Mediterranean & Adriatic

The lush, fertile island of Rhodes and its eponymous capital are home to the Palace of the Grand Masters, a remarkable and sprawling fortification. Its historic quarter is Europe’s largest active medieval town. Outside the city, forests of pine and cypress blanket mountain slopes and hug rocky shores; vineyards and groves of citrus and olive trees soak up the Aegean sun. In its early days, Rhodes earned the envy of other Mediterranean civilizations when it erected the Colossus of Rhodes, a 98-foot statue of Helios, the god of the sun. It collapsed during the earthquake of 226 BC, but lives on in memory as one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Much later, the Knights of Saint John of Jerusalem conquered the island, bringing great wealth with them from the Holy Land. Under their rule, the city was reconstructed to mirror the medieval ideal. Many of the buildings from this era remain; they make for some of the most enriching strolls in Europe..