The 6 Best European Cruise Ports
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Cruises Editor
Destinations
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One of the beauties of cruise holidays is the range of shore excursions most lines offer, a great choice if you are a first-time visitor to a vast global city or region. Having expert, local guides enriches the experience, but many seasoned travellers love to do their own thing, and in the case of small ports or islands, part of the joy is ambling about on your own. Our list highlights some of the must-sees of six of the world’s most beautiful destinations.
TAORMINA
Sicily’s pearl of the Ionian coast has remained a glitterati resort favourite since the Grand Tour. The ancient Greek theatre overlooking the sea with active, snow-capped volcano Mt Etna as backdrop is the star turn – worth climbing the steps to photograph. Or take a tour to the mountain itself and taste the wines from its slopes. Stroll Corso Umberto for glamorous resort gear, pasticcerie, flamboyant ceramics and gift boxes of marzipan fruits. Admire baroque churches and fountains, or lie on a lava-black sandy beach.
VENICE
See La Serenissima early – especially Piazza San Marco, the world’s most beautiful drawing room – before the hordes arrive. Take coffee at Florian or Quadri. Listen to their orchestras. Ignore the pigeons. Lose yourself in laneways leading to lovely campos. Lunch on the island of Burano among bright-coloured fishermen’s houses. Ride the vaporetti (water buses) along Venice’s Grand Canal and beyond. Sip a cocktail on Hotel Danieli’s terrace for stunning views across the Bacino of San Giorgio.
ISTANBUL
Straddling east and west, the sprawling city is a mosaic of colour, texture and stories told though art, antiquities and every thread of its exquisite carpets. Find your Aladdin’s lamp in the Grand Bazaar and follow your genie. Reel over the heady aromas at the Spice Bazaar – a Turkish delight. Haggle with carpet dealers. Take a Bosphorus cruise and feast your eyes on shimmering silhouettes of minarets, palaces and elegant Ottoman yali (villas). Ogle the opulence of Topkapi Palace, the harem and sultans’ jewels. See Sirkeci railway station (and small museum), once a terminal for the Orient Express. Don’t miss the eerily beautiful Roman-built cisterna beneath the city.
ST PETERSBURG
Created by Peter the Great, St Petersburg is an embarrassment of riches. Glittering domes, spires and gleaming mosaics adorn rococo palaces such as Italian architect Rastrelli’s green Winter Palace which houses the Hermitage collection; blue Catherine Palace with its Amber Room reassembled recently after Nazi destruction, and Peterhof Palace and gardens – a Russian Versailles. Witness the stupendous dome of St Isaac’s Cathedral, which can be seen for miles around. Alexander Palace, last residence of Tsar Nicholas II and his family is very touching, especially the children’s toys, sleds and costumes.
BARCELONA
Cosmopolitan, but proudly Catalan, this city has it all – fabulous food, fashion, art, architecture and entertainment. Essential sights are native son Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished cathedral, Sagrada Família, and the even more beautiful residence (now museum) Casa Batlló, which many consider his masterpiece. Explore the intriguing Gothic Quarter. Wander the famous boulevard, Las Ramblas, taste tapas, see Boqueria food market and visit the Picasso museum. Shop for Barcelona-based, popular Spanish labels Massimo Dutti and Desigual.
SANTORINI
Brave a donkey ride up the steps to Fira from Skala Firon. Amble among the whitewashed cliff-hanging dwellings, restaurants, galleries and bars. Visit Agios Minas, the 18th-century, blue-domed church which has become Santorini’s symbol. Pick a taverna perched on the edge of the caldera of this volcanic island. Spot your ship far below, order an ouzo and wait for sunset, or take a tour to other charming villages on the island and taste some local wines.
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