11 Nights Mediterranean

The capital of Catalonia boasts the bustle of the world's busiest seaport, the medieval romance of its Gothic Quarter, and a feast of Catalan Art Nouveau buildings - including the great creations of Antonio Gaudí. The "Great Enchantress" remains one of the most exhilarating cities in Europe, decorated with the grandeur of Picasso, Miró and Dalí.

The city of Palma is located on the southern side of Mallorca, the largest the Spanish Balearic islands. Though it has its fair share of cultural attractions, Mallorca's predominant crowd-pullers are the Serra de Tramuntana mountains range and the sun-splashed beaches.

Famous for its International Film Festival, Cannes is located in the southern part of France, 30 km from Nice. Nothing more than a nondescript fishing village 150 years ago, today it is an elegant, alluring city that attracts sun-worshippers, the rich and the famous.

Tuscany's second largest city has the aura of an authentic Mediterranean port and revels in its ancient maritime tradition. The Old Fortress, a grandiose five-sided complex built to protect the port, is one of the most important monuments dating back to the Medici dynasty.

The "Eternal City", with its 2,700 years of ancient history, is simply incomparable. Its formidable legacy is rooted in a plethora of masterpieces, including The Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, The Roman Forum, the Pantheon, the Spanish Steps, St. Peter's Basilica and Piazza Novana.

One of the world's greatest cultural centres is stretched around the Bay of Naples and lies at the foot of Mount Vesuvius in one of the most outstanding scenic settings in the Mediterranean. It hosts extraordinary works of art and architecture in classical Greek and Roman styles.

This Sicilian port city is noted for the Duomo, an elegant reconstruction of the medieval cathedral built by Roger II, and the detached campanile, which contains the largest astronomical clock in the world. Ruins salvaged from past natural disasters are housed in the Museo Regionale.

In 1530 Malta was given to the Knights Hospitallers, who built a Christian stronghold and the capital, Valletta, behind whose fortifications youll find Renaissance splendors that seem to be untouched by time.

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.

Croatia's seaside city is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe. Attractions include a 14th-century Franciscan monastery, the Cathedral and the Gothic Rector's Palace. Within the ancient fortifications is a labyrinth of narrow alleyways and a striking Renaissance boulevard called the Stradun.

The largest city on the Adriatic Coast, seaside delight Split has been under Roman, Venetian, Austrian, French, Italian and Yugoslav control. There is an abundance of restaurants and wine cellars. Sites such as Diocletians Palace and Mausoleum, the Grgur Ninski Statue and the Cathedral and Bell Tower of St. Domnius justify its position as a UNESCO-designated World Heritage Site. The citys coves offer several lovely beaches, including central Bacvice. Ferries link Split to Dalmatian summer resorts.

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