Day Copenhagen, DenmarkArrives 07:00 AM Departs 04:00 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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Day Warnemunde (Berlin), GermanyArrives 07:00 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 At Sea
Day Tallinn, EstoniaArrives 09:00 AM Departs 05:00 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 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 Stockholm, Sweden / Cruising Stockholm ArchipelagoArrives 08:00 AM Departs 06:00 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 Kiel (Hamburg), GermanyArrives 07:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM "Located a short 90-kilometer drive or train journey from the seaside port of Kiel, Hamburg is one of Germany's most cosmopolitan cities. The city's character is powered by the mighty River Elbe, which passes by Hamburg's stylish neighborhoods on its way to the North Sea. Often referred to as Germany's âGateway to the Worldâ due to its position as the biggest commercial port in the country, the city is filled with an air of maritime mystique and excitement. The city has launched ships since the reign of Charlemagne, but it was also instrumental in launching the musical career of The Beatles, who played in multiple venues in the city before releasing their second single, Please Please Me, in 1962 and rising to fame.
Today, with a newly named UNESCO World Heritage Site, upscale shopping districts and a distinct European flavor, Hamburg retains an energetic and eclectic atmosphere where historic and modern charm meet.
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Day Arhus, DenmarkArrives 08:00 AM Departs 05:00 PM Denmark's second largest city is an important port and home to Scandinavia's largest university. Its 12th Century Cathedral and the charming Old Town Museum contrast nicely with the ultra-modern architecture springing up in the former âDocklandsâ and the ARoS Art Museum. It is also enjoys one of Europe's youngest urban demographics, with a lively nightlife and busy cultural scene including a famous annual international jazz festival. Originally a Viking settlement, Aarhus has its own Tivoli amusement park with four roller coasters in the city center, a world-class concert hall and orchestra and a large Botanical Gardens.