From its top to bottom, the stunning Adriatic Coast offers some of the finest coastal scenery in the world with its intense blue sea, picturesque coastline and charming villages, towns and cities. This comprehensive, 12-night voyage aboard the 50-passenger MS Monet has been designed to visit five of the countries that border the Adriatic - Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, Albania and Montenegro.
Regular travellers to this part of the world will know that spring and autumn are some of the loveliest times of year in the region with crowd-free sites and ideal weather for touring. Our exploration combines some ‘must see’ sites together with little known and rarely visited places that are totally unsuitable for vessels larger than ours.
We will visit wonderful Medieval towns and explore fascinating ancient sites including Albania’s coastal city of Durres with its Roman amphitheatre, Apollonia, the ancient city of Illyria and Croatia’s former Roman settlement of Pula. Highlights will include our exploration of Kotor, Montenegro’s 14th century walled fortress town fronted by a sublime bay and the scenic delights of Croatia’s Istrian Peninsula.
In addition, we spend five days in Italy including time in Puglia and a visit to Venice where we have a full day to explore its timeless wonders.
This is a journey very much for the connoisseur of romantic landscapes and ancient history and will be particularly enjoyable as, with a maximum of just 50 guests, our trips ashore will be a pleasure as we explore with our Guest Speaker and local guides, adding immeasurably to our knowledge of the region.
Day 1 Sunday, 19th October - Dubrovnik, Croatia. Embarkation to the MS Monet. Sail this evening.
Day 2 Monday, 20th October - Kotor, Montenegro. Be on deck as we enter the Gulf of Kotor
and sail up the fjord-like entrance to the Medieval town and UNESCO
World Heritage Site of Kotor. This really is an extraordinary place full of
marvellous architecture and pretty town squares. Our walk will include the
12th century Cathedral of St Tryphon, the ancient town gates, the
Maritime Museum and Romanesque churches including St Luke’s. Return
to the ship for lunch and enjoy the afternoon to explore at your own pace.
Those feeling active may wish to take the strenuous climb to the Castle of
San Giovanni which offers wonderful views over the bay and town below.
Day 3 Tuesday, 21st October - Durres & Tirana. This morning we arrive at the coastal city of
Durres which was colonised by the Greeks in 627 BC and still has the
remains of a 15,000 seat amphitheatre, the second largest in the Balkans.
This morning we will head inland to Tirana where we will see the
fascinating nuclear bunker built by the dictator Enver Hoxha in the 1970s
and only recently opened to the public. This underground building is
packed with original artefacts from the communist period. Afterwards
continue walking through the city centre to see the mosque, Clock Tower
and the “Blloku” area of the city. After lunch at a local farm we return to
Durres to visit the Medieval city and the Archeological Museum before
returning to the ship. Sail this evening.
Day 4 Wednesday, 22nd October - Vlore, Albania. Spend a relaxing morning at sea while we cross
the Adriatic before arriving at Vlore over lunch. This afternoon we drive to
nearby Apollonia, the ancient city of Illyria. Set on rolling hills the city
reached its zenith around the 4th to 3rd centuries BC when it is believed
the population numbered over 70,000. It was here Octavian learned of the
assassination of his great uncle Caesar and set upon his bid for power
ultimately becoming emperor. See the city council building with its
surviving facade, the library, triumphal arch, theatre, Byzantine monastery
and temple of Artemis.
Day 5 Thursday, 23rd October - Otranto & Lecce. Our first call in Italy is the port of Otranto in Puglia
from where we will drive to Lecce, often referred to as ‘The Florence of the
South’ with its amazing collection of Baroque architecture. A guided walk
will include a visit to the beautifully decorated Santa Croce Basilica and Piazza Duomo, considered one of the finest and most impressive squares
in southern Italy. We return to the ship for lunch and the afternoon is free
to explore Otranto independently, maybe walk the winding streets or
along the seaside promenade. The highlight is the wonderful cathedral
with its Medieval mosaic floor created by the monk Pantaleone between
1163 and 1165. You can also see the Chapel of the Dead which shows the
bones and skulls of 813 martyrs killed by the invading Turks in 1480.
Tonight we sail late for anyone who wishes to dine ashore or take an after
dinner stroll.
Day 6 Friday, 24th October - Monopoli & Alberobello. Enjoy a relaxing morning at sea while we
sail towards the coastal town of Monopoli. After lunch we drive into the
Puglian countryside which is scattered with ‘trulli’, limestone dwellings built
with domes or conical roofs. We will enjoy a pleasant walk in Alberobello, a
fairy-tale trulli village and a UNESCO World Heritage Site and see the
St Anthony Church also built in trullo style. Without the summer crowds
around, we will have the opportunity to explore the narrow streets and
enjoy the unique beauty of the old town. Alternatively enjoy a leisurely
afternoon in Monopoli where you can wander through the historic centre,
visit the cathedral or see the Castello di Carlo V.
