"When Can Their Glory Fade? O' The Wild Charge They Made"

Istanbul to Istanbul

The Crimean War forms a central part of many people’s knowledge of the history of the Black Sea, but there is so much more to the story of this region, and this two-week itinerary aims to bring to life its fascinating history. No other city has played a more important role in the fortunes of the Black Sea than Istanbul and it is here that this journey begins. Aegean Odyssey then sails through the Bosphorus to the Black Sea coast of Turkey calling at Trabzon, founded in the 9th century BC and mentioned in the writings of Herodotus. We then leave for Batumi in Georgia, a city that has played host to the Greeks, Byzantines, Persians, Turks and Mongols. Next stop is Crimean Peninsula in Ukraine for a visit to Feodosiya, the Genoese fortress at Sudak, and the Russian imperial palaces of Yalta and Sevastopol. The ship will also call at the Ukrainian resort of Odessa – Catherine the Great’s St Petersburg of the South – and the picturesque town of Nessebur in Bulgaria.
Includes a 2-night hotel stay in Istanbul