Çanakkale has many stories to tell, this was the gateway to Troy, the ancient city immortalized in Homer’s epic poem, The Iliad. The vast archeological site offers a window down the centuries to pre-Christian times (as well as a view of the wooden horse used in the 2004 movie Troy, starring Brad Pitt). Hike to Zeus’ Altar on Mount Ida and, according to Homer, you’ll be in the spot from where the gods watched the Trojan War. It’s also the place where Lord Byron famously swam from Europe to Asia in 1810, a feat he called his “greatest achievement”. And, most poignantly, it is where the fallen of WWI are remembered at The Çanakkale Martyrs' Memorial, which honors Turkish soldiers. Anzac Cove, where Australian and New Zealand forces landed in 1915, is in Gallipoli, a 45-minute drive away.