Thinking of cruising in the Mediterranean this summer? Why not along the Adriatic coasts of Italy!

University and work can be very stressful and can put a lot of strain on the relationships with our loved ones. If you feel like you really need to take a deep breath, then try and picture this for a moment.

Calm, warm and ocean blue waters. Large sandy beaches exposed to the warm sun. Steep hills and mountains filled with lush Mediterranean vegetation and medieval villages where ancient civilisations rose and fell. Limpid rivers running through charming forests. And you can see all of this comfortably sat on your deckchair, while relaxing and sunbathing next to your significant other. How is this possible? Only on a cruise holiday along the Adriatic coasts of Italy!

A typical cruise trip (for example cruise the Adriatic) would take you from the Aegean Sea in Greece through the Straits of Otranto and all the way to Venice to discover the hidden treasures of the Adriatic. Many of them are fairly unknown but will not disappoint.

The Tremiti Islands off the coast of Apulia are an example of this. Despite their rocky coasts, sea grottos and heart-breaking palaces and churches, the archipelago is barely considered by major tourist fluxes which makes it perfect for a calm visit.

As the cruise sails around the Gargano peninsula, where the greatly revered Italian saint Padre Pio once preached, it will continue northbound through the over 1000 Dalmatian islands and the fortified city of Dubrovnik. You could probably also take a glimpse of the brilliant white beaches of Montenegro and its medieval city walls and monuments which are the oldest of their kind in the Balkans.

Further north you will sail very close to the magnificent vineyards of Abruzzo and Le Marche and if your journey has stops in Pescara or Ancona I am sure you can have a taste of the wide selection of eastern Italian wines and cured meats, such as the Montepulciano, Trebbiano and the Ciauscolo. In the province of Pesaro and Urbino, formerly known as the Duchy of Urbino before the Italian Independence Wars in the 19^th century, amazing works of architecture and painting by various Renaissance artists such as Montefeltri can be visited, for example have a look at the Palazzo Ducale in our gallery.

On the other side of the Adriatic, the peninsula of Istria extends southwards. The historical city of Fiume (Rijeka) is well-known for its cultural diversity and due to the residency of the famous Italian poet D’Annunzio in the early 20^th century. Two Roman amphitheatres are open for visit in Pola.

On the coast of the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna you will able to pick out the city of Rimini crowded with tourists from all over the world, including Russia and East Asia, because of its large beaches of very fine sand and shallow sea. Further north, just south of the delta of the river Po, the Comacchio lagoon washes the coast of Ravenna. Towards the end of the Roman era, the Western Emperors moved their residence here in order to better contain the barbaric invasions. Later, it became a very important Byzantine city, which is testimonied by the amazing architecture and mosaics.

And what better way of topping off your trip than setting off to Venice for a romantic getaway with your significant other? But if you are on holiday with your whole family, you might prefer heading to Trieste and show your kids where the ‘iron curtain’, how Churchill called it, once ran across Europe at the dawn of the Cold War.