NEUR

Vigo is simultaneously a quaint historic town and a world-class industrial port – it delights in both dimensions. The name Vigo comes from the Latin vicus, meaning small village, and yet this biggest city in Galicia is home to the world's largest fishing fleet. The keel was laid in Vigo for the inaugural luxury yacht of The Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection in January 2018. Meanwhile, ancient Vigo lives on in the Old Town, home to stately stone buildings and the underground remains of the ancient city wall. Monte del Castro rises in the city center where Vigo was first settled.

Sheer cliffs and waterfalls carve Streymoy, the largest of the 18 Faroe Islands and home of Tórshavn, the capital and largest town of the archipelago. The old town of Tinganes was the home of the Faroese parliament for over a thousand years; the prime minister’s office is still located here. Stroll along narrow alleyways lined with black-tarred houses with grass roofs, some dating to the 14th century, and look for mysterious rock carvings believed to relate to ancient council meetings. But most of the pleasures involve the natural landscape.

Choral music rings out from old Lutheran churches in this magnificently restored Baltic city. Built by German merchants who grew rich on the flourishing Hanseatic trade, Tallinn is one of the best-preserved capitals in Europe. Its magnificent Town Hall is the oldest city hall in Northern Europe and the only one preserved in Gothic style. But two centuries of czarist rule and nearly half a century of Soviet domination added a distinct Russian flavor to its Germanic heritage.

This small town of well-preserved, 150-year-old wooden warehouses, shops and homes clustered around a deep natural harbor is the jumping off point for touring and hiking the picturesque peninsula of Snæfellsnes. The town seems frozen in time, as it is home to few people and has no traffic or pollution. Visit the Volcano Museum, a tribute to native son and volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson, who studied volcanoes around the world for forty years. The unique Library of Water Museum features melted glaciers from the island’s five largest icecaps.

The approach to Sweden’s capital city of Stockholm, through the untouched nature of the archipelago, is breathtaking. Spread over 14 islands, Stockholm is called “The City That Floats on Water.” Not surprisingly, 57 bridges traverse the city. Start your tour at Djurgården, an island that was once the hunting grounds of the king and is now home to the fascinating Vasa Museum, housing the world’s only preserved 17th-century warship. Stockholm has 70 museums, including the world’s oldest open-air museum, the Skansen.

Guernsey is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, and one of the Channel Islands in the English Channel close to the French coast. The handsome town of Regency-style buildings is a short walk up from the pier and a delight to explore. Visit Castle Cornet, a fortress that has guarded the harbor for eight centuries. After visiting the five museums housed within, you’ll become an expert on Guernsey history. Another popular attraction is Hauteville House, the former home of the exiled 19th-century French literary giant and author of Les Miserables, Victor Hugo.

Located on the northeast coast of Brittany, Saint-Malo has long been an important French port and today keeps busy receiving ferries arriving from the UK. This walled city is ringed with mighty ramparts and towers built to protect its inhabitants from intruders long ago, and a walk along the ramparts makes for a pleasant tour. The most famous attraction and one of the most popular in France is nearby Mont St. Michel, a rocky tidal island that has been one of the top pilgrimage sites for Christians through the ages.

Your yacht docks in Warnemünde, a charming resort town with a popular beach, a pretty promenade and gabled fishermen’s houses. Nearby Rostock enchants with its university established in 1419, St. Mary’s Church with its famous astronomical clock, the 13th-century Town Hall and the quaint Old Town. You might also travel inland to the quintessential fairy-tale castle of Schwerin Palace.