Northern Europe & the Kiel Canal

Ports

• Oslo
  

  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.

• Lysekil
  

  The town of Lysekil sits on Sweden’s Bohuslän Coast, where the mouth of Gullmarsfjorden faces the open sea. The Stångehuvuds Nature Reserve, affording incredible sea views from its red granite cliffs, are joined by a white lighthouse. In the Old Town, cobblestone streets and café-lined alleyways reveal perfectly manicured houses, several of which bear plaques telling the story of their history. Towering above Lysekil’s skyline, Lysekil Church was built entirely from granite and completed in 1901, in part as a navigation marker for seafarers.

• Morning sail through the Little Belt
  

• Faaborg
  

  Faaborg, a harbor town located on Denmark’s island of Funen island, is steeped in history and charm. Defined by narrow cobblestone roads, dotted with merchants’ homes, and an iconic Bell Tower, notable landmarks worth discovering include the Faaborg Church, dating from 1477, and Faaborg Museum, built to house works by the Funen Painters, today home to an important collection of painting, sculpture, architecture, and furniture design.

• Kiel Canal Transit
  

  Thrill to one of the world’s most unique sailing experiences, a transit of the storied Kiel Canal. The idea for a waterway connecting the Baltic and North Seas was conceived by Chancellor Otto von Bismarck during the Danish-German War of 1864, as the Germans were keen to avoid Danish hostility while sailing around the Jutland Peninsula. The ambitious project, however, didn’t come to fruition until 1895 under the auspices of Wilhelm II, albeit right on budget. These days, the canal’s purpose is primarily mercantile. While transiting, look out over a famously flat landscape of well-tended fields, dense forests and quaint villages, and pass under a succession of steel overpasses, including the fascinating Rendsburg High Bridge, both a railway viaduct and a transporter bridge. When you emerge into the open sea, you’ll have the satisfaction of having undertaken a remarkable transit only available to smaller vessels.

• The Hague (Scheveningen)
  

  A resort nestled in sandy dunes outside the Hague, Scheveningen boasts wide sandy beaches and beautiful seascapes. It is the gateway to The Hague, home of the United Nations and notable monuments including its Gothic-style Binnenhof, seat of the Dutch Parliament, and Noordeinde Palace.

• At Sea
  

• Guernsey, Channel Islands
  

  Boasting an immensely picturesque coastline, the Channel Island of Guernsey has long attracted artists such as Auguste Renoir to its welcoming shores. In the capital of St. Peter Port, wander through commanding Castle Cornet, a 13th-century marvel of military engineering that sits on a rocky headland jutting out at sea. Admire some of the earliest heated glass houses at the Candie Gardens, whose elegantly landscaped grounds are laid out with Victorian thoughtfulness and contemplate Victor Hugo’s not entirely uncomfortable exile at Hauteville House, the splendid manor where he wrote Les Miserables. Hop on a bicycle to explore the picturesque hills and dales of the island, perhaps riding past a herd of the island’s famed namesake cows, and revitalize at an authentic tea house, where age-old traditions are carefully observed. For that perfect keepsake, shop along cobbled streets overflowing with charm, maybe pausing at a fresh-caught seafood restaurant for a taste of the island’s famed crab. No matter how you choose to spend your time, the leisurely pace of life in delightful Guernsey will replenish your spirit.

• Bordeaux
  

  Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France. The city of Bordeaux, with a population of 239,157 inhabitants in 2010, is the ninth largest city in France; its metropolitan area is the sixth largest in France, with a population of 1,127,776. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture of the Gironde department. Its inhabitants are called "Bordelais" (for men) or "Bordelaises" (women). The term "Bordelais" may also refer to the city and its surrounding region. Bordeaux is the world's major wine industry capital. It is home to the world's main wine fair, Vinexpo (fr), while the wine economy in the metro area takes in 14.5 billion euros each year. Bordeaux wine has been produced in the region since the 8th century. The historic part of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding urban and architectural ensemble" of the 18th century.