Copenhagen, Denmark

Visby, Gotland, Sweden

This delightful hilly town, boasting medieval houses and ruined fortifications, is the island of Gotland's capital city. Due to its gentle climate an abundance of roses bloom here, even as late as November, marking Visby as "The City of Roses." In its heyday, Visby was one of the richest trading centers in northern Europe. Remains of the medieval city walls are considered to be among the best-preserved in Europe. Additional points of interest include the cathedral, one of the town's 17 medieval churches still in use today; the Old Apothecary, a late medieval four-story merchant's house; and the Fornsal Museum with an interesting exhibit of medieval artwork, hordes of silver from Viking times, and impressive picture stones that predate the Viking rune stones. Sweden's main holiday island offers wide sandy beaches, wild cliff formations, and verdant sheepfarming country and glades in which 35 different varieties of wild orchids thrive, attracting botanists from around the world. There are also a hundred more churches dating from Gotland's great commercial era scattered across the island which are still in use today.

Skagen, Denmark

At the tip of the flat, sandy Jutland peninsula, Skagen is Denmark’s northernmost town and a popular holiday destination for Danes. It was long Denmark’s most important fishing port, but its popularity as a recreation area began at the end of the 19th Century when Queen Alexandrine, the wife of King Christian X, fell in love with the rustic character of the place and built the summer residence Klitgaarden. The royal couple invited other Scandinavian and European royalty to share holidays with them and Skagen’s reputation grew. At the same time, the Skagensbanen railway made travel to Jutland easier. Impressionist artists were attracted by the exotic sand- and seascapes and the vivid light reflected from the sea, and a school of Skagen Painters thrived in the first quarter of the 20th century. Arts and crafts still remain an important local tradition, and the town has many shops and galleries offering handmade goods to visitors. There is a venerable lighthouse near the peninsula’s tip, where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet, but due to their differing densities, their margins can clearly be seen. A St. Lawrence’s Church was built in Skagen in the 14th century, but it was eventually inundated by drifting sand dunes. The Skagen Church of today was built in 1841. Visitors today are attracted to period buildings such as the Skagen Museum, and former artists’ residences including the Anchers Hus and Drachmanns Hus. The Skagen area is also a magnet for birdwatchers, since 367 of Denmark’s 471 bird species can be seen there.

At Sea

Oostend (Bruges), Belgium

Most visitors to Oostend waterfront will seek out the tall masts of the Mercator, a refurbished training barquentine once used for polar exploration. This port on the northern coast of Flanders is a perfect place from which to visit the romantic medieval city of Bruges. Renowned for its carefully conserved or restored Gothic architecture, Bruges is also a storybook place of cobblestone plazas and picturesque canals. The Burg is a breathtaking public square lined with elaborate facades including the Basilica of the Holy Blood and the 14th century City Hall, aas well as the Palace of the Liberty of Bruges and the Renaissance Court of Justice. Tye Markt boasts the towering Bruges Belfry and the Provincial Palace which was the useful Waterhalle, where goods were stored from the canals. The Beguinage medieval convent is a UNESCO World Heritage site. As famous as Bruge’s canals and architecture is the renowned Belgian chocolate crafted by the local chocolatiers.

Greenwich (London), England, United Kingdom

Mooring near the Greenwich Naval Observatory provides a perfect location on a broad meander of the River Thames south-east of central London. There is easy access to both Greenwich and the city of London, one of the world's premier cities. The Royal Borough of Greenwich is part of Greater London, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, for its maritime history as well as its connection to the Royal Family. The Palace of Placentia has stood on a hill here since the 15th Century. It was the birthplace of both Henry VIII and his daughter Elizabeth I. The buildings were later incorporated into the Old Royal Naval College. Visitors can explore the College, the Royal Observatory (site of the Prime Meridian) and the National Maritime Museum. On the riverfront, the 19th century clipper Cutty Sark, Sir Francis Chichester’s yacht Gypsy Moth IV and a Royal Navy destroyer HMS Defender are museum ships. The modern structures of the O2 entertainment complex stand on the peninsula nearby.