Day Scenic cruising Elbe River / Hamburg, GermanyCruising / Arrives 04:00 PM The second-longest river in Germany after the Rhine, the Elbe flows for over 1,000 kilometers (700 miles) between the KrkonoÅ¡e Mountains in the north of the Czech Republicâwhere the river is known as the Labeâand the North Sea. One of Central Europe's major rivers, it's also one of the most popular in Germany for boat cruises due to the array of natural and cultural sights along the way. Cruise passengers can see the looming sandstone massif outside Dresden, the vineyards of Saxony and many historic towns, including Wittenberg, the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation, and MeiÃen, which is famous for the manufacture of porcelain. The river also winds through several major cities, such as Prague, Berlin, Magdeburg and Hamburg. The stretch between Hamburg and the North Sea is fascinating not only because of the many attractions in and around the cityâwhich has one of the busiest ports in the worldâbut because of smaller cities and towns like Glückstadt and Cuxhaven, and the various islands and natural sites that can be observed en route.
Hamburg, Germany
"Hamburg is one of Germany's most cosmopolitan cities, with celebrated cultural venues, leading museums and lively shopping and dining districts. The city's character is powered by the mighty River Elbe, which passes by stylish neighborhoods on its way to the North Sea. Its two lakes are also among Hamburg's most famous features, where residents come to sail, kayak and canoe while others bike and walk on the shaded pathways along their shores.
Day Hamburg, GermanyDeparts 07:00 PM "Hamburg is one of Germany's most cosmopolitan cities, with celebrated cultural venues, leading museums and lively shopping and dining districts. The city's character is powered by the mighty River Elbe, which passes by stylish neighborhoods on its way to the North Sea. Its two lakes are also among Hamburg's most famous features, where residents come to sail, kayak and canoe while others bike and walk on the shaded pathways along their shores.
Often referred to as Germany's Gateway to the World, due to its role as the biggest commercial port in the country (and the second largest in Europe), the city has a maritime atmosphere and bustle. Hamburg has launched ships since the Middle Ages, but it was also instrumental in launching the musical career of the Beatles, who played in multiple venues on the Reeperbahn in the city's St. Pauli district. It was here that they recorded the single that would launch them to stardom, ""Please Please Me.""
Today, with two of its portside districts recently added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, upscale shopping districts and a distinct European flavor, Hamburg retains an energetic and eclectic atmosphere where historic and modern charms meet.
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Day At Sea
Day Copenhagen, DenmarkArrives 07:00 AM Departs 11:00 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 At Sea
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 Tallinn, EstoniaArrives 09:00 AM Departs 06:00 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 Visby, Gotland, SwedenArrives 10:00 AM Departs 06:00 PM This delightful hilly town, boasting medieval houses and ruined fortifications, is the island of Gotland's capital city. Due to its gentle climate an abundance of roses bloom here, even as late as November, marking Visby as "The City of Roses." In its heyday, Visby was one of the richest trading centers in northern Europe. Remains of the medieval city walls are considered to be among the best-preserved in Europe. Additional points of interest include the cathedral, one of the town's 17 medieval churches still in use today; the Old Apothecary, a late medieval four-story merchant's house; and the Fornsal Museum with an interesting exhibit of medieval artwork, hordes of silver from Viking times, and impressive picture stones that predate the Viking rune stones.