Croatia’s coastline is absolutely stunning, with more than 1,000 islands scattered along its length, each more beautiful than the last. The island of Miljet is particularly beautiful, and is classified as a national park, thanks to its luxuriant and typically Mediterranean vegetation and its crystalline waters. The historic city of Dubrovnik - rightfully called “the pearl of the Adriatic” – has white city wall the curve of the coast, providing a wonderful contrast between the brilliant blues of the sky and the water.

In Montenegro, the city of Budva is thought to be the oldest settlement in the Balkans: its birth is described in Greek mythology. The ancient city of Kotor has saved its city walls, and its medieval monuments are particularly well-preserved.

The Ionian Sea is bordered by southern Italy, including Sicily, Albania and a large number of Greek islands, which are collectively referred to as the Ionian islands. In Greece, don't miss this magnificent collection of islands - many of which are mythical. Ithaca, the island of legend where Ulysses reigned - a main subject of Homer’s Odyssey - is within your reach. In Corfu, you too can set out to follow in the footsteps of the Austrian Empress Sissi (or Sisi)! This is also where you’ll discover the transition between Italy and Greece: you can feel the imprint of the Venetians who lived on the island for several centuries.

In Greece, the coast of Apollo welcomes you with Athens and the Acropolis, the port of Piraeus, and on Cape Sounion, the Temple of Poseidon. Like millions of visitors before you, you can perch on the rocks to admire the sunset and philosophize.

The past is omnipresent in the Peloponnese: embark on the trail of the ancient Greeks at incredible sites such as Corinth, Mycenae or Epidaurus. The region of Thessaloniki - Greece's second city - brings you to another mythical site, Mount Olympus, home of the Greek gods.

The Aegean Sea is also sprinkled with islands like Aegina, Rhodes and Hydra, as well as the legendary islands of the Cyclades - and of course Crete and its beautiful beaches and fabulous archeological sites.
In the northern part of the country, in the Pindus Mountains, often called “the spine of Greece", you can visit Samarina, the highest village in Greece or the Via Egnatia, one of the ancient Roman roads.

In Turkey, touring such famous archaeological sites as Ephesus or Milet can be easily combined with days of leisure or with exploring the beaches of Izmir, Kusadasi and Bodrum. Don’t miss Istanbul, the city of many names and many pasts, whose influence on both Europe and Asia is unequalled. Its location is exceptional, straddling not only the Bosphorus between the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, but equally as the line that divides Europe and Asia.

In Bulgaria, visit the coast at Varna, capital of the Bulgarian coast, whose name was known as early as the 8th century. Thracians, Greeks and Romans have all left their imprints here. The city of Bourgas was likewise subjected to the same influences, and today is one of the most important ports on the Black Sea. It is in Bulgaria as well as Serbia that the Balkan Mountains form part of the landscape.

The Rhodope Mountains stretching from the south of Bulgaria to Greece, will seduce you with their superb limestone scenery: steep-sided rivers, huge caves, fantastically shaped rocks and plenty of gorges, such as those at Trigrad, and a series of natural bridges carved in the rocks - a paradise for nature lovers and hikers.