Season 1

First transmitted in 1958, Sir Mortimer Wheeler and scholars from the Hellenic Travellers' Club sail from Venice to Mycenae, Greece to determine why iconic historical sites along this route continue to fulfil the earnest traveller's sightseeing pleasure.

In this programme they travel east via Istanbul, stepping onshore on the Aegean island of Lesbos, a site which during antiquity held a significant position along the ancient trade route to Hellespont. In Turkey,

Sir Mortimer explores the extensive archaeological sites on the Greek island of Delos, before travelling to Epidaurus to admire its beautiful theatre. In Athens, sites explored include the Parthenon and the open-air Theatre of Dionysus.