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The Black Sea: Crossroads of Culture from the Ancient Past to the Present

The magnificent Black Sea region is still new territory for the majority of western visitors—an exciting irony, since the Black Sea rim is dotted with cities and sites spanning the course of recorded history, from Trabzon in Turkey and Varna in Bulgaria, to the scenes of relatively recent history in Ukraine. Even today, the area has once again undergone massive historical changes as most of the independent successor states to the Soviet Union have established democratic governments and market economies. In addition to its splendid history and culture, the Black Sea region enjoys a subtropical climate equal to that of the Mediterranean. Embarking in Istanbul, one of the great cities of world history and the pivot point between Western and Eastern civilizations, we explore the seldom-visited northern coast of Turkey with Ottoman mosques, Byzantine churches, and soaring citadels. Our comprehensive voyage also includes Sevastopol, crucible of the Crimean War, Odessa, and Bulgaria’s historic town of Varna.

Itinerary

Day 1 • USA
Day 2 • ISTANBUL, TURKEY | EMBARK
Day 3 • BARTIN | AMASRA | BARTIN
Day 4 • SAMSUN | AMASYA | SAMSUN
Day 5 • TRABZON
Day 6 • AT SEA | YALTA, CRIMEA, UKRAINE
Day 7 • YALTA
Day 8 • SEVASTOPOL | CHERSONESOS | BAKHCHYSARAY | SEVASTOPOL
Day 9 • ODESSA
Day 10 • VARNA, BULGARIA
Day 11 • ISTANBUL | DISEMBARK | USA

View Detailed Itinerary

8/3/08 - 8/13/08

Lecturers for this voyage have not yet been determined.

8/12/08 - 8/22/08

Mariana Carpinisan was born in Romania and educated in Europe and the United States. A former Assistant Curator at the Cleveland Museum of Art, she also developed interdisciplinary curriculum (art and music) for the Cleveland Orchestra and Institute of Music, and taught at Case Western Reserve. Later, she taught art history via television in Canada. Since 1995, she has been an art history consultant, independent curator, and lecturer for the Smithsonian. In addition, Mariana lectures at Georgetown University. In 1998, the Smithsonian honored her for her work in the field of education.

SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: A limited number of cabins have been designated for single travelers in Categories D - A at a supplement of $2,995 to the per person, double occupancy rates. Singles in Categories AA - PHS are available at double the per person, double occupancy rates.

AIRFARE: Airfare is not included in the cost of the program. Please call the Air Travel Desk at toll-free 877-711-9896 or 212-592-1340 to make your reservations, or see your travel agent.

Corinthian II Deck Plan

• 9-night cruise aboard the all-suite, 114-guest Corinthian II
• Welcome and farewell cocktail receptions aboard ship
• All meals aboard ship, including house wine, beer, and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
• Open bar throughout the cruise
• Complete program of tours and excursions
• Educational program of lectures and discussions by accompanying guest lecturers
• Professional Travel Dynamics International tour staff
• Complete pre-departure materials
• Baggage handling and transfers abroad on the designated program departure and arrival dates
• Port dues and embarkation taxes

NOT INCLUDED: Airfare; visa and passport fees; luggage and trip cancellation insurance; meals, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages other than those specified above; personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, faxes, and e-mail service; and gratuities to shipboard personnel

Day 1
USA
Fly from the U.S. to Istanbul, Turkey.

Day 2
ISTANBUL, TURKEY | EMBARK
Arrive in Istanbul and transfer to the port to embark on Corinthian II. Sail in the afternoon, navigating the Bosporus, the narrow channel that separates Europe and Asia. Enter the Black Sea in the evening.

