"Not a fjord in the geological sense, the Oslo Fjord is actually a vast expanse of water stretching south from the Norwegian capital for nearly 100 kilometers (62 miles). Almost half of Norway's population lives within an hour's drive of the fjord, so there's plenty to see along the shoreline, from islands and skerries to major towns and cities.
Day Fredericia, DenmarkArrives 10:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM The small town of Fredericia was purpose-built as a fortress community on the eastern shore of Jutland in 1650. Today its friendly
townspeople are more dedicated to hospitality. The town's purpose is clearly evident on first sight, as the original ramparts, moats
and earthworks remain as an integral, albeit peaceful part of the town, and make a popular place to stroll or run beside the sea. The
White Water Tower, constructed in 1908, makes a good place from which to get an overview. On the nearby island of Funen, medieval
Egeskov Castle is a perfectly preserved example of defensive homebuilding. Its many rooms are fully furnished with every detail,
including a remarkable dollhouse called Titania's Palace containing no fewer than 3,000 miniature components. The castle's formal
gardens are one of Europe's finest. The 10th Century Viking Rune-Stones at the town of Jelling are inscribed as a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, commemorating the conversion of Denmark to Christianity by King Harald Bluetooth in 965. For a more modern, although
equally impressive experience, travel west to Billund, where the fanciful, sprawling mini-world of the original Legoland delights
young and old with extensive displays constructed entirely from the ubiquitous interlocking toy bricks invented there.
Day Warnemunde (Berlin), GermanyArrives 06:00 AM Departs 10:00 PM "Berlin can feel like the exception among Europe's capitals. While Rome, London and Paris emerged as important cities under the Roman Empire, Berlin wasn't established until the thirteenth century and only became a significant commercial center in the nineteenth. During the century and a half that it has been on the world stage, its history is almost unbelievable. This was a city that was synonymous with the glittering excesses of the Weimar Republic and then served as the capital of the Nazi regime. For 45 years, it was divided by an infamous wall, with half its citizens living in communist East Germany while West Berlin was an island of capitalist and western values located behind the Iron Curtain.
In 1990, Berlin resumed its role as the capital of a unified Germany. For the visitor today it's an intriguing, vibrant city. While devastated by bombings in World War II, its museums are still filled with cultural treasures. Thoughtful memorials and museums acknowledged the darker moments of its history, though it is the city's restaurants, bars, boutiques and galleries that tend to impress most visitors. Berlin enthusiastically embraces its artists and entrepreneurs, creating an exciting atmosphere of possibility.
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Day St. Petersburg, RussiaArrives 07:00 AM "St. Petersburg, Russia, emerged from the vision of one man, Czar Peter the Great, at the beginning of the 18th century and was the country's capital for 200 years, until the Russian Revolution. Pushkin called it Russia's ""window to Europe,"" and like Venice and Amsterdam, two cities that inspired Peter, the city was built on a network of canals.
Among the city's tourist attractions, the Hermitage is its most famous. It is one of the world's greatest art museums, and the largest museum in the worldâwith almost three million objects collected in five buildings. Performing arts, too, abound: Many of Russia's greatest ballets, plays and operas have premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre. Nearby, the summer residences of the czars, including Peterhof, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are dazzling gilded Baroque palaces for sightseeing in St. Petersburg."
Day St. Petersburg, RussiaDeparts 06:00 PM "St. Petersburg, Russia, emerged from the vision of one man, Czar Peter the Great, at the beginning of the 18th century and was the country's capital for 200 years, until the Russian Revolution. Pushkin called it Russia's ""window to Europe,"" and like Venice and Amsterdam, two cities that inspired Peter, the city was built on a network of canals.
Among the city's tourist attractions, the Hermitage is its most famous. It is one of the world's greatest art museums, and the largest museum in the worldâwith almost three million objects collected in five buildings. Performing arts, too, abound: Many of Russia's greatest ballets, plays and operas have premiered at the Mariinsky Theatre. Nearby, the summer residences of the czars, including Peterhof, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, are dazzling gilded Baroque palaces for sightseeing in St. Petersburg."
Day Tallinn, EstoniaArrives 08:00 AM Departs 04:00 PM "On the shores of the Baltic Sea, Tallinn, Estonia's largest city, is impossibly charming. Northern Europe's oldest capitalâit dates back to the 12th centuryâis also one of its best preserved, with much of its Old Town constructed when it was a bustling port in the Hanseatic League.
Explore the upper portion on Toompea Hill, where there is an impressive castle and the 19th-century Alexander Nevsky cathedral, a vestige from the Russian Empire, then head to the lower section for churches and merchants' homes off twisting medieval streets.
Tallinn isn't, however, simply a historic showpiece. Just a short walk from the UNESCO World Heritage-designated core is a dynamic, future-facing city of glass buildings and trendy restaurants and boutiques catering to the city's young professionalsâas well as visiting travelers.
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Day Stockholm, Sweden / Cruising Stockholm ArchipelagoArrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM / Cruising Spread over more than a dozen islands linked by bridges, the Swedish capital of Stockholm is one of the most effortlessly enjoyable cities in Europe. Go sightseeing in Stockholm's elegant Ãstermalm with its chic interior design stores; verdant DjurgÃ¥rden with its museums, cultural sights and acres of rolling parkland; ancient Gamla Stan with its cobbled streets that surround the Royal Palace; and trendy Södermalm with its cool neighborhoods and even cooler inhabitants. Stockholm is easy to navigate on foot or by public transport, and wherever you roam, you're never far from water or parkland attractions in Stockholm.
Cruising Stockholm Archipelago
"When approaching the Swedish capital by sea, spare a thought for the captain. It can't be easy to carefully navigate the narrow channels of the Stockholm Archipelagoâchannels densely dotted with somewhere in the region of 30,000 islands. Many of these islands are little more than granite outcrops inhabited only by seabirds. Some have thriving communities year round, but many more see their populations rocket in the warmer months when ferry service from the city resumes and Stockholmers escape to spend time at their summer homes and on their boats.
The larger islands have distinct personalities: Sandhamn, for instance, becomes a major sailing hub, its harbor packed with yachts, while Grinda has a famous värdshusâan old-fashioned innâwhere people come for dinner and to spend the night. Whatever time of year you visit, the journey through the archipelago to reach Stockholmâwhich is itself composed of 14 interconnected islandsâis always spectacular, and helps you understand why Stockholm's residents are so proud and protective of this area of outstanding natural beauty."
Day At Sea
Day Copenhagen, DenmarkArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM "Copenhagen is one of the easiest European capitals to fall in love with. The sights of old buildings, cobbled streets and the tower- and turret-dotted skyline lend fairy-tale charmâthis was, after all, the home of author Hans Christian Andersen. But make no mistake: This is a thoroughly modern city with international clout.
Restaurants around the world draw inspiration from the New Nordic cuisine pioneered by Noma and other Copenhagen restaurants, while Danish design from this century and the last is universally admired and coveted. Urban planners flock here to try to work out just how the city remains so livable and yet so functional, and despite its wealth of old buildings, Copenhagen's not locked in the past; there are also thrilling examples of modern architecture.
Copenhagen is a city that's easy to find things to do and explore on foot or by excellent public transport, where everyone speaks perfect English, the food is fresh and innovative, and there's plenty of locally brewed beerâwhich, of course, is best enjoyed sitting by the water on a sunny day.
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