High above the city on Cidneo Hill, the castle was built between the 13th and 16th centuries. There are a number of museums up here, and the views over the city and the Brescia plain are great – well worth the effort of the climb up here!

Perched atop the stark white cliffs of Pamukkale lies Hierapolis — an ancient city that's as rich in history as it is in thermal springs. Once a Phrygian cult centre and later a flourishing Greek city, Hierapolis boasts a well-preserved amphitheatre, an array of atmospheric ruins, and the famed Sacred Pool, a thermally heated delight where you can immerse yourself amidst submerged Roman columns, scattered by an ancient earthquake. Just a stone's throw away, the terraces of Pamukkale steal the show. These gleaming white formations, made of travertine — a sedimentary rock deposited by the mineral-rich hot waters — give the town its name, meaning 'Cotton Castle'. With temperatures ranging from 35°C to a steamy 100°C, these hot springs have been creating an expanding landscape of terraces for centuries, as calcium carbonate from the waters crystallises into the soft gel of travertine. Awarded UNESCO World Heritage status, Hierapolis and Pamukkale offer a unique fusion of cultural history and natural wonder that should not be missed.

The fortification, first erected in the 13th century, still stands today - and relatively well-preserved, at that. An on-site museum tells the brief history of the fort, but its main draw is, perhaps, the unbeatable view over the Medina and the sea surface - things may get a bit crowded at sunset.