Fairytale Capitals

Read more about Helsinki, Finland

Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. It is the largest city of the Baltic states and home to more than one third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava. Read more about Riga, Latvia

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

The Danish town of Rønne, the largest on the island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea, is home to 15 medieval churches - four of which are Round Churches - that display unique artwork and architecture. In the colourful Old Quarter with its cobbled streets one finds some notable examples of 19th and early 20th century architecture that include half-timbered houses and interesting museums. Ronne is also well known for its arts and crafts, especially the delightful clay pottery and glass souvenirs made on site. Read more about Ronne, 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

Kiel is the capital of the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, and situated at the SW of the Baltic Sea. It is the home to Germany’s Baltic fleet, an important ship-building centre, entry point to the Kiel Canal, and cruise terminal for the Baltic Sea. The city was rebuilt after WWII in modern architectural styles, hence few historic edifices remain – see Keiler Castle near the cruise terminal. Read more about Kiel, Germany

Aarhus is the second largest city and principal port of Denmark, and is situated on the east side of the peninsula of Jutland in the geographical centre of Denmark. The cruise port is within walking distance of the city centre. One major tourist attraction in Aarhus is The Old Town, which is not actually an old part of the city itself, but a collection of historic Danish buildings gathered from all around the country. Read more about Aarhus, Denmark

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

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

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

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

Rosendal is a small town at the western end of the Hardangerfjord in Hordaland, West Norway. Towering behind the town are mountains to over 1400 m within 10 km, and the Folgefonna National Park with three major glaciers. (There are no roads into the Park, get there by hiking or helicopter.) The sea, mountains and glaciers provide fantastic opportunities for activities in the great outdoors all year round. Read more about Rosendal, Norway

Vik - aka Vikøyri, Vikøiri - is located in the county of Sogn og Fjordane, Norway on the Sognefjord, the longest fjord in the world. Vik is the municipality and Vikøyri is the administrative centre and village with a population of 2900. It is accessed by boat and road from Bergen and Oslo. Read more about Vik, 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 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

Aberdeen is situated on the banks of the rivers Dee and Don on the mid-eastern coast of Scotland, and is its third largest city. It is home to many diverse attractions and has long been famous for its parks, gardens and floral displays, hence its name “Flower of Scotland.” Imagine seeing two million roses, eleven million daffodils and three million crocuses! It is also known as “the Granite City” or “the Silver City” on account of the grey, sometimes sparkling stone used in the older buildings. Read more about Aberdeen, Great Britain

IJmuiden, Netherlands, is located at the mouth of the North Sea Canal leading to Amsterdam, lying approximately 17 km north of Haarlem. It is known as North Holland’s gate to the North Sea due to the canal that connects the North Sea with the IJ Bay in Amsterdam. The places to be seen include the Zee-en Haven Museum in the city, the Hoogovens Museum, and the system of sluice gates at the mouth of the canal. Read more about IJmuiden, Netherlands