Immersed in antiquity, near Florence, Italy
Feeling the need for some brief respite from the crowds and snaking queues in Florence, an afternoon visit to the Etruscan hilltop town of Fiesole fit the bill. The settlement can be found within the archaeological area and could date back as far as the ninth century BC. The Romans conquered it in 283BC. I stood on the sunny hilltop, imagining that I was a Roman, spying my enemies approaching. There is far more to see in Fiesole than first appears – including a Roman theatre, Roman and Etruscan artefacts and the remains of Roman baths. This fascinating town is definitely worth a visit, to feel immersed in ancient history.
Alison N
Wrestling school and mosaics, Cyprus
Cyprus is better known by some for its nightclubs than its Greco-Roman ancient history, but at Kourion, established on the south-west coast of the island in the 12th century BC, you can find the ruins of a thriving former city. With lots of the ruins still intact, you get a real sense of how sophisticated these centuries-old civilisations were, with a central market, ancient Greek wrestling school and many bathhouses adorned in intricate mosaic tiles and underfloor heating dating back to AD1. The theatre is the jewel in the crown, with an expansive view of the Mediterranean serving as a backdrop. It really is a special place.
Yanni Pitsillides
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Neolithic to Nazi era, Brittany, France
This summer we paid a visit to the 6,000-year-old Cairn de Petit Mont in Brittany. This large cairn stands on a headland overlooking both the Bay of Quiberon and the entrance to the Gulf of Morbihan. It contains two stone chambers with numerous Neolithic and Gallo-Roman carvings. However, it must be the only Neolithic site to have also been used as a gun emplacement and bunker during the second world war. The juxtaposition of concrete on to the ancient stones is a bizarre sight. The bunker has been converted into a small museum and the former gun turret offers a panoramic view of this outstanding area. The cairn is within walking distance of the vibrant Port du Crouesty. Entry is €7.
Clare
Ruins in the Rhodope, Bulgaria
A place for gods and humans to commune through the awe of nature, Bulgaria’s Perperikon was a sacred place even before written history, founded by Thracians in the fifth millennium BC. It is one of the biggest fortresses in Europe, and archaeological studies are continuing, but it was almost certainly a site of worship of Dionysus to rival Delphi, and later hosted Romans, Goths and Bulgarians. I found the ancient plumbing and sacrificial rites fascinating and the views of the surrounding forests on the gentle peaks of the Rhodope mountains, stunning.
Gergana
Roman theatre to ourselves, North Macedonia
On a visit to North Macedonia my wife and I visited Heraclea Lyncestis, just outside the town of Bitola, a site which saw Greek, Roman and Byzantine rule. We were practically the only visitors, which surprised us given how fascinating the site was. Lyncestis boasts truly impressive remains, which include a theatre, Roman baths and a basilica with intricate mosaic floors that display vibrant scenes from early Christian iconography. The theatre, built during Roman rule, is still in remarkable condition. After exploring the ancient ruins, you can relax and enjoy the charm of beautiful Bitola.
Michael
Where Paul baptised Lydia, Greece
Two hours from Thessaloniki by public coach, then a local hop up from Kavala, brings you to the remains of Philippi, a town established in 360BC and named by Philip II of Macedon. This once great city on the Via Egnatia Roman road across the Balkans, where Augustus settled his veterans, is now a Unesco world heritage site. Its rural location and vast size means it feels surprisingly uncrowded, and it has a good cafe and toilets. Don’t forget to stray north to a stream beyond the walls (described in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament) where Paul baptised Lydia, perhaps the first European Christian. Soak up the centuries of history in peace, but don’t forget your sun hat.
John Sexton
Into the Spanish stone age
In quiet Antequera, a small city in the heart of Andalucía, you can find a collection of breathtaking megalithic ruins. In particular the Dolmen of Menga is one of the earliest and largest known burial monuments in western Europe, dating from about 3600BC – I spent a good amount of time just amazed at the effort and time that went into building its cavernous interior. Best of all I had the whole place to myself!
Alex
The Portuguese Stonehenge
Cromlech of the Almendres is a would-be Portuguese Stonehenge stretching out across a pronounced, sunrise-facing slope near Évora in the Alentejo region, 80 miles east of Lisbon. The giant egg-shaped megaliths, dating back to the sixth millennium BC, make up an asymmetrical figure of eight, and much like the famous Wiltshire monument, this enormous stone circle’s evolution extended over 1,000 years back in the Neolithic period. Prehistoric carvings adorn many of the megaliths, adding further evidence of this being the south-western end of an expansive maritime network of trade and belief along the western European fringe.
Matt
Roman routines brought to life, Provence, France
A triumphal arch and magnificent mausoleum mark the entrance to the Roman remains of Glanum, situated on the outskirts of Saint-Rémy-de-Provence just south of Avignon. In a secluded valley at the foot of the Alpilles, Glanum - a Glanic, then Greek and Roman (from about 49BC) settlement dating from around the fourth century BC - is a wonderfully atmospheric site. If you are fortunate enough to visit on a quiet day, it is perfectly possible to imagine Roman life in the villas, with their baths nearby, while the basilica, forum, and temples, including a religious sanctuary around a sacred spring, remind you of the significance of Glanum in Roman times.
Dianne
Winning tip: Jersey’s Celtic coin hoard and a Neolithic gem
La Hougue Bie in Jersey is an incredible Neolithic ritual site. A burial chamber in use between about 4000BC and 3500BC sits at the end of a dark underground passage, opening up to a deep chamber which aligns with the equinox sunrise. Above the chamber there is a tall prehistoric mound. Take the winding path up to a 16th-century chapel, with beautiful views. On site there’s also a brilliant exhibition about Le Câtillon II, a Celtic and Roman coin hoard discovered in east Jersey in 2012 and thought to have belonged to a tribe fleeing Julius Caesar’s armies. Take some local cheese, bread and Jersey cider, and enjoy a picnic in the beautiful grounds.
Laura Douse
