Our Ports of Call - Baltic 2009

Stockholm, Sweden

Reputed for its natural beauty, Stockholm has been Sweden’s most significant city since the 13th century. The city houses two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Royal Palace Drottningholm and the Forest Cemetery Skogskyrkogården – and still features its original medieval street net in the Gamla Stan, the “Old Town.” The Royal Dramatic Theatre – one of Europe’s most renowed theatres – can be found here, as well as the Royal Swedish Opera and the Stockholm Globe Arena, one of the largest spherical buildings in the world. Stockholm is also home to the Swedish Museum of Fine Arts, containing Sweden's largest collection of art, with over 16,000 paintings and 30,000 objects of handicraft.

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St. Petersburg, Russia

Founded by Tsar Peter the Great in 1703, St. Petersburg served as the capital of Russia for more than two hundred years. Today, the city remains Russia’s second largest city and the most important Russian port on the Baltic. Known as the “City of Palaces,” St. Petersburg houses dozens of baroque and neoclassical palaces, and is home to St. Isaac’s Cathedral – one of the largest domed buildings in the world. The Hermitage museum, one of the world’s largest and richest collections of Western European art, is also found here. St. Petersburg's position below the Arctic Circle causes twilight to last all night in May, June, and July - a phenomenon known as the "White Nights of St. Petersburg" that regularly draws thousands of tourists each year.

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Helsinki, Finland

Named the second safest city in the world, Helsinki is the largest city in Finland and an ever popular tourist attraction. Popularly called the "Daughter of the Baltic," Helsinki is a very maritime city, and its coastal position makes it an ideal summertime experience from one of the many ferries leaving from its port. Other popular attractions include the Suomenlinna naval fortress (a UNESCO World Heritage site) and the Suerasaari Island, which houses numerous parks and an open-air museum. In the fall and winter, visitors may experience the classic Aleksanterinkatu's Christmas street for its magnificent lighting. Helsinki is also home to the Linnanmaki amusement park, which features five rollercoasters and many other rides.

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Warnemunde, Germany

Warnemunde is a delightful sea resort located on the Baltic Sea at the estuary of the river Warnow. Founded in 1200, Warnemunde became an important vacation spot in the 20th century, and is now filled with charming shops and lovely restaurants where regional specialties may be sampled. From this port you can visit Berlin – a two hour train ride away. Majestic Berlin is home to hundreds of art galleries and one of the most diverse and vibrant nightlife scenes in Europe. The city also houses 153 museums, including a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Museum Island, as well as over fifty theatres, three major opera houses, two major symphony orchestras (including the world-famous Berlin Philharmonic), two zoos, and the largest botanical garden in Europe.

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Copenhagen, Denmark

The capital of Denmark and the country’s largest city, Copenhagen is the seat of the national parliament and the monarchy. Free entertainment in the form of musicians, magicians, jugglers, and other street performenrs can be had in the late afternoon along the Strøget, a pedestrian shopping street in central Copenhagen. More formal destinations include Amalienborg Palace, home of the Danish monarchy; the Copenhagen Zoo; the National Museum of Denmark; andthe famous amusement park Tivoli Gardens, which receives millions of visitors every year from around Europe. A short hop from the city lies the city of Elsinore, home of the famous Kronborg Castle, which is known internationally as the setting for Shakespeare tragedy, “Hamlet.”

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Dover / London, England

The capital and largest urban area of both England and the UK, London has been an important settlement for two millennia. Its history goes back to its founding by the Romans, and although the city core still retains its limited medieval boundaries, the city now refers to the whole metropolis that has developed around it. London is one of the world's leading business, financial, and cultural centres, acting as headquarters for over 100 of Europe's 500 largest companies. The city boasts four World Heritage Sites: the Palace of Westminster, the Tower of London, Greenwich, and the Royal Botanic Gardens, and features the longest, oldest, and most expansive metro system in the world.

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