Natural wonders and cultural jewels of Dalmatia

Proud and eternal, Venice has reigned on its lagoon ever since the 6th century. You may think you know this city before even setting foot here. You will inevitably fall in love with the charm of the innumerable treasures of the Serenissima: Saint Mark’s square, the basilica, Doges palace, the Grand Canal and the gondolas. Yet, secret Venice is also waiting for you to explore its little interlacing streets and canals, to ramble through its squares and to push open the doors of its churches. The city’s extraordinary heritage shouldn’t stop you from enjoying a glass of Spritz and a few tramezzini.

Rovinj is a Croatian fishing port on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula. The old town stands on a headland, with houses tightly crowded down to the seafront. A tangle of cobbled streets leads to the hilltop church of St. Euphemia, whose towering steeple dominates the skyline. South of the old town is Lone Bay, one of the area’s pebble beaches.

Zadar, a city on Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, is known for the Roman and Venetian ruins of its peninsular Old Town. There are several Venetian gates in the city walls. Surrounding the Roman-era Forum is 11th-century St. Mary’s Convent, with religious art dating to the 8th century. There’s also the grand, 12th-century St. Anastasia’s Cathedral and the round, 9th-century pre-Romanesque Church of St. Donatus.

Primošten is a town in Croatia, and a part of the Šibenik-Knin County. It is situated in the south, between the cities of Šibenik and Trogir, on the Adriatic coast.

This former imperial residence reveals all from the impressive fortified walls, towers, temples and palaces to the baths. A museum in itself, Split (Croatia) is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is home to Diocletian’s famous Palace.

Around you, a grassy meadow filled with flowers stretches out, dotted with imposing granite rocks. A few semi-wild sheep and horses greet you; they are the only inhabitants of this place surrounded by beautiful mountains. You are in Hvalsø, in the heart of the fertile lands in Greenland’s south. During the 10th century, this site was colonised by the Vikings, who established a large community here. When your ship calls at these lands brimming with history, you will see the ruins of a church whose remains are still very well preserved. It was most likely built in the 14th century. It has lost its timber roof, but its four stone walls continue to stand proudly as a moving relic of a long-gone era.

You will be charmed by the harmony which emerges from the old town of Korcula (Croatia): the medieval architecture of white stone towers offers a stunning contrast to the orange-red roofs of the houses set against a limpid blue sea. For those who love old stonework, the alleyways, squares and palaces are a pleasure to behold.

The lovely fortified town of Kotor (Montenegro) is located at the end of a complex series of bays surrounded by limestone massifs in a magnificent region of Montenegro. An impressive city wall conceals the alleyways and palaces of a well preserved edieval centre which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Known throughout the world as the Pearl of the Adriatic, the walled city of Dubrovnik (Croatia) built on a rock has preserved all its Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque monuments. Long considered as a rival to Venice, traces of its illustrious past are to be found throughout the city.