Antakya, Turkey

Antakya, 45km south of İskenderun, stands on the site of ancient Antioch and, although there's little sense of historical continuity, the city's laid-back pace, cosmopolitan outlook and subtly Arab atmosphere make it unique in Turkey. Flanked by mountains to the north and south, it sits in the bed of a broad river- valley planted with olive trees, providing a welcome visual relief after travelling from the drab flatlands surrounding Adana. Although little survives from the city's Seleucid and Roman past, it has enough attractions to merit at least an overnight stop, including an excellent archeological museum and an unusual cave-church from which St Peter is said to have preached. The food in Antakya is some of the most varied and best in Turkey, thanks to the city's Arab heritage.