The resort island of Corfu, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, is renowned for its rocky mountains, beautiful beaches, and utterly romantic atmosphere. It’s capital city, also named Corfu, is one of the ancient jewels of Greece. Here you’ll find a Venetian fortress and a UNESCO World Heritage old town boasting winding lanes, bustling bars, towering houses, and heavenly gardens. Discover ancient remains from eras past, scattered throughout the island.

The Italian port city of Bari, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, lies on the coast of the archaeologically-rich Apulia region. This ancient town offers a remarkable mix of old and new, with historical churches, castles and piazzas positioned near modern galleries, shops, and museums. Further afield, discover an abundance of natural wonders including UNESCO World Heritage site caves. With its breathtaking beaches and world-class restaurants, Bari is a memorable seaside destination.

If you are looking for elegance and culture, the ideal destination is Trieste. An MSC Mediterranean Cruise will take you to the old cafés where you can relive the same atmosphere that inspired many writers, among the Art Nouveau and Neoclassical palaces, or along the Grand Canal. Your MSC Cruise will take you to the “little Vienna on the sea” which is now one of the largest ports in Italy for freight traffic, one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the peninsula. A meeting of peoples, languages and religions that magnify the city‘s Central European, Slav and Mediterranean soul. One of the MSC Excursions will guide you to visit The Castle of Miramare, residence of Maximilian of Hapsburg and Charlotte of Belgium. A desirable palace for its view of the Gulf of Trieste and unique elegance of the furnishings still visible of the apartments, on the spouses‘ ground floor and the guests‘ first floor. Built between 1856 and 1860, it contains a small castle used by the married couple during the construction works in the magnificent richly scented park that surrounds it. Another MSC Excursion will take you to visit the Roman amphitheatre at the foot of the Colle di San Giusto, set among the modern buildings of Trieste, a city with an ancient history. Constructed around the end of the 1st century, it was only brought to light in 1938. Interestingly, it once overlooked the sea. Everything in Trieste faces the sea including Piazza Unità d‘Italia, the Piazza Grande, the destination of an MSC Excursion. Strolling along this large rectangle framed on three sides by the city‘s most famous buildings and the renowned Caffè degli Specchi, stopping under the column of the Statue of Charles VI and idling in front of the Fountain of the Four Continents, are experiences crowned by the view of the sea on the fourth side.

On the Peloponnese shores stands the little seaside town of Katakolon, Greece, an MSC Mediterranean cruises destination. Situated on a headland overlooking the blue Ionian Sea, this charming location boasts a lighthouse, the Agios Nicolaos Church, and musical instruments museum. A short ride away lies the ancient site of Olympia, the extraordinary UNESCO World Heritage Site. 3000 years ago, it hosted Greece’s first Olympic Games in its Panhellenic religious sanctuary.

From 2021, the city of Piraeus, one of the oldest ports in the world, will join the list of ports visited by MSC Mediterranean Cruises. Guests will be introduced to the treasures of Turkey and the Eastern Mediterranean. Piraeus, an MSC Mediterranean Cruises destination, has been the port of Athens since ancient times. It’s a city filled with incredible wonders including Mikrolimano Bay, Agia Triada (Church of the Holy Trinity), and the Archaeological Museum. Nowadays, Piraeus is a bustling centre with attractive waterfront cafés and restaurants, making it an ideal stop in the Mediterranean. Use it as a stepping stone to see the Acropolis and greater Athens.