Valletta to Dubrovnik

On the edge of Catania, Taormina (Italy) stands out against the slopes of Mount Tauro in the heart of a picturesque and charming location. Its ancient Greek theatre offers a magnificent panorama with the majestic Mount Etna, its lava flows still smoking, in the background.

We know you’ll be won over by the charm of this fishing village located north-east of the island of Cephalonia. A best kept secret of the Ionian archipelago, Fiskardo gives onto the coasts of Ithaca, home of legendary king Odysseus. To see the coasts, just walk out onto the jetty. While you’re there, look back at the colourful houses along the quaysides: they have surprising architecture with evidence of Italian influence. Unwind at the café terraces along the water’s edge, in the shade of gazebos. While you watch the boats in the harbour, you can savour some local specialities like kreatopita, small meat pastries.

In the heart of a sheltered cove on the north western shores of Greece in the Epirus province, Parga was Venetian from the 15th to the end of the 18th century. During that period it belonged to Ali Pacha, a high official of Soliman the Magnificent. Its imposing Venetian citadel built on a steep rocky promontory dominates the town, the port and the sweet smelling pines which surround it. Today it is a lovely seaside resort.

In the heart of a sheltered cove on the north western shores of Greece in the Epirus province, Parga was Venetian from the 15th to the end of the 18th century. During that period it belonged to Ali Pacha, a high official of Soliman the Magnificent. Its imposing Venetian citadel built on a steep rocky promontory dominates the town, the port and the sweet smelling pines which surround it. Today it is a lovely seaside resort.

The lovely fortified town of Kotor (Montenegro) is located at the end of a complex series of bays surrounded by limestone massifs in a magnificent region of Montenegro. An impressive city wall conceals the alleyways and palaces of a well preserved edieval centre which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Vis is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, off the Dalmatian Coast. In Vis town, parts of the ancient city walls remain, along with a thermae (public bath). Levaman Fortress houses the Archaeological Museum, with exhibits including a 4th-century-B.C. bronze head of the goddess Artemis and amphorae recovered offshore. On a small peninsula, St. Jerome’s Church and Monastery is built over an ancient Roman theater.

Vis is a Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, off the Dalmatian Coast. In Vis town, parts of the ancient city walls remain, along with a thermae (public bath). Levaman Fortress houses the Archaeological Museum, with exhibits including a 4th-century-B.C. bronze head of the goddess Artemis and amphorae recovered offshore. On a small peninsula, St. Jerome’s Church and Monastery is built over an ancient Roman theater.

One of the best kept secrets off the Croatian Coast, the island of Mljet (Croatia) is a delight. Legend has it that Poseidon blew Ulysses towards Mljet where he was enchanted by the nymph Calypso.

You will be charmed by the harmony which emerges from the old town of Korcula (Croatia): the medieval architecture of white stone towers offers a stunning contrast to the orange-red roofs of the houses set against a limpid blue sea. For those who love old stonework, the alleyways, squares and palaces are a pleasure to behold.

Known throughout the world as the Pearl of the Adriatic, the walled city of Dubrovnik (Croatia) built on a rock has preserved all its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque monuments. Long considered as a rival to Venice, traces of its illustrious past are to be found throughout the city.