Worldwide Destinations for History Lovers
Do you like to soak up the historical significance of a city when you visit?
Here are destinations that offer more than their fair share of storied history and culture.
The suburb of Giza sprawls along the Nile’s west bank in Cairo, Egypt’s capital. The Giza Plateau is home to some of the most impressive monuments of the ancient world.
These include the Great Pyramid of Giza (one of the Seven Wonders of the World), the Great Sphinx, and other temples and buildings from antiquity.
These monuments are believed to have been constructed over 4,000 years ago. For a curated look at ancient relics, go to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which when finished in 2024 will display over 100,000 ancient artifacts, including Tutankhamun’s treasures.
Athens was the centre of the Athenian empire. The monumental Propylaea gateway marks the entrance to the famed Acropolis and was built in 430 BC to be wide enough to let chariots through.
This area is also home to the Parthenon and the ruins of Erechtheum.
Throughout Athens, you'll find evidence of the Athenian empire. A visit to the National Archaeological Museum will give context to all the ancient ruins dotted around the city.
Another site worth visiting is the Panathenaic Stadium which held the first modern Olympics in 1896. Here you can discover all about Olympic history and even run on the track!
Ancient Rome sights to tick off include The Colosseum, constructed in the 1st century AD to hold around 60,000 spectators.
The nearby Forum Romanum was the centre of the ancient city, as its remains of old temples, arches, and market halls demonstrate.
Other centuries-old sites include the Pantheon (completed in 126-128 AD by Emperor Hadrian) and the triumphant Arch of Constantine dating from 312 AD.
Also admire the Eternal City’s 15th and 16th-century Renaissance structures. These include St Peter’s Basilica which has the tallest dome in the world. Or the Vatican Museums, with thestunning Michelangelo ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It is not just all roads that lead to Rome.
You could arrive by sea at the Italian capital’s passenger port on a cruise from Southampton or other points of departure.
The city of Kyoto is Japan’s cultural and historical hub because of its thousands of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines.
It was constructed as the capital in the 8th century, although Tokyo took that role in 1868. The Kinkakuji Temple (the Golden Pavilion) and the Ginkakuji Temple (the Silver Pavilion) are must-visit locations.
The Golden Pavilion is set in gardens and overlooks a large pond, its top two floors covered in gold leaf. It was built at the end ofthe 14th century as the retirement villa of the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.
Uniquely beautiful gardens may also be found in Kyoto at the Okochi-Sanso Villa and the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove.
Berlin has been the site of historical events for nearly 1,000 years. But its 20th-century WWIIand Cold War history makes it a key location in understanding how the Western world shapes up today.
The Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe is a vast site of 2,711 irregular concrete slabs.
Other sombre places of interest include the location of Hitler’s bunker, the remains of the Berlin Wall, and Checkpoint Charlie, the crossing point between East and West Berlin during the Cold War.
Berlin is best explored with those who have local knowledge as so many of the sights need to be set in historical context.
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