Italy & Croatia

Justly famed for its sparkling capitals, ancient civilizations and cultured ambience, Royal Clipper's Mediterranean is a world of mythical and tranquil seas, soaring mountains, medieval villages and sun-warmed beaches.

The Croatian Coast is an exciting new addition for Royal Clipper. It might be the Mediterranean's last unsung paradise. Put yourself in a magical place of ancient Roman ruins, idyllic ports and myth-making islands lost in time. Where tall cypresses, olive groves and hilltop villages remind you of Italian hill towns. Where dancing waters are dotted by white sails and thousands of islands spill like green jewels over the sea. And more precious treasures abound in medieval walled cities that have miraculously survived through centuries of attack and siege.

It is a country that is more sea than land, birthplace of generations of sailors and adventurers, including Marco Polo. Here fishermen still bring in the catch every day -and seafood never sees a freezer before being served at your table! This is the enchanted Istrian and Dalmatian Coast of Croatia, and it is richly deserving of your discovery. But come quickly. Because others will find it very soon!

Come sail and discover an unsurpassed enclave of the Adriatic Sea combining the best of the ancient and new, the alluring archipelagos and coastline of Croatia.

Itinerary

DAY 1 — Civitavecchia (Rome), Italy
St. Peter's, with its breathtaking Sistine Chapel, newly restored to its former glory, the Spanish Steps, where all Rome passes by, the Colosseum, where the real gladiators fought to the death, the Pantheon, considered to be the most perfect architectural statement of the ages. Life is not lived if you haven't been to Rome!

DAY 2 — Ponza, Italy
The pastel houses of Ponza Town rise in neat terraced rows from the busy harbor where sleekly groomed yachts and ramshackle fishing boats moor side by side. Happily, there are few tourists here, so it's a delight to wander through the unspoiled town. Then find yourself a private bit of beach, there are lots of them, and enjoy the fee! of warm sand and cool clear water lapping your toes.

DAY 3 — Capri, Italy
Capri, where the Emperor Tiberius held notorious bacchanals at his Imperial villa, has gradually become one of the most popular resorts in southern Italy. Famous for its scenery and climate, Capri is a garden of Eden teeming with vegetation despite the rocky landscape.

DAY 4 — Taormina, Sicily
Barreling under full sail through the narrow Strait of Messina separating Italy's toe from the island of Sicily is a thrill beyond comparison. Past Scylla and Charybdis, where rock and whirlpool almost claimed Ulysses. And then you arrive in lovely Taormina, and your day is perfectly completed. Perched on the shoulder of Mt. Etna, Taormina inspired Goethe to say that "It is the greatest work of art and nature." The whispers of ancient ghosts in the Greek Theatre would agree!

DAY 5 — At sea

DAY 6 — Corfu, Greece
The lushest (and some say the loveliest) of all the Greek Islands, Corfu lies just a stone's throw from the Albanian coast. And nowhere is the stunning natural beauty of Corfu more evident than in the small village of Paleocastritsa, where legend says Odysseus was washed ashore to be rescued by Nausicaa. Another sight not to be missed is the Achillion Palace built for the Empress Elizabeth of Austria and later owned by Kaiser Wilhelm I.

DAY 7 — Kotor, Montenegro
You might think you were sailing up a Norwegian fjord. In fact, this stunning rockwalled chasm splitting the coastal moumains of Montenegro is the longest arm of the sea in Southern Europe. As you vemure deep into the heart of Boka Fjord, you'll see several charming villages along the shore, but at its very end, Boka harbors one of the prettiest, unspoiled towns you'll ever see, the medieval city of Kotor. Founded by the Romans, fortified with massive walls during the Byzantine era, then ruled by Venice for much of its history, Kotor has been naturally preserved by its isolation.

DAY 8 — Dubrovnik, Croatia
It was George Bernard Shaw who said, "Those who seek paradise on earth should come to Dubrovnik." Indeed, Dubrovnik is a treasure by any measure made more precious by its miraculous restoration. Crowned by the Minceta Tower, the 10th century city walls are the proud symbol of Dubrovnik's colorful history. Stroll up the Stradun to the elaborately colonnaded Rector's Palace, the seat of the republic of Ragusa, a powerful Renaissance-era city-state boasting a fleet of 500 ships!

DAY 9 — Kurcola, Croatia
Framed by dense green forests of allepo pine and twisted cypress, the red tile roofs of Korcula make an inviting picture that makes you want to see more of this charming island town whose most famous native son was Marco Polo. The pale wheat colored stone Cathedral of St. Mark houses a treasure trove of Dalmatian and Italian art, including works by Tintoretto and Titian. Walk through the towering Land Gate for a great view of the town, try a traditional Korcula dish, spinning-wheel fettuccini. And if you're lucky, you may witness Korcula's thrilling Moreska Sword Dance.

DAY 10 — Hvar, Croatia
The heavenly scent of lavender perfumes the air in the fields and valleys around the island of Hvar. Idyllically located just off the Dalmatian coast, the island and the little port named after it have been a favorite getaway ever since the time of the Romans, the Byzantines, the Venetians and even Austro-Hungarian royalty. See the perfectly preserved Cathedral of St. Stephen, the serene cloistered Franciscan monastery and the Venetian Arsenal, where one of Europe's first public theatres was established in 1612.

DAY 11 — Rovinj, Croatia
The Old Town rises up on a peninsula and is a witness to times gone by and the valuable accomplishments of its past artisans. The limited space led to the construction of narrow buildings, streets and small town squares. Of particular interest in town center are the characteristically designed chimneys. The town itself was declared a cultural monument in 1963.

DAY 12 — Venice, Italy
Venice is the heart and soul of romance. Cast your eye on the rounded domes of San Marco, take a deep breath at the Bridge of Sighs, gaze on the golden lions and the Renaissance glories of the Doge's Palace, listen for the ghosts of Verdi, Puccini and Caruso at La Fenice Opera House, gape at the classic Palladian proportions of the Church of San Giorgio Maggiore, glide in a gondola down the Grand Canal. And know that love is always in the air in Venice.

Disembark the ship for your travel home.

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