anglers or visit the fortifications on the opposite cliffs. The fish auction hall, where the sardine fishers peddle their wares provides a colourful show.