21-night Gulf Of Bothnia & Baltic Coasts Exploration Cruise

Jun 30, 2029 - Stockholm

Stockholm is Sweden’s strikingly elegant and beautiful capital. Stockholm, noted for its outstanding architecture, is one of Scandinavia’s most attractive cities. In addition to its many man-made monuments, Stockholm boasts natural beauty - with one-third of the city’s total land area devoted to parks. As the country’s major city, Stockholm offers a wealth of monuments and sites, fine museums, and a rich culture. There are also hundreds of excellent restaurants, as well as a great selection of trendy boutiques and exciting nightclubs. Visitors should start their exploration of Stockholm with the Gamla Stan, the Old Town on Stadsholmen; an island in the center of the city, it has retained its medieval charm. The maze of narrow, cobbled streets, full of art studios, boutiques, antique shops, nightclubs and bars, is best explored on foot.

Jul 01, 2029 - Rauma

Founded in 1442, Rauma is among Finland's oldest towns with a long history of marine trade and one of the region's cultural centers. Shop, dine and explore the marketplace or Old Rauma, one of the best preserved medieval towns with wooden architecture in the Nordic countries.
 

Jul 02, 2029 - Harnosand

Jul 03, 2029 - Lulea

Luleå has a variety of cultural institutions to visit including Norrbottens museum, and Norrbotten big band. In January 2007 the Cultural house (Kulturens Hus) was opened, which hosts concerts, and art exhibitions. Shopping, is one of the world's first indoor malls, and Lulea also offers excellent shopping at Strand and Smedjan. The two main shopping streets in the city center are located on Storgatan and Kungsgatan streets.

Jul 04, 2029 - Oulu

The coastal city of Oulu, 330 mi/530 km north of Helsinki, is a center for information technology and a good base for visits farther north. There are several small islands to visit in the area (especially Hailuoto Island—home to an open-air museum and a lovely old lighthouse), as well as beautiful parks, museums and some wonderful old churches. Liminka, just south of Oulu, has the Liminganlahti Bird Sanctuary, which manages to attract more bird species than anywhere else in Finland.

The town of Raahe makes a nice day trip: It has a quaint Old Town (200 wooden buildings), a marketplace and Pekka Square (19th-century buildings), as well as the Raahe Museum. Founded in 1862, it's the oldest museum in Finland, with displays illustrating the history of shipping and trade. If driving up from the south, consider stopping in the town of Paltaniemi, near Kajaani, to see the 18th-century church and the adjoining Czar's Stables.

Jul 05, 2029 - Kemi

A small and unexceptional far-northern coastal town and port for most of the year, Kemi (320 mi/520 km northwest of Helsinki) hosts the extraordinary SnowCastle from January until April—or until it starts to melt. The castle is a fantasy in ice and snow, with elaborate ice sculptures, an ice stage for concerts, a snow chapel—popular for weddings—and a bar serving vodka in glasses made from ice. It's possible to stay in the Castle's Snow Hotel, too, although there are typically snug hotels available in the town. Visitors often combine a night in the Snow Hotel with a four-hour cruise on the Sampo, a retired icebreaker. Passengers can even bathe using special suits in holes in the ice below the ship.

Jul 06, 2029 - At Sea

Jul 07, 2029 - Helsinki

Often referred to as "Pearl of the Baltic," this neat city is known for impressive architecture, wide boulevards, and beautiful harbor. Grand Senate Square, dominated by exquisite Tuomio Church and onion domes of Russian Orthodox Uspenski Cathedral, is an example of neo-Classical, Empire-style impressive architecture. Visit the lively harborfront market and Temppeliaukioa Church (Rock Church), which was created in the 60's from man-made and natural materials. Finland’s musical heritage comes alive in great Finlandia Hall, designed by renowned architect Alvar Aalto. Finland’s beloved composer, Jean Sibelius, is remembered by a beautiful monument on Helsinki’s outskirts. Helsinki has good museums displaying everything from art to architectural design. Open-air Museum - the small wooded island of Seurasaari - has a collection of vernacular buildings assembled from all over Finland which provide insight into how country folk lived until recently. Suomenlinna Fortress is the largest in the world and often called Gibraltar of the North.

