Venice and the Adriatic Cruise aboard Quest for Adventure

1 Civitavecchia (for Rome), Italy
Rome, Italy
Italy is renowned for its welcoming people, stunning landscapes, gastronomic delights and amazing art and architecture. Barely 50 miles from Rome, Civitavecchia has been the city’s chief seaport for two millennia.
Some of its fortifications and piers date back to the reign of Emperor Trajan, making it one of the world’s oldest harbours: the massive Michelangelo Fort was added in 1535 by Pope Julius II.
The seafront is lined with pizzerias and trattorias. In recent years Civitavecchia has become a pilgrimage centre, with many Christians flocking to St Augustine’s Church to see ‘La Madonnina’ – a tiny statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary that is reputed to have shed tears of blood on several occasions since 1995.
Civitavecchia’s location makes it an ideal base for visiting Rome and the historic Vatican City, and, with so much to see, our excursions are the ideal way to get the most out of your visit.
Please note: Traffic congestion in Rome may cause delays, and coaches are not allowed to stop while travelling through the capital. Many streets are narrow, and tour coaches are restricted to a few main arteries through the centre. Some famous sights like the Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon and Spanish Steps are not accessible by coach and can only be visited on foot.

2 Ponza, Italy
Ponza
Ponza is one of the continent’s secret offshore gems, and the largest of the Italian Pontine Islands archipelago in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Shaped like a crescent moon, the island’s main appeal is its landscape, shoreline and atmosphere. Its glistening blue coastline is varied and dramatic with several rocky coves and sandy beaches as well as numerous grottos, caves and craggy cliffs.
Inland the scenery is striking with mountains and vine-clad hills that boast sweeping views back down to the coast. The traditional architecture of Ponza is also stunning, pretty pastel-painted cube buildings with flat roofs topped by shallow domes are dotted around the landscape.

3 Stromboli Island
Stromboli is home to a volcano that has erupted continuously for thousands of years. Amazingly, the island is populated, and as you cruise around it look out for the tiny white houses dotted around the foothills.

4 Palermo, Sicily
Palermo, Sicily
Situated on the north-west coast of Sicily, the historic port of Palermo can trace its origins back to the Phoenicians. With other occupants including the Carthaginians, Saracens and Normans, it has evolved with beautiful and varied architecture such as the Norman Palace and cathedral.
Close by lies impressive Monte Pellegrino Pilgrims Mountain with its shrine of Santa Rosalia, and the surrounding area offers several charming towns and villages and a coastline worthy of discovery.

5 Crotone, Italy
Crotone
Crotone is a city in Calabria, Southern Italy.
The city has had a long and eventful history and has been ruled and exchanged through several hands; it was first a part of the Byzantine Empire and was later taken over by the Saracens in 870 AD. It was later taken over by the Normans and then the Kingdom of Naples.
Crotone’s main sights are the Cathedral, originally from the 9th-11th century, but largely rebuilt, the 16th century Castle of Charles V and Le Castella, an ancient castle built on an island.

6 Brindisi, Italy
Brindisi
Right down in the ‘heel of the boot’, in the south of Italy, is Brindisi.
Brindisi is known as the Gateway to the east since ancient times, when it became an important port for the Roman troops first, and later for the merchants of Venice.
Today, there are plenty of Romanesque style churches dating back many centuries, as well as castles, monuments and parks.

7 Kotor, Montenegro
Kotor, Montenegro
Don’t miss the stunning views this morning as you cruise through the Bay of Kotor, the largest natural fjord outside of Norway.
You will then have the day to explore the medieval town of Kotor, which is surrounded by massive city walls and dotted with Romanesque churches and monuments.

8 Split, Croatia
Split
Croatia’s second largest city and Dalmatia’s regional capital is set between the Adriatic Sea and the rugged Dinaric Mountains. First put on the map by the Roman emperor Diocletian, who had a vast palace built here in AD305, the area was originally a Greek settlement known as Aspalathos. Diocletian’s palace is the best preserved palace from the Roman world and the drawings made by Scottish architect, Robert Adam, in 1757 significantly influenced Georgian architecture and the shape of cities such as London, Bath, Bristol and Edinburgh.
Following periods of Byzantine and Croat rule, the Venetians took control of Split in 1409, building Gripe Fort and surrounding the city with walls. This marked a prosperous and cultural era for the city and many Gothic, Renaissance and baroque buildings survive from this time. Between 1879 and 1918, Split was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, interspersed by a short period of Napoleonic rule. Left unscathed by the 1991/1992 war, Split is a lively, welcoming city, with lots of seafront cafes and several museums and galleries.

