CITIES OF ANTIQUITY & THE HOLY LAND

Rome is like a living museum, liberally dotted with fascinating ruins, ancient relics and archaeological sites. Centuries are peeled back from the Eternal City with each new vista in this great metropolis of fearsome gladiators and gorgeous art. Vespas, sports cars and nippy Fiats speed past trendy sidewalk cafes, bistros and nightclubs, revealing the Rome of Fellini's La Dolce Vita, while the stark facades of the Stadio Olimpico reminds visitors of Mussolini's attempts to reinvent the architecture of the Caesars.

For a taste of the Baroque, visitors need only climb the famous Spanish Steps, walk through the Piazza Navona or toss a coin into the beautiful Trevi Fountain. Renaissance splendour is best revealed in the Vatican Palace, specifically Michelangelo's efforts on the roof of the Sistine Chapel. From early Christian Basilicas and the Roman Forum to the Colosseum and the Pantheon, the sequence of history trails back to the dizzying heights of the empire.

It may sound like a city of contrasts, but Rome's timeless magic lies in its ability to blend the old with the new. Empires have risen and fallen, old gods have been replaced with the new, but Rome nonetheless remains.

Italy's third-largest city thrives on the chaos that prevails amid its busy streets. This is the place where pizza was allegedly invented, its restaurants continuing to serve some of Italy's finest cuisine.

Sheltered by the Bay of Naples and dominated by the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, Naples is imbued with the best of nature's bounty. The city juxtaposes superb museums, Renaissance structures and Baroque churches, against crumbling tenement blocks and poor neighbourhoods. Noisy markets sell a collection of items, from high-quality fresh produce to fake designer goods.

Roads are characteristically hectic with gung-ho moped drivers weaving wildly through the streets and frustrating traffic jams clogging the city's arteries. Despite these less refined elements, Naples is a fascinating destination and a great base from which to explore popular attractions like the Amalfi Coast, Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The city's transport hub is located around the immense Piazza Garibaldi, on the east side of Naples. Southwest from here is the Piazza Bovio, and branching to the left of it, the Piazza Municipio and nearby Piazza del Plebiscito. On the watery edges are the Molo Beverollo and the Stazione Marittima, the point of departure for ferries. From the reaches of Spaccanapoli, one can explore the historic part of Naples with its numerous palaces and churches.

Situated in the eastern Mediterranean, Crete is by far the largest of the many Greek Islands and offers something for every kinds of traveller.

The island has experienced thousands of years of conquest and habitation and has a complicated and diverse heritage. Sightseers can investigate the remains of the ancient Minoan culture that flourished here thousands of years before Christ. Years of Roman, Venetian and Turkish rule have also left their mark and there are fascinating sights scattered throughout the island.

Its northern coastline is home to busy holiday resorts and a wealth of powdery white beaches where couples and families come to soak up the Mediterranean sunshine. The gateway to the island is the large, modern city of Heraklion, which is not so much an island idyll as a vital commercial centre. Other major holiday resorts in Greece include nearby Malia, lively Agios Nikolaos, Rethymnon with its lovely old town, and Chania, to the west, which known for its 14th-century Venetian harbour and waterfront restaurants.

The wild interior of Crete offers some spectacular mountain scenery drives and many opportunities for hikers and serious cyclists. The White Mountains in the west soar to over 2000m, while the more gentle mountains in the east hide the extraordinary Lasithi plateau in their midst, which is dotted with white windmills. The south coast of Crete is much more remote and rugged than the north. It is crisscrossed with gorges and dotted with unspoilt villages, pretty coves, and secluded beaches.

Busy Ashdod is not only one of Israel's fastest-growing cities, it's also the country's largest port. Perched on the Mediterranean, it processes more than 60% of the goods imported into Israel. Home to many ancient peoples over the centuries, Ashdod today is a modern, planned city. It's also a convenient jumping-off point for exploring several of Israel's most interesting cities, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Bethlehem.

Haifa is an attractive seaport and one of the most culturally mixed cities in the country. The Israeli saying 'Haifa works, Jerusalem prays, Tel Aviv plays' hints at the destination's blue-collar roots.

