Cruise the Mediterranean’s medieval cities

The Senior’s fully inclusive 19-day cruise takes you on an unforgettable journey across the Mediterranean sea aboard the luxurious MS Koningsdam.

Starting with two days in the Eternal City of Rome, we’ll have plenty of time to see the Colosseum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps and throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain before visiting the Vatican museum and Sistine Chapel.

Then it’s time to board Holland America’s first-class MS Koningsdam and explore her fabulous facilities before arriving in Dubrovnik.

Known as the jewel of the Adriatic, the beautiful Croatian city has served as a backdrop for many films and television shows including Game of Thrones and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. We’ll be treated to a tour of the city where we’ll see the impressive Fort of St John and the Sponza Palace, built in the 14^th century as the city’s mint. 

From Dubrovnik we visit Kotor in Montenergo. Founded by the Romans in 168 BC then conquered by the Venetians in the 15^th century, the port is home to many picturesque buildings and impressive city walls. We’ll sail up the Bay of Kotor where we’ll see the overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovecen. 

On day eight we head back to Croatia, this time to visit the country’s second largest city Split. On our sightseeing tour we’ll see the Baptistry of St John –  a small, beautiful building consecrated in the sixth century, as well as the Renaissance Town Hall on People’s Square.

Next, we return to Italy. First we stop in Ravenna, which was briefly the capital of the Roman Empire and later the Italian capital of the Byzantine Empire. The town’s real highlight are the mosaics. Described as a symphony of colour in Dante’s Divine Comedy, Ravenna’s well-preserved mosaics are some of the finest remaining in the Western world.

We then arrive in the north-eastern Italian city of Trieste. Home to Italy’s largest square overlooking the sea, Piazza Unità d’Italia, Trieste has a rich historical and cultural background. We’ll visit the castle of Miramare, the residence of Maximilian from Hapsburg and his wife Charlotte from Belgium. Surrounded by a wonderful park of 22 hectares with rare botanical species, the castle is an example of a noble residence of the mid-seventeenth century.

On day 12 we arrive in Greece where we dock in Corfu, the most northern island of the Ionian Group. Here we’ll visit Corfu Town with its unique architecture influenced by Venetian, French and British occupation.

From Corfu we sail to Sicily. We’ll stop at Catania, the island’s second largest city. The town, founded by the Greeks, has an ancient theatre that also overlooks Mt Etna. We will walk around the medieval centre and see the Terrace Piazza IX April, with its views overlooking the mountain and the sea. We’ll also see Torre dell’Orologio, a restored 12^th century clock tower and the famous Ancient Greek theatre, founded in the third century BC and rebuilt by the Romans at the end of the first century.

It’s then onto Malta where we’ll spend two days in Valletta and Mgarr. Malta’s capital Valletta was founded by the Knights of St John in 1566 to strengthen the order’s position on the island after the siege of Malta by the Turks in 1565. We’ll visit St Johns Co-Cathedral, the Palace of the Grand Masters and Malta’s ancient capital Mdina.

The following day we’ll cruise over to Mgarr on the island of Gozo. Here we’ll see the Citadel in Victoria, the famous Inland Sea in Dwejra and the rocky cliffs in Xlendi Bay. We will also visit the Ggantijja Temples, known to be the oldest freestanding temples in the world.

On day 17 we head to the Amalfi Coast. Using Sorrento as our base, we’ll visit the perfectly preserved ruins of Pompeii, destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79AD, before enjoying a special farewell dinner.

There are three 2019 departures to choose from.

The tours leaving on June 21 and September 21 takes you from Rome to the Amalfi Coast via ports in Croatia, Montenegro, Italy, Greece and Malta.

The September 10 tour visits more ports in Greece and Italy instead of the Croatian and Maltese ports.

All three options are 19-day cruises despite their slightly different itineraries.

Prices start from $7990 per person, twin-share and includes return flights from Australia to Europe, travel, meals and entertainment aboard the MS Koningsdam, plus sightseeing tours in most ports.

Details – download the brochure HERE or call Travelrite, 1800 630 343.