Jul 08, 2029 - Tallinn

Tallinn's many occupations over the centuries have resulted in a cultural mix and unique ambiance of this maritime city. Old Town's cobbled streets and 13th-14th century buildings attract thousands of visitors annually who admire the city’s heritage of medieval buildings, the imposing City Hall, the Orthodox Cathedral, Toompea Castle and Oleviste Church. See former guild houses, including the Great Guildhall of the medieval Hanseatic League. Other attractions include impressive Town Hall Square with 15th century Gothic Town Hall, and numerous Gothic churches including Toomekirik. Toompea Castle has fine views over Tallinn. In Hirve Park, Estonians have rallied recently in protest of foreign occupation. "Tall Herman" and "Fat Margaret" are two towers among the remnants of the original defense walls. The "Fat Margaret" tower now houses a Maritime Museum on Tallinn’s history as a busy port. Other museums include: The House of Knights on Toompea Hill which displays Estonian art from the 19th and 20th centuries; the Museum of Decorative and Applied Art.

Jul 09, 2029 - At Sea

Jul 10, 2029 - Riga

Now reasserting its proud Baltic heritage after the return of Latvia's independence, this ancient Hanseatic river-port is the largest city of the Baltic States and a showcase for the restored Old Riga with its cobbled pedestrian streets, towers and spires of medieval churches and venerable facades of gabled 17th century German merchants' homes. It is surrounded by a moat and contains several medieval buildings, including a 13th-century cathedral and guild halls from the 14th century. Riga is still historically and architecturally fascinating.

Jul 11, 2029 - Klaipeda

Klaipeda (formerly Memel) is a port in western Lithuania on the Baltic Sea. It has shipyards, factories, museums and an aquarium.

Jul 12, 2029 - Gdansk (Gdynia)

Historic Gdansk represents one of the richest, most lavish complexes of architectonic relics in Poland. The entrances to historic quarters are huge stone gateways guarding the main thoroughfare; the well-proportioned tower of town hall makes a powerful impact. The main square is filled with fine mansions. St. Mary’s Church is the world's largest brick church, with a capacity of 25,000. Dominating the waterside is seven-story Great Mill. Gdynia is the modern port for Gdansk. Near Gdansk is Sopot, one of the most fashionable seaside resorts in northern Europe during the 19th century and the country’s most popular health spa with its beach and flair for entertainment. Sopot is known as an important music center, featuring an annual Opera and International Song Festival. Gdansk Historical Museum has lavish decorations and fascinating exhibits. Maritime Museum features a model of every ship produced in local shipyards since 1945 and is housed in the massive 15th-century Gdansk Crane. National Art Museum, one of Gdansk’s highlights, boasts a collection of Gothic art and sculpture.

Jul 13, 2029 - Ystad

Ystad is a half-timbered medieval town so perfectly preserved a visitor could find their way to the city center using the old town map from 1753. Visit museums, boutiques, art studios, and ancient monasteries.

Jul 14, 2029 - Copenhagen

Wonderful Copenhagen is a city of bridge-spanned canals, copper-roofed buildings and manicured parks. This famous Baltic seaport is one of Europe’s loveliest capitals and the seat of the oldest monarchy in the world. Copenhagen is a focus for commerce, culture, industry and cosmopolitan atmosphere. The locale of Hans Christian Andersen’s enchanting tale of The Little Mermaid, Copenhagen is known as Denmark’s fairy-tale city. Its impressive theaters, museums and churches are of interest to many visitors; the best-loved attractions include the world-famous Tivoli Gardens, the Langelinie Harbor with its Little Mermaid statue and the busy shopping promenade known as Strøget.

Jul 15, 2029 - Gothenburg

Located at the mouth of the Göta River, Gothenburg (Goteborg), Sweden’s second largest city, is the busiest port in Scandinavia and one of Sweden’s prettiest and friendliest cities. Its town center, crisscrossed by canals, allows pedestrians to enjoy many traffic-free streets. Cultural events include the National Orchestra of Sweden at the Concert Hall or opera and ballet at the Opera House. The local clubs stage many international and Swedish artists. Shops in the city range from high street chains to exclusive boutiques. Sample one of the best cuisines in Europe. Visit picturesque cafés and sample some of the best food in Europe or visit one of the 17 museums in the city.

