Italy is sometimes referred to as ‘Bel Paese’ (beautiful country) and on our group tours to Italy, you’ll quickly learn why. This peninsula, jutting into the Mediterranean has more UNESCO World Heritage Sites than any other country.
Construction on Rome’s iconic amphitheater, the Colosseum, was completed in 80 AD and it was able to seat more than 50,000 people.
Each year, millions of visitors flock to Spain’s impressive portfolio of galleries. For good reason. Once the strongest empire in the world, Spain’s influence once extended from Peru to the Philippines, Cuba to Ceylon, across the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Europe. With such a wide reach, it is no wonder that an abundant wealth of arts and culture came under its control.
You’ve wanted to go to Greece your whole life. The allure of those idyllic Greek islands surrounded by endless crystal-clear turquoise waters. The abundance of marble ruins scattered across the land, each with a tale of a mythical legend or a philosophical genius that would forever shape our civilization.
Construction on the Parthenon, located on the Acropolis in Athens, Greece, was completed in 432 BC, taking 15 years to complete. It is one of the most popular tourist sites in Greece.
The ancient Greek archaeological site at Pella, former capital of the Macedonian Kingdom under King Archelaus at the 5th century BC’s end, was also the birthplace of Alexander the Great. Located in the north of Greece, Pella is approximately 40 kilometres northwest of Thessaloniki.
Dating back to 320 BC and located in Pella Greece, this lion hunt mosaic, is thought to depict Craterus rescuing Alexander the Great.
Perhaps more than any other hotel in the history of Adventures Abroad, the Aegialis Hotel, on the island of Amorgos in Greece’s Cycladic Islands, is our unofficial ‘home-away-from-home.’ This hotel, and the island itself, was “discovered” by one of our first Tour Leaders in 1988, when he found himself “stranded” on Amorgos by a weather-related ferry cancellation.
You really can’t go wrong visiting almost any island in Greece, but on the island of Amorgos you’ll find a gem of a hotel in the Aegialis Hotel.
Portugal’s rooster of Barcelos, or galo de Barcelos in Portuguese.
Not counting the flag or the coat of arms, there are a few symbols of Portugal that you will undoubtedly see on any journey here. Here are two.
The Rooster of Barcelos The small black rooster is a curious object in Portuguese folklore. The story accompanies a 17th century calvary, from the city of Barcelos.
Today the ceramic rooster is found in nearly every touristy shop and on countless postcards. But it stems from a legend in Northern Portugal where a mans life was nearly determined from a cooked dinner.
When the ancient Greeks created something they did so because of their beliefs in bettering themselves in their body, soul, and minds. They knew that by acting in a ‘we’ mentality vs a ‘me’ mentality, that the stronger their individuals became, the strong their society would become.
Referred to as either the Erechtheion or Erechtheum, this ancient Greek Temple, found on the acropolis in Athens, Greece, was built between 421 and 406 BC and was dedicated to Poseidon and Athena.
Just how did Prague, this beautiful 15th century city, gain the nickname of the City of a Hundred Spires? “Surely, there are more than 100” exclaim most of our travellers.
Construction on Prague Castle started in 870 AD! It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is considered to be the largest coherent castle complex on Earth.
Photo credit: Czech Tourism
The term Aegean Blue was clearly coined after a visit to a Greek Island. The vast sea and skyline provide a stunning backdrop for the picture perfect white houses that scatter themselves across the 227 inhabited Greek Islands.
Mykonos is a popular tourist stop in Greece, and is some times referred to as The Island of the Winds.
One can’t help on a tour of Greece to indulge a bit of a wisdom from a Greek philosopher. Ancient wisdom is found in the country which founded democracy, and changed the course of modern civilization into what we know today.
Located on the slopes of Mount Parnassus, the theater at Delphi, Greece, with its spectacular view of the Pleistos River valley, would seat nearly 5,000 people for various performances such as musical events, plays and poetry readings.