12-night Northern Cities Voyage

Portugal’s capital is an 18th-century city - elegant, open to the sea and carefully planned. Most places of interest are within easy walking distance. Rossio Square, the heart of Lisbon since medieval times, is an ideal place to start exploring. Many rebuilt houses with original façades provide stores and restaurants with modern interiors. High above Baixa is Bairro Alto - with its teeming nightlife. There are many monuments and museums, such as San Jeronimos Monastery, Royal Coach Museum and Gulbenkian Museum. Two well-known landmarks are the Monument to the Discoveries and the Tower of Belem. A statue of Christ looms above Europe’s longest suspension bridge. Madragoa, Bica and Bairro Alto, Lisbon’s older sections, offer a variety of sights: the Church of Sao Roque, with its beautiful tiles; St. George Castle, which offers a splendid view from its location above the Alfama quarter; the botanical gardens, featuring an unusual, cold greenhouse; and the cathedral, stunning with its Moorish design. Renowned Gulbenkian Museum is the cultural center of Portugal.

The seaport of the city of Oporto (Porto), Leixoes provides easy access into the city, which is famous for its port wine. Other attractions in Oporto include Torre dos Clérigos, a baroque tower; the two-storied Dom Luis bridge across the Douro River; the Crystal Palace; and the Serralves Museum of Contemporary Art.

St. Peter Port is situated hillside overlooking the picturesque harbor of Guernsey. Brightly painted houses, granite stairs and cobbled lanes climb the hill, providing great views of the port and medieval castle. Among St. Peter's Church's former residents were Guernsey's Royalist Lieutenant Governor, and French and German occupation forces. Enjoy the idyllic countryside or stroll narrow streets of pretty St. Peter Port, enjoying the ambiance making Guernsey special. Town Church - found on the waterfront - is a 12th-century granite church. From the 18th century, the assembly of Market Halls stocked with the region’s produce are wonderful for browsing and taking photos. An excellent display traces Guernsey history. The Guernsey Museum and Art Gallery houses Lukis archaeological collection and Wilfred Carey collection of paintings, prints and cereamics. Descending from the museum are beautiful Candie Gardens laid out in 1898 with exotic plants. German Underground Hospital is a complex of tunnels memorialized to many forced laborers who worked on it.

The peaceful setting of the picturesque port of Honfleur along the estuary of the Seine attracted many artists and writers over the years, including Impressionist Painters. Throughout its history, numerous maritime journeys were initiated from Honfleur. It's a place of great historic charm, notably around the Vieux Bassin, where lofty slate-and-timber fronted houses overlook the colorful yacht and fishing harbor, and sloping cobbled streets recall 16th century Honfleur. Not to be missed are the 15th century wooden church and the Impressionist paintings of the Musee Eugene Boudin. From here it is possible to visit Monet's Garden, Arromanches, the Normandy Landing Beaches and if there is time, Paris.

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.

Rotterdam is the Dutch city with a difference. City on the river Maas, number 1 world port. An architectural and cultural metropolis with many attractions, festivals and museums. A vivacous, young urban culture and a superlative selection of shops, restaurants and cafes.

Rotterdam is the Dutch city with a difference. City on the river Maas, number 1 world port. An architectural and cultural metropolis with many attractions, festivals and museums. A vivacous, young urban culture and a superlative selection of shops, restaurants and cafes.

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.

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.

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.