11 Nights Europe, Mediterranean

In 1530 Malta was given to the Knights Hospitallers, who built a Christian stronghold and the capital, Valletta, behind whose fortifications youll find Renaissance splendors that seem to be untouched by time.

In 1530 Malta was given to the Knights Hospitallers, who built a Christian stronghold and the capital, Valletta, behind whose fortifications youll find Renaissance splendors that seem to be untouched by time.

Reggio Calabria is a coastal city in southern Italy, separated from Sicily by the Strait of Messina. The National Archaeological Museum houses the Riace Bronzes, a pair of ancient, life-size Greek statues. Nearby, the Bergamot Museum displays the tools used to extract the oil from this citrus fruit. To the east, mountainous Aspromonte National Park contains beech and pine forests sheltering wolves, boar and deer

The Gallipoli peninsula is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name "?a???p????", meaning "Beautiful City", the original name of the modern town of Gelibolu

The capital of Apulia (the heel of Italy's boot) prospered under the Greeks and served as an important Roman Municipium. Lying halfway along the Adriatic coast on the fringes of the fertile Terra di Bari, it consists of two distinct parts, the old city, a maze of twisting lanes, and the modern town.

Croatia's seaside city is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. Attractions include a 14th-century Franciscan monastery, the Cathedral and the Gothic Rector's Palace. Within the ancient fortifications is a labyrinth of narrow alleyways and a striking Renaissance boulevard called the Stradun.

The largest city on the Adriatic Coast, seaside delight Split has been under Roman, Venetian, Austrian, French, Italian and Yugoslav control. There is an abundance of restaurants and wine cellars. Sites such as Diocletians Palace and Mausoleum, the Grgur Ninski Statue and the Cathedral and Bell Tower of St. Domnius justify its position as a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. The citys coves offer several lovely beaches, including central Bacvice. Ferries link Split to Dalmatian summer resorts.

Crowned by a dramatically sited cathedral, harbours many reminders of its long history: archaeological artefacts, Roman arches, Romanesque churches, and Renaissance palazzi that glow softly in the evening light. .

Ravenna is a city in Emilia-Romagna, Italy. Its known for the colorful mosaics adorning many of its central buildings, like the octagonal Basilica di San Vitale, the 6th-century Basilica di SantApollinare Nuovo and the cross-shaped Mausoleo di Galla Placidia. North of the center, the Mausoleo di Teodorico built in the 6th century for King Theodoric the Great, is a Gothic, circular stone tomb with a monolithic dome

From the brightly painted buildings and fishing boats that line the seafront, to the hilltop baroque church that stands watch over old town?it's no wonder Rovinj is one of the most-photographed coastal towns along Croatia's Istrian Peninsula.

One of the world's most romantic cities is a powerful, delicate synthesis of sumptuous palaces and romantic waterways. Amidst the 400 bridges and 114 canals is the Basilica Di San Marco, famous for its 43,055sq ft of stunning mosaics, and Piazza San Marco, dubbed by Napoleon as "the most beautiful drawing room in all of Europe.

One of the world's most romantic cities is a powerful, delicate synthesis of sumptuous palaces and romantic waterways. Amidst the 400 bridges and 114 canals is the Basilica Di San Marco, famous for its 43,055sq ft of stunning mosaics, and Piazza San Marco, dubbed by Napoleon as "the most beautiful drawing room in all of Europe.