NORTHERN CAPITALS & NORDIC SHORES

Welcome to Paris. You have 3 nights to explore the city.

Le Havre is a major port in northern France’s Normandy region, where the Seine River meets the English Channel. It’s joined to the city across the estuary, Honfleur, by the Pont de Normandie cable-stayed bridge. Following WWII, Le Havre’s heavily damaged city center was famously redesigned by Belgian architect Auguste Perret. Today it features many landmark examples of reinforced-concrete architecture.

Take a trip up to London and get a bird’s eye view of the city from the London Eye. See sights like Parliament, Westminster Abbey and Piccadilly. Stroll along Lower Regent Street or visit the British Museum.

Step back in time to the 14th century as you meander along the narrow streets of this medieval gem past gabled buildings and through the bustling market. Take a boat ride along the city’s canals. Or spend the day exploring Brussels and its famed Grand Place or Antwerp, home of Rubens and Bruegel, seeing the verdant countryside along the way.

In a city where almost everything is extraordinary in some way, Amsterdam is a blank canvas on which to make your own masterpiece of a visit. Behold the largest collections of Vincent Van Gogh works, handbags and all things cat related – in separate museums, of course. Hop on a canal boat, rent a bike or head out on foot in any direction and you will stumble on something unforgettable, like an ancient cathedral, a park carpeted in flowers or the iconic windmills that dot the Dutch landscape. Near the port town of Ijmuiden, Haarlem offers all the trappings of a quintessential Dutch city – picturesque canals, cozy cafés and cobbled lanes as well as the oldest museum in the Netherlands, Teylers Museum.

Founded in 1641 near the southern tip of Norway, Kristiansand once claimed the world’s largest fleet of sailing ships. Today the proud city exudes an energy that peaks in summer, when your ship calls. The Posebyen old quarter boasts a collection of historic wooden houses surrounded by shops and restaurants. Museums abound and include the Agder Museum of Natural History and Botanical Garden, which opened in 1828. Kristiansand Zoo, said to be Norway’s most visited attraction, covers 150 acres of Nordic terrain where animals like red pandas, moose and Bactrian camels roam in wide-open spaces.

Overlooking a gorgeous fjord, Norway’s capital and largest city simply radiates with natural beauty and sophistication. Oslo’s rich seafaring history is on display at the Viking Ships Museum, rivaled only by the Kon-Tiki Museum, which holds the balsawood raft that Norwegian adventurer Thor Heyerdahl used to sail from Peru to Polynesia. History aside, Oslo exudes a love of the outdoors in city parks like Vigeland, which is adorned with over 200 life-size sculptures by artist Gustav Vigeland. Much of Oslo is heavily forested with pines, making it one of Europe’s greenest cities.

Denmark’s second largest city, Aarhus is an attractively compact medieval town full of modern flair – chic galleries, cutting edge restaurants and intriguing museums. The laid-back ambiance and welcoming locals only add to the appeal of the “World’s Smallest Big City.” Stroll the cobblestone streets of the 14th-century Latin Quarter and pop into one of the many eateries for a smørrebrød sandwich in between browsing the boutiques. Whether you visit one of the notable museums such as the innovative Moesgaard Museum or the showstopping ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, tour the lush botanical gardens of Marselisborg Palace, or explore the open-air museum of urban history at Den Gamle By, it’s easy to see why Aarhus is Denmark’s rising star.

Enjoy a picturesque 10-hour passage from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea, between the city of Kiel and the mouth of the Elbe River. This great engineering achievement, completed in 1895, carves through the charming North German landscapes of Schleswig-Holstein.

Helsingborg is a coastal city in southern Sweden, across the Øresund Strait from Denmark, which is to the west. It’s known for its old town, home to the medieval Kärnan tower, the only surviving element of a fortress. Nearby is the Gothic Church of St. Mary, dating from the 1300s. The neo-Gothic Town Hall, with its tall clock tower, features stained-glass windows depicting important episodes in the city’s history.

See another side of this lovely city with a cruise along its charming canals. Visit the quaint old harbor at Nyhavn and beautiful Rosenborg Castle and, of course, the famed statue of the Little Mermaid. Or venture into the countryside and enjoy its panoramic vistas, fairy tale castles and the village of Fredensborg.

Spend your final full day at leisure in Copenhagen. Climb the twisting spire of the Church of Our Saviour, browse the design stores of Strøget, or take the train up the coast to Louisiana Museum of Modern Art for its sculpture garden overlooking the Øresund.

Your holiday comes to an end today. Interested in extending you stay? Ask us about our amazing range of packages available or speak with a Cruise Travel Advisor who will be able to customise your holiday with you.