The Thinking Traveller

For centuries, the Via Francigena carried pilgrims, merchants and armies across Europe to Rome, shaping the towns and communities that grew along its route. In this episode of The Thinking Traveller, Dr Jeni Ryde joins us to discuss the history of this ancient road, from its medieval origins and changing fortunes to the fortified hill towns, landscapes and cultural heritage that still mark its course through Italy today. Academy Travel is a leading specialist in small-group cultural tours, al...

For nearly three thousand years, the Odyssey has held its place as one of the foundational texts of Western literature – the story of a man's ten-year journey home from Troy. A journey through shipwreck, sorcery and the wrath of the gods, the Odyssey belongs to myth. Yet the Greeks imagined its adventures unfolding across a real Mediterranean landscape, among the volcanic coasts of Sicily and southern Italy, where Etna still smoulders and the Strait of Messina churns between Scylla and Charyb...

Born into a turbulent Castile, Isabella rose to claim a contested throne and, alongside Ferdinand of Aragon, helped forge modern Spain. In this episode of The Thinking Traveller, we welcome award-winning historian and author Giles Tremlett to our program, who will lead our new Spanish Queens, Kings & Caudillos tour in 2027. Giles discusses Isabella’s rise to power, the forces that defined her reign, and why she continues to inspire both admiration and condemnation. Academy Travel is a lea...

For more than five centuries, Egypt's pharaohs were buried in a remote desert valley on the west bank of the Nile. Hidden among barren limestone hills, the Valley of the Kings became the final resting place of some of the most well-known rulers of the ancient world, including Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramesses II. In this episode we are joined by Egyptologist Dr Bill Manley as he explores how and why the Valley of the Kings came into being, the extraordinary tombs cut deep into its cliffs, and ...

Ravenna is one of Italy’s most quietly extraordinary cities – a place where the final centuries of the Roman world can still be read through intricate mosaics and imperial monuments. In this episode we are joined by Dr Eireann Marshall as she explores how this lagoon city rose to prominence, becoming first a Roman Imperial capital, then the seat of Ostrogothic power, and finally a key centre of the Byzantine world. At the heart of this story are not only Emperors and armies, but a remarkable ...