Description
In partnership with the Louvre
Set sail to discover the cultural and artistic jewels of the Adriatic with PONANT. During this new 10-day cruise from Athens, Le Lyrial will take you to Montenegro, Italy and Croatia.
From Athens, you will discover Delos, a minuscule island in the Cyclades archipelago. According to mythology, Apollo was born here. Like an open-air museum, Delos offers unique testimony of the civilisations that followed one another in the Aegean world.
You will then follow a memorable crossing of the Corinth Canal and call at Itea, not far from the marvellous Delphi archaeological site, on the slopes of Mount Parnassus.
Le Lyrial will then set sail for Parga, a charming little town nesting in the heart of an isolated bay. Its colourful houses, built on the hillside, enjoy a superb view over the Ionian Sea and overlook beaches of great beauty.
Next, you will visit the stunning Puglia region in Italy when the ship calls at Otranto. Do not miss a visit to Lecce: Its lavish baroque monuments have earned it the nickname “Florence of the South of Italy”.
You will reach Montenegro after sailing in the Bay of Kotor, which is strangely reminiscent of Norwegian fjords. The city of Kotor nestles in a bay surrounded by wooded mountains. Its old town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its medieval architecture.
After calling twice in Croatia, first at Dubrovnik and then at Split, home to the gigantic palace of Diocletian, Le Lyrial will make its way to the cities of Ancona and Ravenna. These art cities are home to remarkable monuments attesting to a rich history, from the Roman Empire to Byzantine Italy.
As a grand finale, your voyage will draw to an end in Venice the Serenissima and its lagoon. Piazza San Marco, the Doge’s Palace, the Grand Canal and the palaces along the canals will be your last stops on an unforgettable cruise.