Spirit, Voyage 5218/5224 ex Athens to Venice

7 Night Cruise sailing from Athens to Venice aboard Silver Spirit.

The greatest journeys often begin as a quest. To expand our horizons, to grow, to delve into new worlds. To find the missing or hidden even when beyond the reach of most.

In December 2009, Silversea presented their newest luxury cruise ship — Silver Spirit — with more verandas, more dining choices, more onboard amenities, more of the excellence you've come to expect of Silversea. An answer to your quest.

Athens
If you come to Athens in search of gleaming white temples, you may be aghast to find that much of the city has melded into what appears to be a viscous concrete mass. Amid the sprawl and squalor, though, the ancient city gives up its treasures. Lift your eyes 200 feet above the city to the Parthenon, and you behold architectural perfection that has not been surpassed in 2,500 years. Today this shrine of classical form, this symbol of Western civilization and political thought, dominates a 21st-century boomtown. To experience Athens fully is to understand the essence of Greece: tradition juxtaposed with a modernity that the ancients would strain to recognize but would heartily endorse. Ancient Athens is certainly the lure for the millions of visitors to the city, but since the late 1990s, inspired by the 2004 Olympics, the people have gone far toward transforming Athens into a sparkling modern metropolis.

Monemvasia

Monemvasia boasts a varied and colourful history that can be traced back to the 8th century, when Greeks fleeing the Slav invasion of Lakonia sought refuge here. In its heyday, Monemvasia controlled sea travel between the Levant and European shores.

The walled Lower Town extends along the slopes of a 985-foot-high (300-metre-high) crag that projects into the sea on the east side of the Peloponnese. Although Monevasia was an impressive stronghold for centuries, its population eventually dwindled as its inhabitants moved to the mainland. However, with the beginning of a restoration program aimed at preserving the heritage of Monemvasia, the Lower Town experienced a new lease on life and people have begun to return.

The Upper Town is perched atop the Rock of Monemvasia, which can be reached via a zigzagging, paved lane. An almost impregnable bastion in earlier days, it has been uninhabited for centuries, but still manages to preserve its magnificent appearance. Today, visitors today can explore the remains of the ancient citadel-castle and visit the church of Aghia Sofia. The summit also offers a spectacular view of the surrounding area.

Corfu

Kerkyra (Corfu) is the greenest and, quite possibly, the prettiest of all Greek islands—emerald mountains, ocher and pink buildings, shimmering silver olive leaves. The turquoise waters lap rocky coves and bougainvillea, scarlet roses, and wisteria spread over cottages. This northernmost of the major Ionian islands has, through the centuries, inspired artists, conquerors, royalty, and, of course, tourists. Indeed, when you look at Corfu in total, it's hard to believe that any island so small could generate a history so large. Classical remains vie with architecture from the centuries of Venetian, French, and British rule, leaving Corfu with a pleasant combination of contrasting design elements. The town of Corfu remains one of the loveliest in all of Greece, every nook and cranny tells a story, every street meanders to a myth, even during the busiest summer day. Corfu today is a vivid tapestry of cultures; a sophisticated weave, where charm, history, and natural beauty blend.

Split
The heart of Split lies within the walls of Roman emperor Diocletian's retirement palace, which was built in the 3rd century AD. Born in the nearby Roman settlement of Salona in AD 245, Diocletian achieved a brilliant career as a soldier and became emperor at the age of 40. In 295 he ordered this vast palace to be built in his native Dalmatia, and when it was completed he stepped down from the throne and retired to his beloved homeland. In 615, when Salona was sacked by barbarian tribes, refugees took shelter within the stout palace walls and divided up the vast imperial apartments into more modest living quarters. Thus, the palace developed into an urban center. Under the rule of Venice (1420-1797), Split became one of the Adriatic's main trading ports. When the Habsburgs took control during the 19th century, an overland connection to Central Europe was established by the construction of the Split-Zagreb-Vienna railway line. The Tito years saw a period of rapid urban expansion: industrialization accelerated.

Venice
It's called La Serenissima, "the most serene," a reference to the majesty, wisdom, and monstrous power of this city that was for centuries the unrivaled mistress of trade between Europe and the Orient and the bulwark of Christendom against the tides of Ottoman expansion. Built entirely on water by men who defied the sea, Venice is unlike any other town. No matter how many times you've seen it in movies or on television, the real thing is more dreamlike than you could ever imagine. Its landmarks, the Basilica di San Marco and the Palazzo Ducale, are exotic mixes of Byzantine, Gothic, and Renaissance styles. Shimmering sunlight and silvery mist soften every perspective here, and you understand how the city became renowned in the Renaissance for its artists' rendering of color. It's full of secrets, inexpressibly romantic, and at times given over entirely to pleasure.

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