Even after so many of its relics have been transported to the climate-controlled rooms of Berlin's Pergamon Museum, this famous archaeological site between the beautiful Aegean hills of western Turkey remains an undisputed chart-topper on Europe's line-up of ancient attractions. Look up and you'll see the looming Doric peristyles of the great Temple of Trajan. Glance to the hillsides and you'll make out the rock-ribbed Roman Amphitheatre, carved directly into the Aeolian ridges. Stroll the crumbling remains of the Sanctuary of Asclepion and you can trace the footsteps of the revered Galen. A fusion of Greek and Roman deities were honoured in the dilapidated shrines here, while there's arguably no more iconic location in the history of ideas than the Library of Pergamon, which now mingles with the Sanctuary of Athena in ruins atop the acropolis. It’s likely that Pergamon tour guides will be based in nearby Bergama, or in the sun-kissed cities along the Turkish Riviera. You will need a whole day to explore the site for tis full glory.