The Land of Troy

Cultural historian Janina Ramirez has long been fascinated by the legend of Troy, immortalised in the epic works of Homer. The tales of a ten-year battle, the beauty of Queen Helen and the trick of the Trojan horse that brought an ancient civilisation to its knees has inspired storytellers from Shakespeare to Christopher Nolan, from Chaucer to Margaret Atwood.

Up until 150 years ago, many believed that the ancient city was a mythological place, but on this journey, Janina travels to north western Turkey to explore its ancient ruins. In the Museum of Troy, the glitter of gold will catch her eye as she gets up close with some of treasures that have been unearthed from the site.

She crosses the glistening Aegean Sea to the island of Bozcaada, where she'll learn how to hunt the waters for a local seafood delicacy before making the journey north to the Gallipoli Peninsula. Here, she'll walk the beaches where Allied troops landed in 1915 and explore the World War I trenches that remain. Janina is astounded by the beauty of the region, and it is the layers of buried human history that will stay with her.