Northern Europe - Baltic, Scandinavia, North Cape, Germany, Iceland
The capital and largest city of Finland, Helsinki is a rich cultural hub filled with museums, galleries and theaters, including the Ateneum’s collection of nearly 30,000 masterpieces of visual art. When Russia took control of Finland from Sweden in the 19th century, Helsinki was rebuilt with a neoclassical city center featuring handsome boulevards, plentiful parks and expansive squares with spectacular architecture, most notably Senate Square.
While you may not associate beaches with Norway, the resort town of Kristiansand proudly welcomes locals and vacationers to its Blue Flag beach of Bystranda. In another unexpected juxtaposition, Kristiansand is also known for its ice cream shops and beer pubs. In this easily walkable city, a stroll in any direction reveals cultural treasures and natural beauty. An impressive example of modern design, the Kilden Performing Arts Center overlooks the scenic waterfront and the prominent red roof of the Christiansholm Fortress.
On the southern coast of England and offshore Portsea Island stands the home of the British Royal Navy, the harbor city of Portsmouth. A proud naval heritage is evident in the Historic Dockyard where modern ships are moored alongside classics like Admiral Nelson’s flagship HMS Victory, which defeated Napoleon in the Battle of Trafalgar. The wreckage of Henry VIII’s Mary Rose, which capsized offshore in 1545, is displayed in a nearby museum, and on the southern tip of the island stands Southsea Castle, constructed in 1544 to defend those same waters.
