Nestling on the sparkling Dalmatian coast, the medieval Croatian port of Split, faces the myriad magical islands of the Kornati archipelago which include Brac, Hvar and Vis.

Trieste is the capital city of the Friuli Venezia Giulia region in northeast Italy. A port city, it occupies a thin strip of land between the Adriatic coast and Slovenia’s border on the limestone-dominated Karst Plateau. Italian, Austro-Hungarian and Slovenian influences are all evident in its layout, which encompasses a medieval old city and a neoclassical Austrian quarter.

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.

This beautiful city is situated on the Dalmatian coastline of the Adriatic sea at the southern end of Croatia. Amazingly, most of the war damage has been repaired and Dubrovnik is once again the ‘Pearl of the Adriatic’.

Legendary fountains, piazzas, ancient architecture and cathedrals await your discovery in Italy’s capital. At the Trevi Fountain capture the magic of Rome’s grandest fountain. Gaze up at the horizon and you’ll no doubt see St Peters Basilica. Visible from nearly everywhere in the city, it is built on the site where St Peter was martyred and buried. Witness the beautiful paintings of Michelangelo at the magnificent Sistine Chapel. And no visit to Rome would be complete without a visit to its imposing amphitheatre, the Colosseum.

Livorno is an Italian port city on the west coast of Tuscany. It’s known for its seafood, Renaissance-era fortifications and modern harbor with a cruise ship port. Its central Terrazza Mascagni, a waterside promenade with checkerboard paving, is the city’s main gathering place. The bastions of the 16th-century Fortezza Vecchia face the harbor and open onto Livorno’s canal-laced Venezia Nuova quarter

Villefranches’s circular bay is perhaps the loveliest harbour in the South of France. And, quite aside from its undeniable natural beauty, it’s also conveniently situated for other attractions. Elegant Nice with its charming port and magnificent hotels. And, of course, Monte Carlo with its infamous Casino, tiny Royal Palace and the world-famous Oceanographic Museum established by Jacques Cousteau

Even on the beautiful island of Corsica, towns don’t come much prettier than Ajaccio, Napoleon’s birthplace, where the warmth of Italian Dolce Vita and the style and cuisine of France combine to create an atmosphere that’s quite unique.