Illawarra Mercury

Cruise the Mediterranean’s medieval cities

Picturesque: Set on the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik's old town has served as the backdrop for many films and television shows and is full of history and adventure.
Picturesque: Set on the Adriatic Sea, Dubrovnik's old town has served as the backdrop for many films and television shows and is full of history and adventure.

YOU CAN discover the amazing medieval cities of the Mediterranean on a new escorted tour organised by The Senior and Travelrite International.

The 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, there will be 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. The group will be treated to a tour of the city including the impressive Fort of St John and the Sponza Palace, built in the 14th century as the city’s mint. 

Frozen: The preserved ruins of Pompeii offer a snapshot of Roman life in the first century, captured at the moment it was buried on August 24, AD 79.
Frozen: The preserved ruins of Pompeii offer a snapshot of Roman life in the first century, captured at the moment it was buried on August 24, AD 79.

It’s then on to Kotor in Montenegro. Founded by the Romans in 168BC, then conquered by the Venetians in the 15th century, the port is home to many beautiful buildings and impressive city walls. The group will sail up the Bay of Kotor to see the overhanging limestone cliffs of Orjen and Lovecen. 

Then it’s back to Croatia’s second-largest city, Split, and a sightseeing tour that takes in the Baptistry of St John and the Renaissance Town Hall on People’s Square.

Individual: Corfu Town is one of the most charming and romantic places in Greece, with unique architecture influenced by Venetian, French and British occupation.
Individual: Corfu Town is one of the most charming and romantic places in Greece, with unique architecture influenced by Venetian, French and British occupation.

Returning to Italy, the tour stops in Ravenna, famous for its mosaics, described as a symphony of colour in Dante’s Divine Comedy and some of the finest remaining in the Western world.

Next comes the north-eastern Italian city of Trieste with a visit to the castle of Miramare, the residence of Maximilian from Hapsburg and his wife Charlotte from Belgium. Surrounded by a 22-hectare park with rare botanical species, the castle is an example of a noble residence of the mid-17th century.

Arriving in Greece, the ship docks in Corfu and visits Corfu Town with its unique architecture influenced by Venetian, French and British occupation, before sailing on to Sicily and then Malta, for two days in Valletta and Mgarr, followed by a visit to the beautiful Amalfi Coast, using Sorrento as a base. 

Historic: Diocletian's Palace, is an ancient palace built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD, that today forms about half the old town of Split in Croatia.
Historic: Diocletian's Palace, is an ancient palace built for the Roman Emperor Diocletian at the turn of the fourth century AD, that today forms about half the old town of Split in Croatia.

There are three 2019 departures to choose from.

The tours leaving on June 21 and September 21 travel 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.

Prices start from $7990 per person twin-share and include 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 on 1800-630-343.