Southern Italy: from Magna Graecia to Italian Unification When you ask people about Italy, more often than not one of the first places they mention is the capital city, Rome, or the submerged streets of …
History and Legacy of the Silk Road
- 10 mins read
Archaeology, Art, Asia, Blog, China, History, small-group
The History and Legacy of the Silk Road The Silk Road (also called the Silk Routes) was an extensive system of trade routes formally established during the rule of China’s Han Dynasty. The routes traversed …
Exploring York Like a page out of a history book, the North-Eastern city of York in the United Kingdom is a Gothic wonder. What lies beyond this walled Roman fortress, aside from York Minister, …
Exploring Kazakhstan. “Land of Wanderers” Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and covers a landlocked area bigger than all of Western Europe. But unlike Europe, it does not figure prominently in the …
Visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia: The South Caucasus’ Entwined Histories and Must-See Sites Visiting Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia in one trip makes logistical sense as the countries sit next to each other south of the Caucasus …
The Delicate Art of Art Restoration The Netherland’s Rijkmuseum recently announced that it will be restoring Rembrandt’s The Night Watch, its most famous and most treasured painting by the Dutch master. Rembrandt’s group portrait masterpiece, …
Monet’s Giverny Garden Claude Monet French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926) was a pioneer of a major art movement, but he created a thing of beauty that he believed eclipsed even his own celebrated works of art. …
Beauty and Artistry in Iran: The Persian Garden and Persian Mosaic Tiles
- 7 mins read
Architecture, Art, Blog, Cultural, heritage, History, Iran, Lists, Middle East, over-50s
Nasir al-Mulk Mosque in Shiraz, Fars Province, Iran Beauty and artistry can be seen everywhere in Iran, and its philosophy and religious beliefs are reflected in the country’s public and private spaces. In this article …
Your Next Holiday Destination: Germany The Moselle River, which runs through Trier, Germany’s oldest city. Once labelled the “sick man of Europe”, Germany is now the continent’s largest economy and the sixth largest economy in …
Ancient Routes, Fresh Eyes: Nine European Pilgrimage Routes for the Modern Traveller The word ‘pilgrimage’ or ‘pilgrim’ comes from the Modern French word pèlerin, which means ‘foreigner, stranger’, highlighting the concept that the faithful is not of …
England’s Liverpool: Port City, Architecture Marvel The Beatles and the Merseybeat era, football, and the waterfront. Liverpool’s vibrant culture and rich history has more to offer than what you may already know. In 1207, King …
Barcelona for mature and senior travellers The entrancing cosmopolitan city of Barcelona is one of the cultural highlights of Europe. Situated on the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula, the Catalan capital is famous for …
2018’s Newest UNESCO World Heritage Sites As of July 2018, there are 1,092 official UNESCO World Heritage sites, with 19 brand new sites added this year. It’s worth keeping up to date with World Heritage …
Crete history for travellers Crete is one of the most beautiful and traditional regions of Greece. Although Cretans have fought generations of invaders, they are a people whose courtesy and hospitality is legendary. These lands …
Turkmenistan; journey for the curious Brimming with a vibrant population of around 5 million people, Turkmenistan is hospitable and welcoming to tourists, despite its history of political problems. Its vast landscape is mostly desert, with …
The Lake District poets: Romanticism and sublime inspiration for Travellers. “I wandered lonely as a cloud” Did a simple daffodil usher in the Romantic era? Poet William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy came upon a …
Continental Crossroads: Discover Morocco
- 11 mins read
Africa, Architecture, Blog, heritage, History, mature-travelers, Morocco, over-50s, small-group
Morocco is a land of incredible diversity. On an Odyssey Traveller Morocco tour of this magnificent country you will encounter bustling marketplaces, grand and ornate architecture, spectacular deserts, rugged mountain ranges and thrumming African cities. Situated …
A Greek Odyssey Greece (Greek: Ελλάς, Hellas) is located in sun drenched Southern Europe, on the southernmost tip of the Balkan peninsula. It boasts extensive coastlines and islands in the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas. …
Uncovering Caravaggio The following article picks up on, and extends, our general introduction to Caravaggio. Here, we we delve further into the details of Caravaggio’s early life and relationships, and use available evidence to piece …
Who was Caravaggio? Caravaggio became the greatest painter of religious works of the early 17th century. His dramatic but naturalistic style of painting emphasised the common humanity of his subjects, the apostles and martyrs of …
Travel in Turkey on a small group tour for seniors Turkey is where the east meets the west: a historic gateway that finds its locus in captivating Istanbul. This is where Odyssey Traveller’s small group …