Fjords & Northern Empires

Oslo, the capital and most populous city in Norway, lies between the Oslo Fjord and the green hills of Oslomarka. The combination of city life and easy access to outdoor activities makes Oslo a unique destination. Oslo is built in a horseshoe shape on the shores of the Oslofjord and limited in most directions by hills and forests. Read more about Oslo, Norway

Kristiansand is the southernmost city in Norway and lies where the rivers Otra and Tovdalselva enter into Skagerak. It is an interesting city retaining many of the 17th century buildings from its founding days by King Christian IV. The city is home to some of the best beaches - such as Hamresanden Beach located just 10 minutes from the city centre - in Norway. Read more about Kristiansand, Norway

Stavanger, a city on the SW coast of Norway, grew to become among the most influential Norwegian cities in the late 1900s when oil was discovered in the North Sea. Today a vibrant city, but still with its small town appeal, the picturesque harbour with the quiet streets of the old town climbing up from the water’s edge, is the centre from which the city radiates across a network of islands interlaced with graceful bridges. The area is very popular for hiking, so if time permits visit the Pulpit Rock - a massive rock that overhangs the fjord at a height of 604 metres. Read more about Stavanger, Norway

The Norwegian Art Nouveau town of Ålesund could be taken right out of a fairy tale. If you look up as you explore the town, you will discover an abundance of imaginative ornamentation on the fronts of the buildings. Walk up the 418 steps to the top of Mount Aksla and you will be rewarded by unforgettable panoramic views. Read more about Alesund, Norway

The construction of the large liquefied natural gas site on Melkoya Island just off Hammerfest, which processes natural gas from Snohvit, is the most expensive construction project in the history of Northern Norway. This project has resulted in an economic boom and new optimism for Hammerfest in recent years. Hammerfest offers both sea and freshwater fishing, as well as scuba diving. Read more about Hammerfest, Norway

Honningsvåg, Norway, lies deep within the Arctic Circle at 71 deg.N. latitude, on the island Magerøya. Twenty-two km north of Honningsvåg is North Cape, the northernmost part of mainland Europe. Read more about Honningsvag, Norway

Alta lies on the fjord coastline of Norway, just below North Cape. It is the second northernmost city in the world surpassing 10,000 inhabitants, and 380km north of the Arctic Circle. The large Altafjorden has several notable bays and fjord arms that branch off from it including Langfjorden, Jiepmaluokta, Kåfjorden, and Lille Kufjorden. Read more about Alta, Norway

Tromsoe, the home of the famous Northern Lights, is situated a mere 2000 km from the North Pole, on the same latitude as Northern Siberia and Alaska. Most visitors are surprised by the prominence and sophistication of this fascinating port. On offer are high-quality theatre, arts and music, which contrast with the boundless and vast wilderness surrounding the city. Read more about Tromsoe, Norway

Lofoten is an archipelago and a traditional district in the county of Nordland, Norway. It lies within the Arctic Circle and is well known for its exceptional natural beauty. The islands are separated from the mainland by the vast open Vestfjord and are notable for their mountains and peaks, which although not very high, the fact that they rise straight from the sea makes them spectacular and extraordinary. Read more about Lofoten Islands, Norway

The Faroe Islands lie NW of Scotland midway between Iceland and Norway. They constitute a self-governing island territory of Denmark with a language and culture of their own. Due to their volcanic origin, the 18 islands are rugged and rocky. Read more about Faroe Islands, Denmark

The Orkney Islands, an archipelago of more than 70 islands, graced with temperate weather warmed by the Gulf Stream, feature some of the most dramatic coastal scenery. There are sea cliffs, some over 300m, descending to sooth white-sand beaches. Yet even more fascinating are the more than 1,000 prehistoric sites that have been found here. Read more about Orkney Islands, Great Britain

Invergordon is a deepwater port near the entrance of Cromarty Firth, "the seaway to the Scottish Highlands." Inverness, where shopping is great and visitors can see tartans being made, is the capital of the Highlands, and is a half an hour drive from Invergordon. Loch Ness, home of the elusive monster, is just a few kilometres beyond. The town of Invergordon itself is small and modern, and now specialises in the construction of large offshore wind turbines. Read more about Invergordon, Great Britain