Regarding culture, the Haifa Theatre, the Krieger Centre for Performing Arts, and the Ein Hod artists' colony are all well-established and worth visiting. Haifa also hosts an annual (and well-attended) International Film Festival.

There are many interesting attractions in the city, including a wealth of museums, gorgeous temples and mosques, and sunny, child-friendly beaches. For those fascinated with biblical history, Tel Megiddo, the supposed site of the end of the world, is located about 20 miles (32km) southwest of Haifa.

The majority of Haifa's visitors go there for the amazing gardens of the Baha'í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site once known as the Hanging Gardens of Haifa. This magical place has a golden shrine and lovingly maintained terraces, and is deemed by Baha'i followers as a 'gift to all humanity'. The beauty of the gardens and the amount of care that goes into their upkeep is both palpable and inspiring. They're one of Israel's most-visited tourist attractions, welcoming over half a million visitors every year.

Then known as Lemesos, Richard the Lionheart visited Limassol during the Crusades to free his betrothed from the Byzantine sovereign. The subsequent wedding party remains legendary, probably why modern Limassol is still a centre of . This lively ambience is aided and abetted by the fact that Limassol is the centre of winemaking on the island.

Today, it's Cyprus's second-largest city with around 200,000 inhabitants. Many people travel to Limassol to enjoy its lovely beaches, sidewalk cafés, and lively nightlife. Visitors can take an evening stroll on the seafront Akti Olympion, followed by a visit to a traditional tavern for live music. The Old Town radiates from the fishing harbour, with narrow streets lined with shops and boutiques.

The foothills of the Troodos Mountains lie north of the city and offer charming country walks that meander through friendly villages. A quick drive to the Kourion, only nine miles (15km) away, also offers historic sites such as The House of Achilles, the Altar of Apollo, and Curium Beach.

Knights once used Rhodes to protect the Christian west from the east. Today, the island remains subject to invasion, though from tourists rather than intruders.

Said to be Greece's sunniest island, Rhodes has a well-preserved and picturesque old city. The legendary Colossus of Rhodes, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, guarded its harbour in antiquity. Present-day visitors will find statues of deer. Nevertheless, the old city has plenty of wonders to offer.

The rest of the relatively large island offers miles of beaches, interesting archaeological sites and natural beauty spots. The best beaches are on the east coast. Lindos is especially attractive. Faliraki, on the other hand, is a developed resort area, bustling with young visitors.

Mykonos is upmarket, fashionable and a favourite among gay travellers. It's quite possibly Greece's most expensive island. Designer shops, perfect beaches, colourful tavernas and throbbing dance clubs are all on offer. That said, trendy crowds and nude beaches have not erased the destination's enchanting traditional flavour.

Sightseers can visit the island's archaeological museum, which displays finds from the necropolis (cemetery) on nearby Rhenia. Day trips to the uninhabited island of Delos are also highly recommended. The UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site was the Aegean's religious centre during ancient times, and features in some captivating myths. Its history is almost as interesting. Visitors can explore the temples and the Avenue of the Lions, and see stunning archaic sculptures in the museum.

Athens exudes a unique charm; its lively character wins over tens of thousands of visitors every year. Street markets vine-covered tavernas souvenir stalls and ancient monuments are dotted among high-rise buildings in this capital city which one out of four Greeks calls home. For tourists the greatest advantage is that most attractions are accessible on foot in the central area around the landmark Acropolis.Athens was named after Athena the Greek goddess of wisdom who according to mythology won the city as prize after a duel against Poseidon. The city can chart its history back thousands of years and is regarded as the cradle of western civilisation; the place where democracy was invented and philosophy art and architecture were refined. After a classical golden age when it was home to Socrates Plato and Aristotle the city declined in the Middle Ages dwindling to nothing but a town with a few thousand residents gathered in the colourful area that is now known as the Plaka until its rebirth as capital of an independent Greece in 1834.Nowadays the city is busy and bustling. While the pollution frantic gridlock and dingy buildings are a striking contrast to the open beauty of Greece's coast and islands Athens is truly the heartbeat of the country and ancient wonders like the Acropolis the Parthenon and the Temples of Zeus and Hephaesus ensure that Athens will always have its attractions.