Pergamon day trip

Pergamon, an hour and three-quarters north of Izmir, was one of the great cities of the Hellenistic world and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sees far fewer visitors than Ephesus, which makes it easier to take a group around. We ride the cable car up to the Acropolis, see the Temple of Trajan and the site of the famous library, then walk down to one of the steepest theatres of antiquity, carved into the hillside.

Our guide is an archaeologist who explains how the kings of Pergamon competed with Alexandria, and why parchment is named after the city. After lunch in the town we visit the Asklepion, a healing sanctuary where patients were treated with water, sleep and music, and the Red Basilica in the old town.

On the way back the coach stops for tea in a village, and we reach Izmir in the early evening.