Rosyth is a town located on north of the Firth of Forth on Scotland's east coast just 19km NW of Edinburgh. In the early 1900s Rosyth was the location of a large Royal Naval dockyard due primarily to the existence of a natural deep channel which made it ideal as a base for warships. As the town was being planned from scratch, it was laid out as a 'garden city' to house the workers at the dockyard and naval base. Read more about Rosyth, Great Britain

Rosyth is a town located on north of the Firth of Forth on Scotland's east coast just 19km NW of Edinburgh. In the early 1900s Rosyth was the location of a large Royal Naval dockyard due primarily to the existence of a natural deep channel which made it ideal as a base for warships. As the town was being planned from scratch, it was laid out as a 'garden city' to house the workers at the dockyard and naval base. Read more about Rosyth, Great Britain

The port city of Zeebrugge is a harbour town at the western end of the Belgian coast and a subdivision of the city of Bruges - one of the best preserved cities in Europe - for which it is the modern port. The new port has reinvigorated the city as an art and tourist centre for northern Europe. Upon visiting Bruges you will immediately notice that this city has always carefully cherished its architectural and artistic treasures from the past, but what makes Bruges so unique though is the way it deals with this past today. Read more about Zeebrugge, Belgium

Southampton, UK, is a city and major port situated on the south coast of England, and is widely recognised as the capital of the country’s cruise industry. Each year more and more cruise liners take advantage of its superb cruise terminals. It is, of course, a gateway to Europe’s largest city, the enormous cosmopolitan city of London, with all the cultural and gastronomic attractions you'd expect from a world capital. Read more about Southampton, Great Britain

Hamburg is a major transport hub in Northern Germany and is one of the most affluent cities in Europe. Located on the river Elbe, some 110 km from its mouth in the North Sea, the port can take the world’s largest cruise ships. The birthplace of Johannes Brahms, who spent his early formative years in the city, it is renowned for its numerous musicals, operas and orchestral presentations. Read more about Hamburg, Germany

Lysekil is a fishing and ferry port in Västra Götaland County in western Sweden. This small fishing village of just 7000 faces the Skagerrak, a strait leading to the Baltic Sea and which is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Eight kilometres to the north is Sweden’s largest oil refinery and a port that takes 500,000 DWT tankers. Read more about Lysekil, Sweden

Copenhagen, situated on two islands, is the capital and largest city in Denmark. It is perhaps best known for being the final resting place of the famous author Hans Christian Andersen, and also being one of the world’s most environmentally friendly cities. It has a very high quality of life. Read more about Copenhagen, Denmark

Sweden’s only baroque city and a UNESCO World Heritage Town, Karlskrona, an outstanding example of a late-17th-century European planned naval city, is an historical navy base at the SE tip of Sweden. The original plan and many of the buildings have survived intact, along with installations that illustrate its subsequent development up to the present day. The city of Karlskrona is spread over 30 islands, Trosso being the main one. Read more about Karlskrona, Sweden

Gdansk lies on the southern edge of Gdansk Bay on the Baltic coast, and is Poland’s principal seaport. From a trading base for the once-mighty Teutonic Knights to the birthplace of modern Poland, the city drips history. Today Gdansk, with its painstakingly reconstructed and very charming Old Town, is perfectly located at the heart of the coast, and is the showpiece of Poland's north. Read more about Gdansk, Poland

Read more about Helsinki, Finland

The city of Stockholm in Sweden spreads across 14 islands as it faces proudly out to the Baltic Sea. Its history stretches over seven centuries, and it is Sweden's centre of art and culture. It is also famous for being the home of the Nobel Prizes. Read more about Stockholm, Sweden

The city of Stockholm in Sweden spreads across 14 islands as it faces proudly out to the Baltic Sea. Its history stretches over seven centuries, and it is Sweden's centre of art and culture. It is also famous for being the home of the Nobel Prizes. Read more about Stockholm, Sweden