AS the European travel season gets underway West Vancouver's Ferry Building Gallery is set to feature some of the lesser-known European destinations in a new instalment of The Ultimate Traveller series hosted by Peter Langer.
The first show starts off with a trip from Budapest to Amsterdam by riverboat on the Danube, Main and Rhine Rivers. Along the way Langer explores castles, medieval monasteries and UNESCO World Heritage sites (such as the Historic Centre of Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace and the Wachau Cultural Landscape in Austria; Regensburg Bamberg, the Upper Middle Rhine Valley and Cologne Cathedral in Germany).
The second week focuses on the former Yugoslavian countries that have been shaped by a rich but turbulent history. Against a backdrop of jagged mountain peaks and dramatic coastlines Langer will visit several UNESCO World Heritage cities and the influence of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires on Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro, Macedonia, Kosovo and Albania.
Turkey, past and present, is featured in the third instalment of the series: cosmopolitan Istanbul, the ancient sites of Pergamum and white marble streets of Greco-Roman Ephesus, Cappadocia, the mausoleum of Antiochus on Mount Nemrut and breathtaking views of Lake Van and Mount Ararat are some of the cultural highlights discussed.
The final show in the European series explores the Mediterranean islands of Malta and Gozo featuring some of the most impressive and best preserved ancient sites in the Mediterranean, including the temple ruins of Hagar Qim and Mnajdra.
? Feb. 27, 7 p.m.: Cruising through Central Europe
? March 6, 7 p.m.: Impressions of the Balkans
? March 13, 7 p.m.: Impressions of Turkey
? March 20, 7 p.m.: Impressions of Malta
The Ultimate Traveller shows take place Wednesday evenings at the Ferry Building Gallery, 1414 Argyle Avenue in West Vancouver, Telephone: 604-925-7290. Admission to each show is $15. For more information go to theultimatetraveller.com.