9 Zadar, Croatia
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. Zadar is a historical center of Dalmatia as well as the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Zadar.
Zadar gained its urban structure in Roman times; during the time of Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus, the town was fortified and the city walls with towers and gates were built.
On the western side of the town were the forum, the basilica and the temple, while outside the town were the amphitheatre and cemeteries. The aqueduct which supplied the town with water is partially preserved. Inside the ancient town, a medieval town had developed with a series of churches and monasteries being built.
You’ll find quite a lot of history to explore here.

10 Pula
Set by the crystal-clear Adriatic, reminders of Pula’s 3000-year old history will greet you at every turn. Its ampitheatre was the site of bloody gladiatorial fights and the Temple of Augustus is dedicated to Emperor Augustus. Alternatively, you could discover some of the city’s parks – many of which date back to the Austro-Hungarian period.

11 Ravenna
Ravenna
Surrounded by lagoons and swamps, Ravenna was inhabited by the ancient Etruscans and Umbrians before becoming a Roman colony in the second century BC. Its location on Italy’s north-eastern coast made it an ideal base for the Roman Western Mediterranean fleet, and, with the decline of the Empire, it was made capital of the Western Roman Empire by the Emperor Honorius in 402 AD. During the fifth and sixth centuries, under the Goths and Byzantines, Ravenna enjoyed a golden period when outstanding monuments and buildings were erected. The city became especially famous for its superb mosaics, many of which survive to this day inside outwardly plain and simple brick churches. The tradition of mosaic decoration is still very much alive in the city’s studios, and the Loggetta Lombardesca is home to a permanent exhibition of contemporary mosaics. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ravenna is also an important cultural centre, hosting major theatrical, ballet and operatic productions. Equally appealing is the local cuisine, which features tagliatelle and lasagna prepared with classic meat sauce and cappelletti with cheese filling, cooked in capon broth. Barbecued meat and seafood are also specialities.

12 Koper Slovenia
Koper, Slovenia
The town of Koper sat on an island until the 19th century, when it was linked to the Slovenian mainland by embankments.
With its narrow streets and Venetian-style houses you could be mistaken in thinking that you had crossed the border to Italy, and this intriguing town is well worth exploring.

13 Venice, Italy
Venice
Located on the north-western side of the Adriatic, you moor in the enchanting city of Venice, famed for its romantic gondolas, Renaissance palaces and baroque churches. The city itself lies on an archipelago in a shallow, crescent-shaped lagoon and features some 160 canals crossed by over 450 bridges.
Immerse yourself in the lively, bustling atmosphere and go in search of its outstanding churches including the elaborate Basilica di San Marco, the beautiful Campanile di San Marco which offers spectacular panoramic views across the city, and San Giovanni in Bragora where the composer Vivaldi was once the organist.
There is also a wonderful choice of museums and galleries, from Accademia, Venice’s greatest art gallery, to the Naval Museum which displays Italy’s best collection of maritime artifacts and memorabilia. Famous landmarks of this great city are innumerable, but perhaps the best known is St Mark’s Square and elegant Rialto Bridge.

14 Venice, Italy
Venice
Located on the north-western side of the Adriatic, you moor in the enchanting city of Venice, famed for its romantic gondolas, Renaissance palaces and baroque churches. The city itself lies on an archipelago in a shallow, crescent-shaped lagoon and features some 160 canals crossed by over 450 bridges.
Immerse yourself in the lively, bustling atmosphere and go in search of its outstanding churches including the elaborate Basilica di San Marco, the beautiful Campanile di San Marco which offers spectacular panoramic views across the city, and San Giovanni in Bragora where the composer Vivaldi was once the organist.
There is also a wonderful choice of museums and galleries, from Accademia, Venice’s greatest art gallery, to the Naval Museum which displays Italy’s best collection of maritime artifacts and memorabilia. Famous landmarks of this great city are innumerable, but perhaps the best known is St Mark’s Square and elegant Rialto Bridge.

Titan Travel have a reputation for innovative and enthralling escorted holiday itineraries, and through the guidance of their founding principles, “quality, service and value” which have remained unchanged since the 1970′s, their expertise and experience are second to none.

Titan Travel strive to ensure that aspect of their holidays whispers quality, before you fly, you get to appreciate a comfortable, chauffeur-driven transfer from your front door to the airport with our peerless VIP Home Departure Service, check-in assistance and complimentary porterage. All international flights are with world-renowned scheduled airlines and cruises with acclaimed operators. Touring holidays are expertly designed by the product team to present a comprehensive, imaginative introduction to the destination of choice yet still offer plenty of time for relaxation. The services of a tour manager or cruise manager are included throughout. When you return to the UK, you are met in the arrivals hall of the airport and shown to your VIP Home Departure Service vehicle, waiting to return you to your front door.

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