Along the Dalmatian and Greek Shores

Enhance your cruise and extend your trip with a carefully designed programme.

Enjoy a stay in Verona to immerse yourself in this distinctive atmosphere intermingling love, music, passion and tragedy. You’ll wander through the picturesque streets in the footsteps of Shakespeare and Maria Callas, who have left their mark on this city surrounded by gentle hills and neighbouring Venice.

A pre-cruise package combining culture and romanticism.

Day 1 – Venice/Verona

09:00 am, meet and greet at Venice airport arrival hall.

Look for PONANT sign. You will be greeted by our local representative off the PONANT selected flight arriving from Paris.

You will leave Venice and head for Verona. After about 1.5 hours on the road, you will make a first stop at Luvigliano di Torreglia. You will arrive in the enchanting setting provided by the Euganean Hills (Colli Euganei). In perfect harmony with the surrounding landscape, the extraordinary residence of the bishops of Padua (Villa dei Vescovi) stands magnificent and fascinating on a terrace at the top of a hill.

You will visit this magnificent villa built on the ruins of the Torreglia medieval castle between 1535 and 1542 by the episcopal curia of Padua, based on Giovanni Maria Falconetto’s plans to build a summer residence for the Bishop of Padua. The construction, which was resumed in 1567 under the supervision of Andrea della Valle, was completed some ten year later. The massive structure of the villa stands at the heart of magnificent gardens. The surrounding landscape is very typical : shaped by a succession of reliefs of varying heights and shapes, it offers a welcoming panorama. Inside, floral and mythological frescoes attributed to the Flemish painter Lambert Sustris (mid-16th century) can be found.

You will have lunch at a local restaurant, with the gentle curves of the Euganean Hills as a backdrop. An Italian vineyard from the Venetia region boasting a DOC appellation since 1969.

You will continue on to Verona, where you will arrive in the late afternoon.

You will be taken to your 4-star hotel, The Gentleman of Verona, located in the historic district and close to the Arena.

Check-in.

The rest of the day and dinner are at leisure.

Day 2 - Verona

This day will be spent discovering Verona.

Often considered the most beautiful city in Northern Italy after Venice, Verona is also called “la piccola Roma” (mini Rome). Indeed, the first noteworthy landmark upon arriving in the city is the Arena, one of the biggest amphitheatres of the Roman world and one of the best preserved.

You will take a guided tour of the Arena, built in 30 A.D. under the reign of Emperor Augustus outside the walls of the ancient Roman city. This elliptical amphitheatre is 152 metres long and 128 metres wide. Its outside walls reach a height of 32 metres. It is undoubtedly the most well-preserved in Italy and could accommodate 30,000 spectators there to watch circus games, gladiatorial combats and other popular entertainment.

Because the amphitheatre has excellent acoustics, in 1913, to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of the birth of Giuseppe Verdi, the tenor Giovanni Zenatello and the producer Ottone Rovato decided to create an opera festival that was inaugurated with a performance of Aida.

To the sound of an aria from Norma... you will set off to discover the city in the footsteps of the famous opera singer Maria Callas. It was in Verona that, during an audition, Giovanni Zenatello (the Arena’s creative director) became enthralled by the young woman’s talent, and in June 1947 Maria Callas left the port of New York to make her début at one of Europe’s most prestigious festivals. You will go past the Pensione Accademia (where she stayed), the Pedavena restaurant, the house where she lived, and the church where she got married.

You will have lunch at a local restaurant in the city centre.

To round off your visit of the city, you will discover Shakespeare in the streets of Verona through the story of the star-crossed lovers, Juliet Capulet and Romeo Montague. The two heroes, the children of two feuding families, married in secret. To avoid a forced marriage, in the absence of Romeo, Juliet drank a potion to fall into a very deep sleep. Believing her dead, Romeo poisoned himself. When Juliet woke up, she was so heartbroken that she took her own life... The English playwright’s most performed play was born in Verona. In the company of your guide, you will follow in their footsteps.

The rest of your day will be free time to stroll around at your leisure and perhaps treat yourself to some of the local specialities along the banks of the Adige.

Day 3 – Verona/Venice

You will leave the hotel in the late morning, for the 1.5-hour drive to Padua.

When describing Padua one often talks about its discreet charm and of the gentle way of life that characterises the city. The appeal of the old centre comes from its pleasant and harmonious architecture, its bright white limestone buildings and its paved streets lined with archways that are rather typical of Northern Italy and the neighbouring Emilia-Romagna.

On arrival, you will have lunch at a restaurant in the city centre and honour the local Venetian cuisine.

You will visit the Scrovegni Chapel, an absolute masterpiece of art. The chapel can only be visited in small groups and with a prior booking. It is decorated with Giotto frescoes painted between 1302 and 1305. You will visit its interior, which is about 1,000 m², entirely covered in paintings depicting scenes from the Old and New Testaments. Many visitors inside the chapel describe feeling like they are inside an ark with a number of round windows on which are painted scenes of Christ amid the evangelists and prophets.

At the end of your visit you will head to Venice to board your ship.

Your Hotel:

The Gentleman of Verona is nestled in the most authentic heart of the city : just a short walk from the Roman Arena, a delightful little gem that is part of a sixteenth-century residence right at the core of Verona. Set in a magnificently restored heritage building, it offers luxurious boutique accommodation, fine cuisine, and excellent service in a matchless historic location. Rooms are modern but with occasional original architectural features and antiques.

On-site facilities include a spa and wellness centre, with a sauna, Hammam, and a range of massages and treatments. There is also an excellent restaurant, serving local Veneto specialities in an elegant, cosy atmosphere.

The peaceful courtyard is a very pleasant place for a coffee or an aperitif in summer.

Upgraded rooms are also available depending on availability and on a supplement basis. Contact your travel professional for further detail.

Your programme includes:

• 2-night accommodation in Standard room at the Hotel The Gentleman of Verona 4*, local standards (or similar), breakfast included.
• Meals as mentioned in the programme.
• Beverages package during lunches and dinners (mineral water + 1 soft drink or 1 local beer + 1 coffee or tea).
• Transfers and visits as mentioned in the programme.
• The services of a local English-speaking guide.
• Tips for the driver and local guide.

Your programme does not include:

• Personal expenses.
• Other services not mentioned in the programme.

Please note:

• The meeting point at Venice Marco Polo airport is based on PONANT flight arriving from Paris.
• A pre-additional night in Venice is possible (with supplement). Please contact your travel agent for further detail.
• As the calendar of performances at the Verona Arena is only published a year in advance, we suggest contacting your travel advisor to check whether a performance date might be compatible with your schedule of visits (at an additional cost) on one of the first two nights.

Contact of your hotel:

Hotel The Gentleman of Verona

Via Carlo Cattaneo 26/A,

37121 Verona,

Italy

Telephone number : +39 045 8007418

Duration of the visits are given as a guide only. The order of the visits may be reversed.