Seabourn Encore - September 8, 2024

Dubrovnik, a Croatian port, is considered the most beautiful city on the Dalmatian coast. Dubrovnik sits high on a cliff overlooking the sea, and is nestled in the shadow of Mount Srdj. The walls of the city are one of its landmarks, and many structures from the medieval era remain standing, despite the many battles fought in Dubrovnik throughout history.

Korcula is not just a work of physical beauty; the island carries immense historical significance throughout its sun-dappled shores as well. Visitors can explore the ruins of the Vela Spilja cave, where settlers camped 8,000 years ago, or tour the birthplace of legendary explorer Marco Polo. Be sure to capture Korcula's looming rock formations, rolling hills, and ornate stone buildings on film.

A dazzling Mediterranean landscape, balmy climate, and illustrious history--these are some of the traits that make Hvar a vacationer's paradise. Hvar is home to the first public theater in Europe, as well as several of the greatest writers and philosophers of the Renaissance era. During the annual Holy Week, elaborate ceremonies are publicly enacted, representing religions from around the world.

Dubrovnik, a Croatian port, is considered the most beautiful city on the Dalmatian coast. Dubrovnik sits high on a cliff overlooking the sea, and is nestled in the shadow of Mount Srdj. The walls of the city are one of its landmarks, and many structures from the medieval era remain standing, despite the many battles fought in Dubrovnik throughout history.

This natural harbor on the Adriatic coast of Montenegro was an important artistic and commercial center with famous masonry and iconography schools in the Middle Ages. A large number of its monuments, among which four Romanesque churches and the town walls, were heavily damaged by an earthquake in 1979 but the town is now completely restored.

Zakynthos, also called Zante, or "Fiore di Levande" (The flower of East Wind) is a sparkling diamond under the sun, surrounded by the emerald waters of the Ionian Sea. Zakynthos, the artistic center of the Ionian islands, island of natural beauties, of arts and spirit. Zakynthos is the southernmost island in the Ionian group, a short distance off the north-western tip of the Peloponnese. Greek tourists have been coming to Zante long before international visitors started to get to know and appreciate its many attractions.

In Legend, Palamedes, the son of Nauplios and grandson of Poseidon was said to have founded the city. He is credited with invention of money, weights, measures and the order of the Greek alphabet established by a Phoenician.

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. In a single day, you can climb the hill of the Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and then find a welcoming taverna for some spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and with luck, energetic Greek dancing.

Naxos, the largest and most fertile of the Cycladic islands, lies almost at the centre of the Aegean. Meadows running down to vast beaches, cliffs sinking suddenly into the sea, rocky mountains side-by-side with fertile valleys, abundant springs and streams these are just some of the features of a natural environment marked for its variety. The huge gate of an ancient temple, which can be seen on the hill as you enter the harbor, is the trade mark of Naxos, the largest island of the Cyclades.

The largest Turkish seaport after Istanbul, its exports include cotton, tobacco, vegetables, manufactures, and carpets. The city suffered greatly from severe earthquakes in 1928 and 1939. It is a NATO command center for SE Europe. It is also the site of the Aegean Univ. and several museums, and was probably the birthplace of the poet Homer.

Dikili is the port for the ancient mountain citadel of Pergamum where you can visit Asklepeion, the site where psychiatry was first practiced. Also see the Sacred Pools, the Altar of Zeus, the Library, and the Serpent Altar which still serves as the symbol of the medical profession.

Kos is known as the home of Hippocrates, father of medical science. The town is an archeological repository of Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, and Roman ruins. Take a tour to the ancient Asklepeion and the island's archaeological museum.

This island is known as the site of the apocalyptic Revelations of St. John the Divine, written here during his exile from the Roman Empire. The cave where he lived is near the site of the Monastery of the Apocalypse. The Monastery of St. John, built on one of the island's highest points, houses priceless icons and manuscripts in its Treasury.

Piraeus is the seaport for Athens, the capital of western civilization, which boasts a fantastic mix of classical ruins and vivacious modern life. In a single day, you can climb the hill of the Acropolis to wonder at the Parthenon, join the lively Athenians in Constitution Square, and then find a welcoming taverna for some spirited bizouki music, plenty of ouzo to drink, and with luck, energetic Greek dancing.