Jewels of the Baltic - Y340 Rotterdam departing 3 Jun 2023

A stop in Amsterdam offers the chance to explore the sights of one of Europe’s most colorful, dynamic and historic cities—one with a well-earned reputation as a laid-back and inviting place for people of all stripes. Visitors are naturally drawn to the historic city center where you’ll find some of the world’s top art museums, including the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. And at Dam Square, the Amsterdam’s largest public square, you can tour the Royal Palace before continuing to the tourist attractions on the Canal Belt. The iconic network of waterways that surrounds the downtown area offers a picturesque backdrop for sightseeing by bike or canal boat. Be sure to visit the floating Bloemenmarkt to peruse famed Dutch tulips, and take time to wander and window-shop among the narrow lanes of de Jordaan. And you won’t have to look far in Amsterdam to find delicious Dutch treats along the way. Just duck into a cozy brown café to sample a plate of bitterballen with mustard and a beer, and grab a gooey sweet stroopwafel from a street vendor as you stroll.

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 charm—this 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 beer—which, of course, is best enjoyed sitting by the water on a sunny day.

Inseparable from its modern history, Berlin decidedly features it. In the former Soviet/American/British sectors are the Berlin Cathedral, Checkpoint Charlie, Unter den Linden Boulevard and the stunning Brandenburg Gate. In the Western sector, browse the lively Kurfurstendamm for snazzy clothing stores, delicate hand-painted porcelain and a snack of beer and bratwurst.

Medieval capital of Bornholm Island, rich in history. Marvel at Viking relics and 12th-century fortress churches.

Medieval walls and towers still stand tall in Tallinn’s Old Town. Stroll and shop along cobblestone streets, walk up to the Baroque palace in the Upper Town, look out over the red roofs to the Baltic below, drop in at Alexander Nevsky Cathedral to find inspiration in the gleaming mosaics and icons. Crisp, gorgeous linen is a local specialty—find yours at a small store near the town hall square.

Shaped by its bays and off-shore islands, Helsinki is one of Europe’s most scenic capitals. Take an archipelago cruise, walk the esplanade shopping streets, hear a Sibelius concert, or tour across the Arctic Circle to Lapland, home of Santa Claus, reindeer and the Midnight Sun

Barely able to claim that it has emerged from the Middle Ages, Visby is a jumble of immaculate cobblestone streets winding this way and that—purposely confusing for any invaders who actually made it over the medieval walls. Right! Consider exploring by bike, then you’ll have every excuse to refresh yourself with an icy aquavit or stop for Scandinavian treats at a killer bakery in town.

There’s so much to see in charming Stockholm, sprawled on 18 islands, often called the “Venice of the North.” Cruise the sparkling waterways and navigate narrow, medieval streets. Watch the snappy changing of the guard at the Baroque Royal Palace and sail into Viking history with a visit to the awesome Vasa Museum. Work up an appetite so you can do justice to a lavish smorgasbord.

A university town, naval base, and Germany’s largest passenger port, Kiel offers the perfect blend of urban charm, culture and history. Kiel also serves as your gateway for Hamburg, a beautiful port city on the Elbe River. Spend a delightful day exploring St. Michael’s baroque church, the St. Pauli District, and the gardens and cafés around Alster Lake. Sample shore excursions: Hamburg – Germany’s Gateway to the World; Medieval Lüneburg by Horse & Carriage.

Denmark’s second city often seems to sit modestly in the shadow of its better-known big sister. But this picturesque town of winding canals and cobbled streets has many of the capital’s charms without its crowds of tourists. As well as dictating its waterside confines, Århus’s location on the east coast of the Jutland Peninsula yields a rich natural bounty that the city’s restaurateurs have exploited with aplomb. Dishes such as caviar and wood smoke at Frederikshøj, or rye and rabbit ravioli at Restaurant Substans, have helped win a clutch of Michelin stars for the region’s pioneering chefs and cement it as a frontrunner of the New Nordic food scene; its affordable street food offerings are no less exciting.The city also holds its own on the design and architecture front, boosted by its 2017 designation as a European Capital of Culture, which resulted in a collection of waterside developments that are architecturally innovative, but anchored by a simple and pleasing Danish aesthetic. In short, this is a city in which to relax, imbibe, and enjoy both the bracing Danish sea air and a touch of laid-back metropolitan class.

A stop in Amsterdam offers the chance to explore the sights of one of Europe’s most colorful, dynamic and historic cities—one with a well-earned reputation as a laid-back and inviting place for people of all stripes. Visitors are naturally drawn to the historic city center where you’ll find some of the world’s top art museums, including the Rijksmuseum and the Van Gogh Museum. And at Dam Square, the Amsterdam’s largest public square, you can tour the Royal Palace before continuing to the tourist attractions on the Canal Belt. The iconic network of waterways that surrounds the downtown area offers a picturesque backdrop for sightseeing by bike or canal boat. Be sure to visit the floating Bloemenmarkt to peruse famed Dutch tulips, and take time to wander and window-shop among the narrow lanes of de Jordaan. And you won’t have to look far in Amsterdam to find delicious Dutch treats along the way. Just duck into a cozy brown café to sample a plate of bitterballen with mustard and a beer, and grab a gooey sweet stroopwafel from a street vendor as you stroll.