Northern Europe & the Kiel Canal

France’s Atlantic shore between Pointe de Grave, at the mouth of the Gironde River, and Biarritz, at the foot of the Pyrenées, is known as Côte d’Argent. The river narrows near Bordeaux, center to one of the world’s most celebrated wine-producing regions. More than 10,000 vineyards dot the countryside, providing most of the Epicurean nation’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Sémillon, Savignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes. Bordeaux reveals itself through taste and texture, historic stone façades, vine-covered hills, and the simple pleasure of lingering over a perfectly chosen glass. With hundreds of historical buildings and monuments, dozens of art galleries and museums, and distinctive French cuisine, Bordeaux is simply unmissable.

Nestled off the coast of Brittany in the Bay of Biskay, Belle Île (meaning “beautiful island”) is defined by its rugged coastline dotted with fissured cliffs, natural harbors, and sandy beaches. Explore the island by foot or bike, itself a nature preserve rich in shifting sand dunes, heathered moors, and protected orchids. The 16th-century Vaubun Citadel, the church of Locmaria, and the lighthouse of Gouphar are defining landmarks on this tiny island, perhaps no less approachable than the village charm of cobbled streets, outdoor markets, and delightful cafés.

This beautiful coastal town with a handful of harbors is located at the mouth of the Pouldavid River, an estuary on the southern shore of Douarnenez Bay. The opportune location allows easy access to the area’s untouched beaches, perfect for strolling and lounging. Experience the quaint atmosphere of Douarnenez’s lively quaysides and narrow streets dotted with craft workshops, fishermen’s cottages, and patisseries.

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.

One of the Channel Islands, the beautiful, steep island of Sark rises from the sea, outshined only by its scenic coastline. Three intimate harbors—Creux, La Maseline, and Havre Gosselin—allow for anchorage and easy access to its sheltered beaches. Sark is one of the few remaining islands where cars are banned and only bicycles and horse-drawn vehicles are permitted on its roads.

At approximately 20 miles wide at its narrowest point, the Strait of Dover is the slimmest section of the English Channel. As you pass through the strait, on a clear day the White Cliffs of Dover and the landscape of Calais, France come into view.

One of the world’s major seaports sitting pretty on the Scheldt River, Antwerp gained fame as the center of the diamond industry as well as its longstanding history for celebrating the fine arts. Its celebration of art and design can be seen in almost every corner of the city, including its museums, art galleries, and architecture. Because Antwerp is home to over 150 different nationalities, making it ethnically rich, it is home to incredible Napalese, Moroccan and Arabic cuisine. Of course, chocolate, coffee, and frites (fries, served up in your favorite frituur) are staples in this lovely, strollable city.

A dynamic mix of history and maritime culture, with a modern look and feel, the Netherlands’ city of Rotterdam is particularly impressive for its beautiful harbor, bold post-World War II architecture, and thriving art scene bursting with galleries and museums. Discover iconic landmarks like the Cube Houses, Overblaak Development, Markthal, and Erasmus Bridge, discover maritime history at the Maritime Museum, and stroll or cycle neighborhoods like trendy Witte de With and seventeenth-century Delfshaven, home to canalside shopping and dining.

Texel Island is located in the West Frisian Islands region of the Netherlands. As part of the remote Dutch Wadden island group that divides the North Sea from the shallow waters of the Wadden Sea, Texel is small and secluded, approximately twenty-five miles long and seven miles wide. Almost one-third of the island is allocated to nature reserves boasting deciduous and pine forest, heath, mudflats, and salt marshes. With miles of coastline, Texel’s beaches are beautifully widespread, serene, and perfect for a long walk. The highest point of the island is the dune, sitting in the Dunes of Texel National Park, providing an important respite for seals, sheep, terns and ducks, and Scottish Highlanders, best explored by bike.

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.

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.

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.

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.