E-mail this page to a friend | View printer friendly version
The Road to Thessalonica: A Voyage to Ancient Cities, Temples & Monasteries in the Aegean and Black Seas
Thessaloniki, the biblical Thessalonica and the main city in northern Greece, is one of Europe’s most interesting cities and a place of vital historical importance, yet few travelers have had the good fortune to visit it. This ancient city, named after the sister of Alexander the Great, especially rich in Byzantine monuments, will be one of the highlights of a spectacular voyage that takes you to the homelands of Achilles and Hector, to the birthplaces of the Byzantine and Ottoman civilizations, to the point where Europe and Asia meet. This itinerary was designed for travelers who seek new discoveries. You will visit the incredible Meteora monasteries and discover the impressive ruins of Pergamum, one of the greatest cities of antiquity. You will also see the vast remains of Troy, the magnificent Byzantine and Ottoman monuments of Istanbul, then enter the Black Sea and sail to Nessebur, a city filled with splendid medieval architecture.
Your ship is the lovingly designed and exquisitely furnished Corinthian II. This yacht, which accommodates only 114 guests in 57 exterior suites, is ideal for this splendid itinerary. This September, board Corinthian II for an unforgettable voyage to the undiscovered treasures of the Aegean and the Black Seas.
Special Savings:
Itinerary
Monday, September 27, 2010 • USA
Tuesday, September 28 • ISTANBUL, Turkey
Wednesday, September 29 • ISTANBUL | EMBARK
Thursday, September 30 • KAVALLA, Northern Aegean, Greece | PHILIPPI | KAVALLA
Friday, October 1 • THESSALONIKI | VERGINA | THESSALONIKI, Macedonia
Saturday, October 2 • VOLOS | PELION or METEORA | VOLOS, Thessaly
Sunday, October 3 • IZMIR, Turkey | PERGAMUM
Monday, October 4 • CANAKKALE | TROY | CANAKKALE, Turkey
Tuesday, October 5 • NESSEBUR, Bulgaria
Wednesday, October 6 • BARTIN, Turkey’s Black Sea Coast | AMASRA | BARTIN
Thursday, October 7 • ISTANBUL, Turkey | DISEMBARK | USA
View Detailed Itinerary
Monday, September 27, 2010
USA
Depart the U.S. for Istanbul, Turkey.
Tuesday, September 28
ISTANBUL, Turkey
Arrive in Istanbul and transfer to the Hotel Ceylan Intercontinental. Built on a stunning location on the Bosphorus, the narrow waterway that separates Asia from Europe, Istanbul was the capital of the Byzantine and Ottoman Empires, and resplendent with monuments that represent 25 centuries of uninterrupted history.
Wednesday, September 29
ISTANBUL | EMBARK
The battle for control of the Mediterranean between the Muslim Ottoman and Christian Europe is one of the world’s epic struggles. Explore the principal Byzantine and Ottoman monuments of Istanbul, former Constantinople, including the basilica of Hagia Sophia, the Topkapi Palace, the seat of Ottoman sultans, and the Sultan Ahmet Camii (or Blue Mosque). Embark Corinthian II and sail.
Thursday, September 30
KAVALLA, Northern Aegean, Greece | PHILIPPI | KAVALLA
Call at Kavalla, formerly Neapolis, the port of Philippi that marked the eastern boundary of ancient Rome’s European empire. Continue to Philippi (founded by and named after Philip II), where Antony and Octavian defeated Brutus and Cassius in 42 b.c. after they had assassinated Julius Caesar. Explore mostly Roman or early Christian ruins, including an acropolis, sanctuaries, a theater, and two Byzantine basilicas.
Friday, October 1
THESSALONIKI | VERGINA | THESSALONIKI, Macedonia
Arrive in Thessaloniki this morning for an excursion to Vergina to visit the royal tombs and museum. Return to Thessaloniki for an afternoon tour, including visits to several Byzantine churches as well as the Jewish History Museum and a synagogue.
Saturday, October 2
VOLOS | PELION or METEORA | VOLOS, Thessaly
Call at Volos, a port city at the head of spacious Pagasitic Gulf, and spend the day exploring the mountainous country of Pelion, one of the most alluring regions of Greece. The mythological home of Centaurs—wild half-man, half-horse creatures—Pelion is dotted with picturesque villages and set amidst lush vegetation. Visit several of the villages, including Portaria, with its running streams and glorious main square; Makrynitsa, whose imposing old stone mansions are built on the slopes of the mountain; and Zagora, with its church of St. George containing 18th-century art. Alternatively, travel for the day to Meteora (“monasteries in mid-air”), a group of monasteries built (starting in the 14th century) on a series of huge rocks rising precipitously from the plain of Thessaly. Visit several of the monasteries and return to Volos to reboard the ship.
Sunday, October 3
IZMIR, Turkey | PERGAMUM | IZMIR
From Izmir, travel to the great ancient city of Pergamum. Settled by Aeolic Greeks in the 8th century B.C., Pergamum rose to power during the Hellenistic period, becoming a center of learning and the arts. Built on the ridge of a mountain, its ancient ruins include several temples and shrines, a theater, an agora and the famous Library, which rivaled Alexandria’s and is said to have once housed 200,000 books. Tour the acropolis, crowned by the temple of the Roman emperor Trajan, the 10,000-seat Greek theater and the Temple of Demeter.
Monday, October 4
CANAKKALE | TROY | CANAKKALE, Turkey
Guarding the strategic narrows of the Hellespont, or Dardanelles, Canakkale is our gateway for Troy, where ongoing archaeological excavations have revealed nine different layers of cities superimposed in rings on a massive mound rising above the “windswept” Plain of Ilium. It was to one of these cities, as legend has it, that the Greeks fought the Trojans as told by Homer in his Iliad. The city of King Priam finally fell to Odysseus’s ruse of the Trojan Horse.
Tuesday, October 5
NESSEBUR, Bulgaria
Arrive this afternoon in Nessebur, a city known in ancient times as Messembria, or “town amid the sea” according to Herodotus. Enjoy a walking tour of the main town and its old timbered houses— architecture typical of the Black Sea region. Visit the Byzantine churches of St. Stephen and St. John the Baptist—the latter of which is decorated with hundreds of shells, crosses, and ceramic panels. Continue to the Archaeological Museum and view the city’s ancient remains, which date mostly from the Hellenistic period and include an Acropolis, a Temple of Apollo, and an Agora. After lunch at a local restaurant, enjoy time at leisure to explore Nessebur’s charming streets on your own.
Wednesday, October 6
BARTIN, Turkey’s Black Sea Coast | AMASRA | BARTIN
Be on deck in the evening as the ship navigates by Istanbul and the Bosphorus, seeing many of the old buildings and monuments beautifully illuminated. Relax aboard in the morning as we cruise alongside ancient Paphlagonia, a country that hosted Greek colonies until the Romans conquered the area in 63 B.C. Upon arriving at the small town of Bartin, drive to Amasra (the Iliad’s Sesamus), which is poised atop a headland sheltering two bays and known as one of the Black Sea’s most beautiful towns. Founded by Milesians in the 6th century B.C., it later became an important possession of both Byzantium and Genoa. Explore the Genoese citadel, which crowns one of the promontories with a constellation of towers, battlements, and gates.
Thursday, October 7
ISTANBUL, Turkey | DISEMBARK | USA
Disembark and transfer to the Istanbul airport for return flights to the U.S.
