
Holiday tours cruising the coastline of the Black Sea promise a deceptively picturesque experience away from the traditional tourism destinations of the Mediterranean.
Sara Macefield writes for the Telegraph of her own visit to the region, which may inspire more imaginative travellers to take holiday tours there.
"I had never imagined quite how picturesque the coastline would be, nor realised the richness of the region's history," she admits.
She goes on to reveal that she had previously considered the Black Sea to be a poor cousin to the Mediterranean for cruises.
However, her itinerary may indicate otherwise, with her Black Sea adventure starting in Venice, stopping off at Istanbul and then cruising onwards to Sochi in Russia.
With its final destination of Athens, a variety of venues that could prove tempting to imaginative travellers were visited during a single trip.
The origin of the name Black Sea is unclear, but may be linked to the region's sometimes stormy winters - a notion supported by the early Greek name for the same body of water, the Inhospitable Sea.
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