Northern countries Cruise - from Copenhagen - 130133

Copenhagen is not only the capital of Denmark, but also the most multifaceted city in Scandinavia. A quarter of all Danes live in and around Copenhagen and yet the city remains, essentially, clearly laid out and easy to navigate. The massive bridge over the Bresund connecting Denmark with Sweden means Copenhagen has become an even more important hub in Scandinavia in the new millenium. Visitors from all over the world come to Copenhagen to have fun at Tivoli, to see the mermaid, the changing of the guard at the Queen's castle and much much more besides. Sights include: Vor Frelser Kirke (Our Saviour's Church), the round tower, the town hall, the little mermaid, Tivoli, the commodity exchange, Denmark's Royal Library, Thorvaldsen Museum, Amalienborg castle, and Tycho Brahes Planetarium.

Norway's number one holiday destination - that's what the people in Kristiansund proudly call their city. Kristiansund is known not only for its attractive location at Skagerrak, the must-see fjord coastline with its skerries offshore and the attractive hinterland; the city also has the greatest number of sunshine hours per year in all of Norway. Kristiansund has lots to offer both in the cultural and the educational sphere. A stroll through the city centre reveals the strict rectalinear street plan. The streets look like a chess board, reminiscent of the American cities, although on a much smaller scale. It was in Kristiansund that town planners first came up with this idea. The reason for the striking arrangement of the streets is the planned construction of the city. At the time it was founded in the Middle Ages, this type of layout was the ideal. Old, well-restored wooden houses, which today are under preservation order, are a reminder of Kristiansand's past. The marketplace in the centre, surrounded by the cathedral, the town hall, the city hall and Wergeland park forms the genteel suburb of the city.

The port of Ålesund, which stretches across three islands, was reconstructed after the great fire of 1904 with Art Nouveau architecture. The best view of the city and the skerries before the coast is to be had from the observation hill "Aksla", which can be reached on foot via 418 steps or - the more comfortable option - by car. The panorama restaurant "Fjellstua" is located here. The Ålesund Museum provides an insight into the city's history. At Atlanterhavs Park, visitors can marvel at the creatures that inhabit the Atlantic in a huge sea water aquarium. Around 4 km to the east of the city centre is the Sunnmøre Museum which has various sections. The Medieval Museum gives an idea of what daily life was like at that time and there is also an outdoor museum and a maritime exhibition with old fishing boots and reconstructed Viking ships. The popular trip to the bird island "Runde", to the South-West of Ålesund, provides a very special natural phenomenon.

Kirkwall is the capital of the northern Scottish island council area of Orkney, where visitors can expect to find a landscape made up mainly of craggy cliffs and strange sandstone formations. The pretty capital and business centre is famous primarily for its whisky distilleries and St. Magnus Cathedral. The cathedral dates from the 12th century and is one of the most beautiful examples of Norman architecture in the British Isles. Other sights include: Tankerness House, a 16th century town house that houses the local history museum of the Orkney Islands, and the Stone Age village of Skara Brae, which is more than 5,000 years old.

Aberdeen is a town built almost entirely from granite - even the roads. This Scottish town is one of the most important ports for the oil industry of the North Sea and has the largest off-shore oilfields in the world. Aberdeen's busy harbour also has a picturesque fish market. Close by the main street, Union Street, you will find the "Castlegate", the late medieval Provost Skene's House and the Aberdeen Art Gallery, which has an important collection of pre-Raphaelite and modern Art. Other attractions inlude the City Chambers, Marischal College, St. Machar Cathedral, Seaton Park and the Brig o'Balgownie.

The Venice of the North! Along the canals and waterways and in the winding streets between the stepped gable houses, Amsterdam has a cosy but cosmopolitan flair. Idyllic pavement cafés, lively flea markets, the Anne Frank House, the Rijks- or Van-Gogh-Museum and many, many galleries and shops selling products designed and made by young designers and artists.