Athens doesn't live in the past. Glamorous and forward-looking, it blends galleries, gelaterias, bijoux boutiques, and museums with the wonders of the Acropolis and Parthenon. Wander lively streets and markets, dance at bouzoukia, sing in tavernas, then head to the harbour for dimly lit bars and cold beer. With salty air and fishing boats setting out at dawn, Athens feels both ancient and progressive.

Syros lies just across from Mykonos, but feels a world away from its hedonism. Far from sleepy, its capital Ermoupoli-once the Aegean's mercantile heart-is an elegant neo-classical city buzzing with Greek life. Explore marble boulevards to Vaporia, with preserved merchant palaces, waterfront cafes, and the Apollo Theatre. Also visit Ano Syros, a Venetian hilltop village crowned by San Giorgio, plus fishing villages, sandy shores, and quiet coves.

Discover picturesque Paros: ancient ruins, traditional tavernas, sweet villages, blue-domed churches, and blonde-sand beaches. Visit Parikia's AD326 Byzantine monastery, explore Antiparos's caves, browse the tiny archaeological museum, and wander the lanes of Náoussa's old Venetian port. Relax on sunloungers, feast on home-cooked mezze, or windsurf, kitesurf, dive, swim, and hike. Paros keeps the soft spirit of the Cyclades.

Revel in Ionian landmarks and spirit-lifting views. Sit beneath Liston's iconic arches in Corfu Old Town, cross Spianada Square and the moat to the Old Fortress, and wander lanes past churches. Dine in homey tavernas, take a caique, mountain bike or horse ride, and shop ceramics. Seek Paleokastritsa's views, birdwatch lush wetlands, and climb Mount Pantokrator for rare icons. A scenic jaunt through an eternal Greek classic.

Welcome to carefree Hvar: a historic island of Venetian stone houses and monuments above a palm- and superyacht-lined harbour. Visit the Grand Piazza with its baroque cathedral and Venetian castle, plus the oceanback monastery and its legendary 'Last Supper' painting. Head to the pine-covered Pakleni islets for seclusion, enjoy Carpe Diem by the sea, and explore lavender-scented Humac and Stari Grad.

This pearlescent Croatian Riviera town sits on a narrow strand between the Julian Alps and the Adriatic. Baroque beauty, youthful energy, and a lively February carnival define it. Stroll the Korzo for Habsburg waterfront grandeur, then discover Italianate villas, Roman ruins, and cafe-lined old squares. Pebbled beaches and clear waters invite swims, while the stone steps to Trsat Castle reveal views over hillside trees, monastery gardens, rooftops, and Kvarner Bay.

Explore Venice's ancient palaces, galleries, and modern exhibits; walk among masterpieces, catch an opera, admire medieval buildings, and blow Murano glass. Drift the Grand Canal by gondola past churches, convents, and campi, cross hump-backed bridges, and reach Piazza San Marco, the Basilica, and the Doge's Palace. From palazzos to perfumeries and the Bridge of Sighs, beauty is always moments away in this liquid-gold city.