Day 3
BARTIN | AMASRA | BARTIN
Cruise alongside ancient Paphlagonia, a country that hosted Greek colonies until Romans conquered the area in 63 B.C. Arrive in Bartin and drive to Amasra (the ancient Sesamus), situated atop a headland sheltering two bays and known as one of the coast’s most beautiful towns. Founded by Milesians in the 6th century B.C., it later became an important possession of both Byzantium and Genoa. Visit the Genoese citadel, which crowns one of the promontories with a constellation of towers, battlements, and gates.

Day 4
SAMSUN | AMASYA | SAMSUN
From Samsun, drive to Amasya, founded, according to legend, by the Amazon queen Amasis, and admire its beautiful setting in a narrow gorge on the Iris River, bounded by vertical cliffs. Ascend to the clifftop fortress for a view of the city below and explore the rock tombs of the Pontic kings, which were carved into the clifface. Also visit the architecturally precious 15thcentury Sultan Beyazit mosque before enjoying lunch at a restaurant high on the hill, affording spectacular views. Then, continue to the Archaeological Museum.

Day 5
TRABZON
Trabzon, the ancient Trapezus, was one of antiquity’s greatest cities and commercial centers. Founded by Greek colonists during the early part of the 1st millennium B.C., it continued to prosper under the Romans and Byzantines, reaching its golden age in the 13th and 14th centuries. From here, travel to the Sumela Monastery, founded in the 4th century and situated high in the mountains in a spectacular setting. Back in Trabzon, visit the 13th-century Church of Hagia Sophia and spend time at leisure to explore the city on your own.

Day 6
AT SEA | YALTA, CRIMEA, UKRAINE
Spend the day at sea cruising in the Black Sea. Late in the afternoon, Corinthian II will dock in Yalta and spend the night in port. Enjoy time exploring Yalta’s bustling waterfront promenade on your own.

Day 7
YALTA
In the mid-19th century, the Russian Imperial family chose Yalta for its summer residence, and almost overnight the town grew into an elegant and popular resort. Tour the Alupka Palace, an amazing 19th-century edifice with both English Tudor and Byzantine embellishments. Then visit the Livadia Palace, famous site of the 1945 Yalta Conference between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin.

Day 8
SEVASTOPOL | CHERSONESOS | BAKHCHYSARAY | SEVASTOPOL
Arrive in Sevastopol, a beautiful port-city and the former base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet from the days of Catherine II until the fall of the Soviet Union. Drive to nearby Chersonesos, an ancient city founded by Greeks in the 5th century B.C., which became a prosperous trading city. Return to Sevastopol to see the Panorama Museum’s intricate depiction of the defense of the city during the Crimean War. In the afternoon, enjoy time at leisure in Sevastopol, or
alternatively, drive to the Crimean interior to explore Bakhchysaray, the imperial Khan’s Palace, built in 1519.

Day 9
ODESSA
Arrive in Odessa in the morning. This “Pearl of the Black Sea” flourished in the 19th century when the Duke de Richelieu transformed it into a center of free trade, attracting Russian, Jewish, Greek, and Italian settlers, among others. Explore Odessa’s tree-lined streets, with their many stately mansions. See its principal landmarks, including the Baroque-style Opera House, the historic Potemkin Steps, and the newly restored Archaeological Museum. In the afternoon, you will have the opportunity to meet with local families in their homes.

Day 10
VARNA, BULGARIA
Explore Varna, founded in 580 B.C. as the ancient Greek trading colony Odessos. Visit the domed Cathedral of the Assumption, with its splendid iconostasis and bishop’s throne, and the Archaeological Museum, with an astounding collection of the “Gold of Varna,” Chalcolithic grave-goods from Varna’s necropolis and the oldest gold treasure ever excavated. Continue to the remains of the Roman Thermae (Baths) and the adjacent Church of Sveti Atanas, and then to the Evksinograd Palace and its botanical gardens, built in 1882 by Prince Aleksandar Batenberg.

Day 11
ISTANBUL | DISEMBARK | USA
Arrive in Istanbul in the morning. Disembark and transfer to the airport for return flights to the U.S.