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In his exciting new two-hour adventure, Rick Steves takes his public television travelers on a vivid high-definition trip across the Mediterranean, with colorful stops in Istanbul, Greece's Peloponnese Peninsula, and — in an exciting new episode rushed to completion just for this special — Croatia's Dalmatian Coast.
First you'll explore the fascinating, multilayered city of Istanbul, where Europe meets Asia. You'll drift exotically through the Grand Bazaar and munch your way through the famously fragrant Spice Market. Tracing the fall of Byzantium and the rise of Islam, you'll delve into the Hagia Sophia, Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. Escaping the city bustle, you'll cruise the Bosphorus, make friends over backgammon in a teahouse, and gingerly soak in a traditional Turkish bath.
While Greek island getaways are fun, the pulse of Greece's cultural heart is best felt in the Peloponnese Peninsula. After enjoying the charming old port town of Nafplio, hop, skip and jump through the ruins of Olympia, test out the acoustics center stage at the remarkably preserved theater at Epidauros, and explore the ancient capital of Mycenae. Then you'll rumble with the ghosts of pirates and bandits off the beaten path in the rough-and-tumble Mani Peninsula, relax in the idyllic beach town of Kardymli, and marvel at Greece's Rock of Gibraltar: the fortress town of Monemvasia.
Finally, we explore Croatia — an intriguing land with a hard-fought history in a complex corner of Europe. Sampling the very best of this emerging hot spot, you'll sail the fabled Dalmatian Coast from dreamy Dubrovnik to weather-beaten Adriatic island ports. Heading inland, you'll hike through Plitvace Lakes National Park and enjoy the thriving yet rarely-visited capital city Zagreb. Our Croatian finale: the Istrian Peninsula and its mini-Venice port town of Rovinj.
Join Rick Steves for the splendors of this Mediterranean Mosaic on KXXX, Thursday, March XX, 2010 at 0:00 p.m.