Day 7 Saturday, 25th October - Ortona for Chieti. Continuing our journey we arrive in Abruzzo.
From our berth in Ortona we visit Chieti which lies on a crest along the
Pescara River with its unmistakable profile of the high belltower of San
Giustino and the Majella Mountains with Gran Sasso in the background. It
was a Roman town, Teate, and an important Medieval centre which is why
when walking through the city one can see Roman and Medieval ruins side
by side. Of special importance is also the Pinacoteca C Barbella, hosting
works of Abruzzese artists, as well as the Museo Archeologico Nazionale,
the richest archaeological museum in the region where we find the
Capestrano Warrior statue. We enjoy a lunch in Chieti, before we drive to
the coast south of Ortona to learn about the “Trabocchi”, old fishing
machines built on stilts and only found in this stretch of Italian coast.
Day 8 Sunday, 26th October - Ancona for Urbino & Loreto. Arrive this morning at the busy port
of Ancona from where we will have a choice of excursions. We will head
inland to the UNESCO city of Urbino, birthplace of the artist Raphael, with
a historic centre that appears little changed since the 15th century when it
became a centre of culture attracting artists and scholars from all over Italy.
See the Duomo, the house where Raphael was born in 1483 and which is
now a museum, as well as the impressive Palazzo Ducale, built under
Federico da Montefeltro, where we find the National Gallery of Marche
containing a stunning collection of Renaissance art. After our visit we enjoy
a local lunch in Urbino before returning to the MS Monet. Alternatively, join
a morning tour to the renowned Marian pilgrimage site of Loreto to visit
the small town, its lovely piazza and the impressive church of the ‘Holy
House’, built for enshrining the house in which the Blessed Virgin Mary is
believed by some Catholics to have lived, which was transported all the way
to Marche from Palestine.
Day 9 Monday, 27th October - Venice, Italy. From our central berth we will transfer to the city
centre and take a walking tour to discover the hidden corners of Venice. An
off the beaten track itinerary takes us for a walk beyond the busy “calli”
around St Mark’s Square to more hidden away ones in the Castello district.
We will see the Church of San Giovanni in Bragora, where Antonio Vivaldi
was baptized; the San Giorgio dei Greci Church and its secret courtyard;
Campo Santa Maria Formosa, one of the city’s largest squares and Marco
Polo’s House. After a walk to the Rialto area, we will make our way back to
St Mark’s waterfront via Campo San Zaccaria and its beautiful church,
before ending our tour at the Chiesa della Pieta, a former convent and
orphanage and an authentic masterpiece of the 18th century by Giorgio
Massari. The young orphans that stayed here were encouraged to study
music and their most famous teacher was Antonio Vivaldi. It was here that
he composed the Four Seasons and we have arranged for an exclusive private concert of Vivaldi themed music performed by a Venetian orchestra.
It will be a thrilling experience to hear the music performed where it was
created. We return to the ship for lunch and an afternoon at leisure to explore the city at your own pace.
Day 10 Tuesday, 28th October - Koper, Slovenia. For our day in Slovenia we drive to Piran, one of
the most photogenic cities in the Mediterranean. Influenced by the
Venetian Republic, which left its mark on most Istrian towns, Piran has
maintained the clustered Medieval structure of narrow winding streets,
houses huddled close together and numerous squares and churches. Tartini
Square is the gem found in the very centre of the city and named after the
violinist and composer Giuseppe Tartini. After lunch on board spend the
afternoon at leisure in Koper. Maybe visit Tito Square, the impressive
Praetorian Palace or the 11th century cathedral.
Day 11 Wednesday, 29th October - Rovinj & Pula. Arrive in the atmospheric town of Rovinj where the
houses inside the old town are small and lean into each other creating a
unique atmosphere. Our guided walking tour will include the Franciscan
Monastery, City Palace and the 17th century clock tower before we visit the
town’s main landmark, St Euphemia Church, which is built on the top of a
small hill. This Baroque building built in Venetian style was dedicated to the
saint and martyr whose sarcophagus, according to a legend, was
miraculously washed ashore somewhere around 800 AD. The afternoon is
free to explore further or maybe join a tour to the tip of the Istrian
Peninsula and the former Roman settlement of Polensium, now known as
Pula. Here we will discover one of the best preserved Roman amphitheatres
left in the world. The Arena, built in the 1st century AD was designed to
host gladiatorial contests with seating for up to 20,000 spectators.
Day 12 Thursday, 30th October - Zadar. Once a dominant city on the Adriatic Coast rivalling Venice,
Zadar is today a treasured city which has preserved its historical core. Enjoy
a morning walking tour strolling around the old town with its Roman
columns and portals, Romanesque churches and Renaissance and Baroque
palaces. Of particular interest are the 9th century circular Church of
St Donat, and the 13th century Romanesque cathedral. Return to the ship
for lunch and a relaxing afternoon cruising as we sail to Rovinj.
Day 13 Friday, 31st October - Split. Disembark.