Jul 16, 2029 - Aarhus

Lined by woods and beaches, Aarhus (Arhus) invites you to enjoy its many attractions. Best known and treasured is probably the open-air museum ``the Old Town'' with more than 60 half-timbered houses, all carefully removed from their original sites throughout the country and restored here. The Prehistoric Museum of Moesgaard contains ethnographical and archaeological collections. Old Aarhus has narrow streets and alleys where many old houses converted into art shops, pottery workshops, galleries and cafes. Aarhus is the city where the Danish Royal family spends many holidays. With a magnificent view of the Park, Bay of Aarhus, and Marselisborg Woods the site is one of the best in Denmark. Aarhus has a rich cultural life all year. The beautiful Concert Hall adds new dimensions to the wide choice of cultural events. Aarhus is above all the City of Music.

Jul 17, 2029 - Kiel Canal

The Kiel Canal, also known as the Nord-Ostsee Kanal, is an artificial waterway in northwestern Germany that links the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. The canal extends in a northeastern direction across the farmIands of Schleswig-Holstein from Brunsbüttel, near the mouth of the Elbe River, to Kiel, on the Baltic. Constructed between 1887 and 1895 and subsequently enlarged, it is about 60 mi long, 335 ft wide, and 36 ft deep. The canal shortened the distance between the North and Baltic seas by about 200 mi and eliminated the difficult passage around Jutland. It was internationalized by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

Jul 17, 2029 - Hamburg

Welcome to Hamburg, formerly Germany's largest city, which has a skyline dominated by historic spires, the largest port, the center of trade, and the most daring nightlife. Obviously, a city of superlatives, there is a reserved, gentlemanly quality about the citizens of Hamburg. Hamburg is a busy city of docks, quays and ships; the St. Pauli quarter where movie houses, restaurants, stage shows, bars and frivolous nightlife vie for patronage of thousands of tourists, sailors and locals. Hamburg is every shoppers dream and through its port, the city offers a wide range of varied and well-priced goods from elegant shopping to young fashion and antique shopping. Music and theater play a prominent role in Hamburg's daily life with the Hamburgische Staatsoper enjoying an international reputation for the staging of ballet repertoires. The revolutionary "communications centres", which combine arts, crafts, experimental theater and communications, in the widest sense represent the city's alternative cultural force.

Jul 18, 2029 - Hamburg

Welcome to Hamburg, formerly Germany's largest city, which has a skyline dominated by historic spires, the largest port, the center of trade, and the most daring nightlife. Obviously, a city of superlatives, there is a reserved, gentlemanly quality about the citizens of Hamburg. Hamburg is a busy city of docks, quays and ships; the St. Pauli quarter where movie houses, restaurants, stage shows, bars and frivolous nightlife vie for patronage of thousands of tourists, sailors and locals. Hamburg is every shoppers dream and through its port, the city offers a wide range of varied and well-priced goods from elegant shopping to young fashion and antique shopping. Music and theater play a prominent role in Hamburg's daily life with the Hamburgische Staatsoper enjoying an international reputation for the staging of ballet repertoires. The revolutionary "communications centres", which combine arts, crafts, experimental theater and communications, in the widest sense represent the city's alternative cultural force.

Jul 19, 2029 - At Sea

Jul 20, 2029 - Antwerp

Antwerp is famous for its art treasures, diamond industry, and culture, relaxation and entertainment. Shop at Grote Markt, at the heart of which stands Brabo Fountain. Antwerp’s main attractions include stunning City Hall, one of the most important buildings of the Northern Renaissance; Our Lady’s Cathedral, one of the finest gothic churches in Belgium; and the daintily restored 16th-century guildhouses. Visit Diamond Land or Provincial Diamond Museum. Other sights include The Steen - a waterfront gatehouse of a medieval fortress built on site of a 9th-century fortification from which the town spread that now houses the National Maritime Museum; Mayer van den Berg Art Museum; Royal Art Gallery - which has 2,500 paintings spanning five centuries; and Plantin-Moretus Museum - a 16th-century patrician mansion that was a famous printing house of the Plantin and Moretus families.

Jul 21, 2029 - London (Dover)

The white cliffs of Dover are famous in song and story. From Dover you can visit nearby Canterbury or take a full-day excursion to see the sights of London, Westminster Abbey, Trafalgar Square, Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and more.