9 Nights Europe, Mediterranean

Once called Constantinople, the former capital of the Byzantine Empire is the only city in the world to straddle two continents - Europe and Asia. Its old palaces, great mosques with soaring minarets, ancient churches, museums, bazaars, and the Istanbul Strait are all worth seeing. The Grand Bazaar, the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace are impressive, unforgettable sites.

Corfu was once ruled by Venetian doges, Turkish sultans and French invaders. Marvel at the 17th-century icons in St. George's Church, the medieval Palace of Phrourio and the 19th-century Achilleion Palace. The greenest of the Greek Isles, Corfu also boasts thriving vineyards and olive orchards among its rugged mountains.

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.

Trieste is the capital city of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy. A port city, it occupies a thin strip of land between the Adriatic coast and Slovenia's border on the limestone-dominated Karst Plateau. Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Slovenian influences are all evident in its layout, which encompasses a medieval old city and a neoclassical Austrian quarter

Katakolon is a charming fishing village on the Ionian Coast that is the gateway to Olympia, the site of the first Olympic games in 776 B.C. Prominent ruins of the Sanctuary include the athletic quadrangles and the Temple of Zeus. The Archaeological Museum contains Archaic, Classical and Roman sculptures, including the famous Niki "Winged Victory."

Greece's capital and its largest city was born atop the Acropolis, where ancient warrior-kings once dwelled. These ruins are a testament to the golden age of Greece, and the Parthenon is considered the most architecturally sophisticated temples of its time. Ancient Agora, a sprawling array of stones, slabs and foundations, was once the focal point of ancient Greek life.

This charming, Turkish resort is reputed as one of the most attractive cities on the Aegean Sea. It is known for the ancient ruins of Ephesus - one of the world's most wondrous archaeological sites. Other historical masterpieces include the Great Amphitheatre, where St. Paul addressed the Ephesians, the Selcuk castle, and the tombs of the Seven Sleepers.

Once called Constantinople, the former capital of the Byzantine Empire is the only city in the world to straddle two continents - Europe and Asia. Its old palaces, great mosques with soaring minarets, ancient churches, museums, bazaars, and the Istanbul Strait are all worth seeing. The Grand Bazaar, the Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque and the Topkapi Palace are impressive, unforgettable sites.