Step Back In Time: The Best Holidays for History Lovers
History buff or not, when you travel the world, you’ll always encounter echoes of the past, whether it’s through architecture, art, natural wonders, food, language or the people you meet. Travel can transport you back to a bygone age, unlock the secrets, legends and mysteries of long-forgotten worlds and cultures that have shaped our own existence; by visiting the very places where it happened, you’ll feel the magic of history coming alive. Here are some of our favourite holidays for history lovers…
Delve Into History With The Wonder Of Diocletian’s Palace
The Croatian port city of Split is principally famous for a single building, the Emperor Diocletian’s huge palace, one of the greatest structures of the Roman Empire. Built as a luxurious villa and Roman military garrison at the turn of the 4th century AD, no expense was spared in its construction – using the best Italian marble, with columns and sphinxes from Egypt. But what makes this palace so astonishing is that during medieval times it was fully integrated into the town’s fabric with a jumble of buildings grafted onto and inside it. Today 3,000 people still live here, and the site has aptly been used for the setting of Game of Thrones.
Discover this extraordinary historic legacy on some of our luxurious Adriatic yacht cruises and escorted tour of Dubrovnik & the Dalmatian Coast
The Treasures Of The Past That Shaped Our Present In Legendary Pompeii
Found in southern Italy’s Campania region, near the coast of the stunning Bay of Naples and Sorrento, most people will know the story of Pompeii and its fate, but to be there amongst these incredible ruins, artefacts and the eerie skeletons of its victims which reveal the remarkable tragedy of what happened here, is a moving experience not to be missed. This world-famous Roman site was once a thriving and sophisticated Roman city, but after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D, was buried under metres of ash and pumice ensuring the staggering state of preservation so many centuries later. Visitors can freely explore the remarkable excavations and you’ll be amazed by its scale and sophistication: streets, temples, baths and even the amphitheatre remain largely intact. Much of our knowledge about the Roman way of life, their habits, social structure, class system and domestic arrangements has come from Pompeii. Many buildings still have murals and mosaics, while others inscribed with graffiti describing political events, romantic entanglements and the gossip of the time; you can even see traffic-calming measures and a one-way system. This is truly one of the best holidays for history lovers.
Step back in time on our Pompeii, Capri & the Bay of Naples escorted tour or Walk & Discover: Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast & Pompeii
The Secrets Of The Moors Revealed In Granada’s Historic Gem
Granada’s dramatic location against a striking backdrop of the snow-capped Sierra only heightens the beauty of the city’s Alhambra Palace, one of the most famous, best-preserved Islamic architectural monuments and certainly one of the most romantic palaces in the world. To gaze on this masterpiece of design, harmoniously nestled in the most exquisite setting, is a view you’ll revisit in your mind’s eye time and time again. It’s not surprising it’s described as one of the wonders of the world!
Dating from the 13th century, during the reign of Ibn al-Aḥmar, founder of the Naṣrid dynasty, and his successors, Alhambra, meaning ‘the red’ in Arabic is thought to derive from the reddish colour of the tapia – the clay earth – of which the outer walls were originally built. As you wander the exquisite interior and rose gardens, a haven of tranquillity amongst the cooling fountains, the history of this architectural legacy truly comes alive as you imagine the stories these ornate walls could tell.
Over 25 years later our enduring Classical Spain escorted tour of Andalucia remains the perfect holiday to explore this distinctive and magical region of southern Spain. View all of our Spanish tours.
Relive The Age Of Discovery With Lisbon’s Monastic Masterpiece
When it comes to holidays for history lovers, it’s hard to beat Lisbon. The Monastery of Jéronimos, a UNESCO world heritage site and one of the most magnificent buildings in Europe, was a symbol of Portuguese wealth and power during the Age of Discoveries. Built by King Manuel I in 1502 on the site of a hermitage founded by Prince Henry the Navigator – where Vasco Da Gama and his crew spent their last night in Portugal before leaving for India – it is an enormous, dazzlingly white edifice constructed in classic Portuguese Gothic style, intricately decorated throughout with ornate sculptures and maritime motifs. The impressive cloisters, the stonework carvings of coral, sea monsters and ropes are without doubt some of the finest in the world and provided a splendid backdrop for the signing of the Lisbon Treaty in 2007. The monks of the Order of Saint Jerome who lived here were tasked with offering guidance to sailors and to pray for the king’s soul – and it’s thought they also created the recipe for the famous pasteis de Belem – the mouth-watering custard tart!
Vasco Da Gama’s tomb, along with some of the greatest figures in Portuguese history, from monarchs to poets, are also here and today this mighty building is synonymous with Portuguese identity and culture; you’ll certainly feel the weight of history all around you as you soak up the atmosphere of this fascinating place, making it an amazing destination for a history-focussed holiday.
