Scandinavia & Northern Europe Discovery

Norway is a land steeped in myth, where irascible gods armed with frost and lightning once inspired Viking clans to plunder foreign lands. These days, genteel customs imported from mainland Europe have softened the country’s hard edges, but traces of an unruly past still abound. The exceptional museums dotting the Bygdøy Peninsula hold some of the city’s foremost attractions, including a thousand-year-old longship that was preserved in mud and the 12th-century Gol Stave Church, an exemplar of Norway’s distinctive wood sanctuaries. No less fascinating is a visit to the 1892 Fram, a legendary ship revered for her vital role in early polar explorations. To witness the evolution of Oslo’s soul, contrast battle-hardened Akershus Fortress, a ruggedly elegant citadel wrapped in nearly impregnable ramparts, with the neoclassical Royal Palace, whose formal exterior encloses sumptuously appointed rooms. You might wish to view Edvard Munch’s iconic The Scream, which hangs in the outstanding Norwegian National Gallery amid priceless European and Scandinavian masterworks. In expansive Frogner Park, wander among Gustav Vigeland’s thought-provoking sculptures, and if you’ve worked up an appetite, choose among the many restaurants and cafés lining the charming waterfront district of Aker Brygge.

Skagen sits at the northernmost point of Denmark, tucked in a peninsula where the North Sea meets the Baltic Sea. This remote coastal town, settled in 1400s as a fishing village, provides stunning landscapes of white-sand beaches, unwavering grassland, and verdant forest. Notable is its Old Church, which since 1775 has been buried in sand, and the Skagen Museum, holding the impressionist works of the Skagen Painters, who drew inspiration from the area’s abundant natural light. To the south lies Råbjerg Mile, Northern Europe’s most prominent migrating sand dunes.

There’s much to treasure in glorious Copenhagen, one of Europe’s most beautiful capital cities. No visit is complete without indulging your inner child at the Tivoli Gardens, a fantastical amusement park and pleasure garden that melds the atmosphere of 19th-century Europe with recreations of Far East architecture, all amid wonderfully manicured grounds. After paying your respects to the city’s iconic statue of Hans Christian Andersen’s Little Mermaid, shop to your heart’s content on Strøget, an elegant lane flanked by sophisticated boutiques housed in graceful buildings. Although its exterior is handsomely austere, the interior rooms of the 18th-century Christiansborg Palace are sure to dazzle you with their extravagant stucco ceilings, brilliant chandeliers and gilded furniture. Fast forward to the 19th century at the spectacular Copenhagen Botanical Garden, where innumerable plant species are showcased in absolutely stunning historical glasshouses. Should you have the stomach for it, take in the entire city from the tower of the Church of our Saviour, which must be reached via vertiginous exterior spiral staircase. No matter how you’ve spent your day, a terrific place to wind down is the quayside Nyhavn district, where colorful historic buildings host an eclectic choice of cafés, bars and restaurants.

Located on the Baltic Sea at the estuary of the Warnow River, the seaside resort of Warnemünde is your gateway to Berlin, Germany’s vibrant capital. Notable for its lively cultural scene, highlights in and around Berlin include the baroque Charlottenburg Palace and 13th-century St. Nicholas Church. The Berlin Wall, built after World War II to divide the city, was torn down in 1989, but monuments such as Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie exist today as notable reminders of the city’s history. Berlin boasts many theaters and museums, including the Pergamon Museum, showcasing a collection of classical antiquities and Hellenistic art, including the famed Greek Altar of Zeus.

Rügen is the name of an archipelago of 30 small islands and peninsulas that jut into the Baltic Sea off Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Germany’s largest island, also known as Rügen, was an Imperial resort. The nostalgic Belle Epoque legacy lingers in its tiny fishing villages, secluded beaches, and pleasant tree-lined avenues. The seaside resort of Sassnitz is your gateway to the nearby Jasmund National Park with its unique chalk cliffs. Enjoy the island’s well-maintained trails or take a bicycle and pedal across the countryside.

History lives on the gentle Baltic winds that carry Bornholm. The island’s fortified round churches and archaic ruins are its legacy and strike sharp contrast to the contemporary beach resorts. Akirkeby, at the island’s center, is the largest and oldest town. Founded in 1346, it was a popular medieval spiritual center. Stroll Gudhjelm to admire the colorful seaside town. Wisps from smokehouse chimneys fill the air with the scent of cured herring. At the town’s Oluf Host Museum, many canvases depict local scenes.

The Hanseatic walled trading town of Visby on the island of Gotland dates from the Viking Age, formed on a shore with a natural harbor, sheltered by steep cliff formations. This fairytale locale is a UNESCO World Heritage site, known for its well-preserved town wall and medieval fortification and towers. The town’s abundant churches include St. Mary’s Cathedral and the medieval ruins of St. Nicolai and St. Karin.

An enchanting municipality at the meeting point of Lake Mälaren and the Baltic Sea, the Swedish capital is one of the world’s great maritime cities. Stockholm’s maritime doorstep is a magnificent archipelago of more than 24,000 islands and islets–many just big enough to support a single cottage. As you yacht toward the 13th-century "city that floats on water,” landmarks such as Storkyrkan (Stockholm Cathedral) and Three Crowns Tower come into view. The medieval Gamla Stan district is the historic core of the original Stadsholmen Island settlement.